madame bovary-第24章

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the　young　man　glided　past　the　curtain；　always　dressed　in　the　same
way；　and　without　turning　his　head。　But　in　the　twilight；　when；　her
chin　resting　on　her　left　hand；　she　let　the　embroidery　she　had
begun　fall　on　her　knees；　she　often　shuddered　at　the　apparition　of
this　shadow　suddenly　gliding　past。　She　would　get　up　and　order　the
table　to　be　laid。

Monsieur　Homais　called　at　dinner…time。　Skull…cap　in　hand；　he　came
in　on　tiptoe；　in　order　to　disturb　no　one；　always　repeating　the
same　phrase；　〃Good　evening；　everybody。〃　Then；　when　he　had　taken
his　seat　at　the　table　between　the　pair；　he　asked　the　doctor　about
his　patients；　and　the　latter　consulted　his　as　to　the　probability
of　their　payment。　Next　they　talked　of　〃what　was　in　the　paper。〃

Homais　by　this　hour　knew　it　almost　by　heart；　and　he　repeated　it
from　end　to　end；　with　the　reflections　of　the　penny…a…liners；　and
all　the　stories　of　individual　catastrophes　that　had　occurred　in
France　or　abroad。　But　the　subject　becoming　exhausted；　he　was　not
slow　in　throwing　out　some　remarks　on　the　dishes　before　him。

Sometimes　even；　half…rising；　he　delicately　pointed　out　to　madame
the　tenderest　morsel；　or　turning　to　the　servant；　gave　her　some
advice　on　the　manipulation　of　stews　and　the　hygiene　of　seasoning。

He　talked　aroma；　osmazome；　juices；　and　gelatine　in　a　bewildering
manner。　Moreover；　Homais；　with　his　head　fuller　of　recipes　than
his　shop　of　jars；　excelled　in　making　all　kinds　of　preserves；
vinegars；　and　sweet　liqueurs；　he　knew　also　all　the　latest
inventions　in　economic　stoves；　together　with　the　art　of
preserving　cheese　and　of　curing　sick　wines。

At　eight　o'clock　Justin　came　to　fetch　him　to　shut　up　the　shop。

Then　Monsieur　Homais　gave　him　a　sly　look；　especially　if　Felicite
was　there；　for　he　half　noticed　that　his　apprentice　was　fond　of
the　doctor's　house。

〃The　young　dog；〃　he　said；　〃is　beginning　to　have　ideas；　and　the
devil　take　me　if　I　don't　believe　he's　in　love　with　your　servant！〃

But　a　more　serious　fault　with　which　he　reproached　Justin　was　his
constantly　listening　to　conversation。　On　Sunday；　for　example；　one
could　not　get　him　out　of　the　drawing…room；　whither　Madame　Homais
had　called　him　to　fetch　the　children；　who　were　falling　asleep　in
the　arm…chairs；　and　dragging　down　with　their　backs　calico
chair…covers　that　were　too　large。

Not　many　people　came　to　these　soirees　at　the　chemist's；　his
scandal…mongering　and　political　opinions　having　successfully
alienated　various　respectable　persons　from　him。　The　clerk　never
failed　to　be　there。　As　soon　as　he　heard　the　bell　he　ran　to　meet
Madame　Bovary；　took　her　shawl；　and　put　away　under　the
shop…counter　the　thick　list　shoes　that　she　wore　over　her　boots
when　there　was　snow。

First　they　played　some　hands　at　trente…et…un；　next　Monsieur
Homais　played　ecarte　with　Emma；　Leon　behind　her　gave　her　advice。

Standing　up　with　his　hands　on　the　back　of　her　chair　he　saw　the
teeth　of　her　comb　that　bit　into　her　chignon。　With　every　movement
that　she　made　to　throw　her　cards　the　right　side　of　her　dress　was
drawn　up。　From　her　turned…up　hair　a　dark　colour　fell　over　her
back；　and　growing　gradually　paler；　lost　itself　little　by　little
in　the　shade。　Then　her　dress　fell　on　both　sides　of　her　chair；
puffing　out　full　of　folds；　and　reached　the　ground。　When　Leon
occasionally　felt　the　sole　of　his　boot　resting　on　it；　he　drew
back　as　if　he　had　trodden　upon　some　one。

When　the　game　of　cards　was　over；　the　druggist　and　the　Doctor
played　dominoes；　and　Emma；　changing　her　place；　leant　her　elbow　on
the　table；　turning　over　the　leaves　of　L'Illustration。〃　She　had
brought　her　ladies'　journal　with　her。　Leon　sat　down　near　her；
they　looked　at　the　engravings　together；　and　waited　for　one
another　at　the　bottom　of　the　pages。　She　often　begged　him　to　read
her　the　verses；　Leon　declaimed　them　in　a　languid　voice；　to　which
he　carefully　gave　a　dying　fall　in　the　love　passages。　But　the
noise　of　the　dominoes　annoyed　him。　Monsieur　Homais　was　strong　at
the　game；　he　could　beat　Charles　and　give　him　a　double…six。　Then
the　three　hundred　finished；　they　both　stretched　themselves　out　in
front　of　the　fire；　and　were　soon　asleep。　The　fire　was　dying　out
in　the　cinders；　the　teapot　was　empty；　Leon　was　still　reading。

