madame bovary-第20章

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Monsieur　Bovary；　much　obstinacy　of　routine；　with　which　all　the
efforts　of　your　science　will　daily　come　into　collision；　for
people　still　have　recourse　to　novenas；　to　relics；　to　the　priest；
rather　than　come　straight　to　the　doctor　of　the　chemist。　The
climate；　however；　is　not；　truth　to　tell；　bad；　and　we　even　have　a
few　nonagenarians　in　our　parish。　The　thermometer　（I　have　made
some　observations）　falls　in　winter　to　4　degrees　Centigrade　at　the
outside；　which　gives　us　24　degrees　Reaumur　as　the　maximum；　or
otherwise　54　degrees　Fahrenheit　（English　scale）；　not　more。　And；
as　a　matter　of　fact；　we　are　sheltered　from　the　north　winds　by　the
forest　of　Argueil　on　the　one　side；　from　the　west　winds　by　the　St。
Jean　range　on　the　other；　and　this　heat；　moreover；　which；　on
account　of　the　aqueous　vapours　given　off　by　the　river　and　the
considerable　number　of　cattle　in　the　fields；　which；　as　you　know；
exhale　much　ammonia；　that　is　to　say；　nitrogen；　hydrogen　and
oxygen　（no；　nitrogen　and　hydrogen　alone）；　and　which　sucking　up
into　itself　the　humus　from　the　ground；　mixing　together　all　those
different　emanations；　unites　them　into　a　stack；　so　to　say；　and
combining　with　the　electricity　diffused　through　the　atmosphere；
when　there　is　any；　might　in　the　long　run；　as　in　tropical
countries；　engender　insalubrious　miasmatathis　heat；　I　say；
finds　itself　perfectly　tempered　on　the　side　whence　it　comes；　or
rather　whence　it　should　comethat　is　to　say；　the　southern　side
by　the　south…eastern　winds；　which；　having　cooled　themselves
passing　over　the　Seine；　reach　us　sometimes　all　at　once　like
breezes　from　Russia。〃

〃At　any　rate；　you　have　some　walks　in　the　neighbourhood？〃
continued　Madame　Bovary；　speaking　to　the　young　man。

〃Oh；　very　few；〃　he　answered。　〃There　is　a　place　they　call　La
Pature；　on　the　top　of　the　hill；　on　the　edge　of　the　forest。
Sometimes；　on　Sundays；　I　go　and　stay　there　with　a　book；　watching
the　sunset。〃

〃I　think　there　is　nothing　so　admirable　as　sunsets；〃　she　resumed；
〃but　especially　by　the　side　of　the　sea。〃

〃Oh；　I　adore　the　sea！〃　said　Monsieur　Leon。

〃And　then；　does　it　not　seem　to　you；〃　continued　Madame　Bovary；
〃that　the　mind　travels　more　freely　on　this　limitless　expanse；　the
contemplation　of　which　elevates　the　soul；　gives　ideas　of　the
infinite；　the　ideal？〃

〃It　is　the　same　with　mountainous　landscapes；〃　continued　Leon。　〃A
cousin　of　mine　who　travelled　in　Switzerland　last　year　told　me
that　one　could　not　picture　to　oneself　the　poetry　of　the　lakes；
the　charm　of　the　waterfalls；　the　gigantic　effect　of　the　glaciers。
One　sees　pines　of　incredible　size　across　torrents；　cottages
suspended　over　precipices；　and；　a　thousand　feet　below　one；　whole
valleys　when　the　clouds　open。　Such　spectacles　must　stir　to
enthusiasm；　incline　to　prayer；　to　ecstasy；　and　I　no　longer　marvel
at　that　celebrated　musician　who；　the　better　to　inspire　his
imagination；　was　in　the　habit　of　playing　the　piano　before　some
imposing　site。〃

〃You　play？〃　she　asked。

〃No；　but　I　am　very　fond　of　music；〃　he　replied。

〃Ah！　don't　you　listen　to　him；　Madame　Bovary；〃　interrupted　Homais；
bending　over　his　plate。　〃That's　sheer　modesty。　Why；　my　dear
fellow；　the　other　day　in　your　room　you　were　singing　'L'Ange
Gardien'　ravishingly。　I　heard　you　from　the　laboratory。　You　gave
it　like　an　actor。〃

Leon；　in　fact；　lodged　at　the　chemist's　where　he　had　a　small　room
on　the　second　floor；　overlooking　the　Place。　He　blushed　at　the
compliment　of　his　landlord；　who　had　already　turned　to　the　doctor；
and　was　enumerating　to　him；　one　after　the　other；　all　the
principal　inhabitants　of　Yonville。　He　was　telling　anecdotes；
giving　information；　the　fortune　of　the　notary　was　not　known
exactly；　and　〃there　was　the　Tuvache　household；〃　who　made　a　good
deal　of　show。

Emma　continued；　〃And　what　music　do　you　prefer？〃

〃Oh；　German　music；　that　which　makes　you　dream。〃

〃Have　you　been　to　the　opera？〃

〃Not　yet；　but　I　shall　go　next　year；　when　I　am　living　at　Paris　to
finish　reading　for　the　bar。〃