Emma　listened　to　him；　mechanically　turning　around　the　lampshade；
on　the　gauze　of　which　were　painted　clowns　in　carriages；　and
tight…rope　dances　with　their　balancing…poles。　Leon　stopped；
pointing　with　a　gesture　to　his　sleeping　audience；　then　they
talked　in　low　tones；　and　their　conversation　seemed　the　more　sweet
to　them　because　it　was　unheard。

Thus　a　kind　of　bond　was　established　between　them；　a　constant
commerce　of　books　and　of　romances。　Monsieur　Bovary；　little　given
to　jealousy；　did　not　trouble　himself　about　it。

On　his　birthday　he　received　a　beautiful　phrenological　head；　all
marked　with　figures　to　the　thorax　and　painted　blue。　This　was　an
attention　of　the　clerk's。　He　showed　him　many　others；　even　to
doing　errands　for　him　at　Rouen；　and　the　book　of　a　novelist　having
made　the　mania　for　cactuses　fashionable；　Leon　bought　some　for
Madame　Bovary；　bringing　them　back　on　his　knees　in　the
〃Hirondelle；〃　pricking　his　fingers　on　their　hard　hairs。

She　had　a　board　with　a　balustrade　fixed　against　her　window　to
hold　the　pots。　The　clerk；　too；　had　his　small　hanging　garden；　they
saw　each　other　tending　their　flowers　at　their　windows。

Of　the　windows　of　the　village　there　was　one　yet　more　often
occupied；　for　on　Sundays　from　morning　to　night；　and　every　morning
when　the　weather　was　bright；　one　could　see　at　the　dormer…window
of　the　garret　the　profile　of　Monsieur　Binet　bending　over　his
lathe；　whose　monotonous　humming　could　be　heard　at　the　Lion　d'Or。

One　evening　on　coming　home　Leon　found　in　his　room　a　rug　in　velvet
and　wool　with　leaves　on　a　pale　ground。　He　called　Madame　Homais；
Monsieur　Homais；　Justin；　the　children；　the　cook；　he　spoke　of　it
to　his　chief；　every　one　wanted　to　see　this　rug。　Why　did　the
doctor's　wife　give　the　clerk　presents？　It　looked　queer。　They
decided　that　she　must　be　his　lover。

He　made　this　seem　likely；　so　ceaselessly　did　he　talk　of　her
charms　and　of　her　wit；　so　much　so；　that　Binet　once　roughly
answered　him

〃What　does　it　matter　to　me　since　I'm　not　in　her　set？〃

He　tortured　himself　to　find　out　how　he　could　make　his　declaration
to　her；　and　always　halting　between　the　fear　of　displeasing　her
and　the　shame　of　being　such　a　coward；　he　wept　with　discouragement
and　desire。　Then　he　took　energetic　resolutions；　wrote　letters
that　he　tore　up；　put　it　off　to　times　that　he　again　deferred。

Often　he　set　out　with　the　determination　to　dare　all；　but　this
resolution　soon　deserted　him　in　Emma's　presence；　and　when
Charles；　dropping　in；　invited　him　to　jump　into　his　chaise　to　go
with　him　to　see　some　patient　in　the　neighbourhood；　he　at　once
accepted；　bowed　to　madame；　and　went　out。　Her　husband；　was　he　not
something　belonging　to　her？　As　to　Emma；　she　did　not　ask　herself
whether　she　loved。　Love；　she　thought；　must　come　suddenly；　with
great　outbursts　and　lightnings　a　hurricane　of　the　skies；　which
falls　upon　life；　revolutionises　it；　roots　up　the　will　like　a
leaf；　and　sweeps　the　whole　heart　into　the　abyss。　She　did　not　know
that　on　the　terrace　of　houses　it　makes　lakes　when　the　pipes　are
choked；　and　she　would　thus　have　remained　in　her　security　when　she
suddenly　discovered　a　rent　in　the　wall　of　it。



Chapter　Five

It　was　a　Sunday　in　February；　an　afternoon　when　the　snow　was
falling。

They　had　all；　Monsieur　and　Madame　Bovary；　Homais；　and　Monsieur
Leon；　gone　to　see　a　yarn…mill　that　was　being　built　in　the　valley
a　mile　and　a　half　from　Yonville。　The　druggist　had　taken　Napoleon
and　Athalie　to　give　them　some　exercise；　and　Justin　accompanied
them；　carrying　the　umbrellas　on　his　shoulder。

Nothing；　however；　could　be　less　curious　than　this　curiosity。　A
great　piece　of　waste　ground；　on　which　pell…mell；　amid　a　mass　of
sand　and　stones；　were　a　few　break…wheels；　already　rusty；
surrounded　by　a　quadrangular　building　pierced　by　a　number　of
little　windows。　The　building　was　unfinished；　the　sky　could　be
seen　through　the　joists　of　the　roofing。　Attached　to　the
stop…plank　of　the　gable　a　bunch　of　straw　mixed　with　corn…ears
fluttered　its　tricoloured　ri