〃As　I　had　the　honour　of　putting　it　to　your　husband；〃　said　the
chemist；　〃with　regard　to　this　poor　Yanoda　who　has　run　away；　you
will　find　yourself；　thanks　to　his　extravagance；　in　the　possession
of　one　of　the　most　comfortable　houses　of　Yonville。　Its　greatest
convenience　for　a　doctor　is　a　door　giving　on　the　Walk；　where　one
can　go　in　and　out　unseen。　Moreover；　it　contains　everything　that
is　agreeable　in　a　householda　laundry；　kitchen　with　offices；
sitting…room；　fruit…room；　and　so　on。　He　was　a　gay　dog；　who　didn't
care　what　he　spent。　At　the　end　of　the　garden；　by　the　side　of　the
water；　he　had　an　arbour　built　just　for　the　purpose　of　drinking
beer　in　summer；　and　if　madame　is　fond　of　gardening　she　will　be
able〃

〃My　wife　doesn't　care　about　it；〃　said　Charles；　〃although　she　has
been　advised　to　take　exercise；　she　prefers　always　sitting　in　her
room　reading。〃

〃Like　me；〃　replied　Leon。　〃And　indeed；　what　is　better　than　to　sit
by　one's　fireside　in　the　evening　with　a　book；　while　the　wind
beats　against　the　window　and　the　lamp　is　burning？〃

〃What；　indeed？〃　she　said；　fixing　her　large　black　eyes　wide　open
upon　him。

〃One　thinks　of　nothing；〃　he　continued；　〃the　hours　slip　by。
Motionless　we　traverse　countries　we　fancy　we　see；　and　your
thought；　blinding　with　the　fiction；　playing　with　the　details；
follows　the　outline　of　the　adventures。　It　mingles　with　the
characters；　and　it　seems　as　if　it　were　yourself　palpitating
beneath　their　costumes。〃

〃That　is　true！　That　is　true？〃　she　said。

〃Has　it　ever　happened　to　you；〃　Leon　went　on；　〃to　come　across　some
vague　idea　of　one's　own　in　a　book；　some　dim　image　that　comes　back
to　you　from　afar；　and　as　the　completest　expression　of　your　own
slightest　sentiment？〃

〃I　have　experienced　it；〃　she　replied。

〃That　is　why；〃　he　said；　〃I　especially　love　the　poets。　I　think
verse　more　tender　than　prose；　and　that　it　moves　far　more　easily
to　tears。〃

〃Still　in　the　long　run　it　is　tiring；〃　continued　Emma。　Now　I；　on
the　contrary；　adore　stories　that　rush　breathlessly　along；　that
frighten　one。　I　detest　commonplace　heroes　and　moderate
sentiments；　such　as　there　are　in　nature。〃

〃In　fact；〃　observed　the　clerk；　〃these　works；　not　touching　the
heart；　miss；　it　seems　to　me；　the　true　end　of　art。　It　is　so　sweet；
amid　all　the　disenchantments　of　life；　to　be　able　to　dwell　in
thought　upon　noble　characters；　pure　affections；　and　pictures　of
happiness。　For　myself；　living　here　far　from　the　world；　this　is　my
one　distraction；　but　Yonville　affords　so　few　resources。〃

〃Like　Tostes；　no　doubt；〃　replied　Emma；　〃and　so　I　always
subscribed　to　a　lending　library。〃

〃If　madame　will　do　me　the　honour　of　making　use　of　it〃；　said　the
chemist；　who　had　just　caught　the　last　words；　〃I　have　at　her
disposal　a　library　composed　of　the　best　authors；　Voltaire；
Rousseau；　Delille；　Walter　Scott；　the　'Echo　des　Feuilletons'；　and
in　addition　I　receive　various　periodicals；　among　them　the　'Fanal
de　Rouen'　daily；　having　the　advantage　to　be　its　correspondent　for
the　districts　of　Buchy；　Forges；　Neufchatel；　Yonville；　and
vicinity。〃

For　two　hours　and　a　half　they　had　been　at　table；　for　the　servant
Artemis；　carelessly　dragging　her　old　list　slippers　over　the
flags；　brought　one　plate　after　the　other；　forgot　everything；　and
constantly　left　the　door　of　the　billiard…room　half　open；　so　that
it　beat　against　the　wall　with　its　hooks。

Unconsciously；　Leon；　while　talking；　had　placed　his　foot　on　one　of
the　bars　of　the　chair　on　which　Madame　Bovary　was　sitting。　She
wore　a　small　blue　silk　necktie；　that　kept　up　like　a　ruff　a
gauffered　cambric　collar；　and　with　the　movements　of　her　head　the
lower　part　of　her　face　gently　sunk　into　the　linen　or　came　out
from　it。　Thus　side　by　side；　while　Charles　and　the　chemist
chatted；　they　entered　into　one　of　those　vague　conversations　where
the　hazard　of　all　that　is　said　brings　you　back　to　the　fixed
centre　of　a　common　sympathy。　The　Paris　theatres；　titles　of
novels；　new　quadrilles；　and　the　world　they　did　not　know；　Tostes；
where　she　had　lived；　and　Yonville；　where　they　were；　they　examined
all；　talked　of　everything　till　to　the　end　of　dinner。

When　coffee　was　served　Felicite　went　away　to　get　ready　the　room
in　the　new　house；　and　the　guests　soon　raised　the　siege。　Madame
Lefrancois　was　asleep　n