madame bovary-第40章

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〃And　you're　out　so　early？〃

〃Yes；〃　she　said　stammering；　〃I　am　just　coming　from　the　nurse
where　my　child　is。〃

〃Ah！　very　good！　very　good！　For　myself；　I　am　here；　just　as　you
see　me；　since　break　of　day；　but　the　weather　is　so　muggy；　that
unless　one　had　the　bird　at　the　mouth　of　the　gun〃

〃Good　evening；　Monsieur　Binet；〃　she　interrupted　him；　turning　on
her　heel。

〃Your　servant；　madame；〃　he　replied　drily；　and　he　went　back　into
his　tub。

Emma　regretted　having　left　the　tax…collector　so　abruptly。　No
doubt　he　would　form　unfavourable　conjectures。　The　story　about　the
nurse　was　the　worst　possible　excuse；　everyone　at　Yonville　knowing
that　the　little　Bovary　had　been　at　home　with　her　parents　for　a
year。　Besides；　no　one　was　living　in　this　direction；　this　path　led
only　to　La　Huchette。　Binet；　then；　would　guess　whence　she　came；
and　he　would　not　keep　silence；　he　would　talk；　that　was　certain。
She　remained　until　evening　racking　her　brain　with　every
conceivable　lying　project；　and　had　constantly　before　her　eyes
that　imbecile　with　the　game…bag。

Charles　after　dinner；　seeing　her　gloomy；　proposed；　by　way　of
distraction；　to　take　her　to　the　chemist's；　and　the　first　person
she　caught　sight　of　in　the　shop　was　the　taxcollector　again。　He
was　standing　in　front　of　the　counter；　lit　up　by　the　gleams　of　the
red　bottle；　and　was　saying

〃Please　give　me　half　an　ounce　of　vitriol。〃

〃Justin；〃　cried　the　druggist；　〃bring　us　the　sulphuric　acid。〃　Then
to　Emma；　who　was　going　up　to　Madame　Homais'　room；　〃No；　stay　here；
it　isn't　worth　while　going　up；　she　is　just　coming　down。　Warm
yourself　at　the　stove　in　the　meantime。　Excuse　me。　Good…day；
doctor；〃　（for　the　chemist　much　enjoyed　pronouncing　the　word
〃doctor；〃　as　if　addressing　another　by　it　reflected　on　himself
some　of　the　grandeur　that　he　found　in　it）。　〃Now；　take　care　not　to
upset　the　mortars！　You'd　better　fetch　some　chairs　from　the　little
room；　you　know　very　well　that　the　arm…chairs　are　not　to　be　taken
out　of　the　drawing…room。〃

And　to　put　his　arm…chair　back　in　its　place　he　was　darting　away
from　the　counter；　when　Binet　asked　him　for　half　an　ounce　of　sugar
acid。

〃Sugar　acid！〃　said　the　chemist　contemptuously；　〃don't　know　it；
I'm　ignorant　of　it！　But　perhaps　you　want　oxalic　acid。　It　is
oxalic　acid；　isn't　it？〃

Binet　explained　that　he　wanted　a　corrosive　to　make　himself　some
copperwater　with　which　to　remove　rust　from　his　hunting　things。

Emma　shuddered。　The　chemist　began　saying

〃Indeed　the　weather　is　not　propitious　on　account　of　the　damp。〃

〃Nevertheless；〃　replied　the　tax…collector；　with　a　sly　look；
〃there　are　people　who　like　it。〃

She　was　stifling。

〃And　give　me〃

〃Will　he　never　go？〃　thought　she。

〃Half　an　ounce　of　resin　and　turpentine；　four　ounces　of　yellow
wax；　and　three　half　ounces　of　animal　charcoal；　if　you　please；　to
clean　the　varnished　leather　of　my　togs。〃

The　druggist　was　beginning　to　cut　the　wax　when　Madame　Homais
appeared；　Irma　in　her　arms；　Napoleon　by　her　side；　and　Athalie
following。　She　sat　down　on　the　velvet　seat　by　the　window；　and　the
lad　squatted　down　on　a　footstool；　while　his　eldest　sister　hovered
round　the　jujube　box　near　her　papa。　The　latter　was　filling
funnels　and　corking　phials；　sticking　on　labels；　making　up
parcels。　Around　him　all　were　silent；　only　from　time　to　time；　were
heard　the　weights　jingling　in　the　balance；　and　a　few　low　words
from　the　chemist　giving　directions　to　his　pupil。

〃And　how's　the　little　woman？〃　suddenly　asked　Madame　Homais。

〃Silence！〃　exclaimed　her　husband；　who　was　writing　down　some
figures　in　his　waste…book。

〃Why　didn't　you　bring　her？〃　she　went　on　in　a　low　voice。

〃Hush！　hush！〃　said　Emma；　pointing　with　her　finger　to　the
druggist。

But　Binet；　quite　absorbed　in　looking　over　his　bill；　had　probably
heard　nothing。　At　last　he　went　out。　Then　Emma；　relieved；　uttered
a　deep　sigh。

〃How　hard　you　are　breathing！〃　said　Madame　Homais。

〃Well；　you　see；　it's　rather　warm；〃　she　replied。

So　the　next　day　they　talked　over　how　to　arrange　their　rendezvous。
Emma　wanted　to　bribe　her　servant　with　a　present；　but　it　would　be
better　to　find　some　safe　house　at　Yonville。　Rodolphe　promised　to
look　for　one。

All　through　the　winter；　three　or　four　times　a　week；　in　the　dead
of　night　he　came　to　the　garden。　Emma　had　on　purpose　taken　away
the　key　of　the　gate；　which　Charles　thought　lost。

To　call　her；　Rodolphe　threw　a　sprinkle　of　sand　at　the　shutters。
She　jumped　up　with　a　start；　but　sometimes　he　had　to　wait；　for
Charles　had　a　mania　for　chatting　by　the　fireside；　and　he　would
not　stop。　She　was　wild　with　impatience；　if　her　eyes　could　have
done　it；　she　would　have　hurled　him　out　at　the　window。　At　last　she
would　begin　to　undress；　then　take　up　a　book；　and　go　on　reading
very　quietly　as　if　the　book　amused　her。　But　Charles；　who　was　in
bed；　called　to　her　to　come　too。

〃Come；　now；　Emma；〃　he　said；　〃it　is　time。〃

〃Yes；　I　am　coming；〃　she　answered。

Then；　as　the　candles　dazzled　him；　he　turned　to　the　wall　and　fell
asleep。　She　escaped；　smiling；　palpitating；　undressed。　Rodolphe
had　a　large　cloak；　he　wrapped　her　in　it；　and　putting　his　arm
round　her　waist；　he　drew　her　without　a　word　to　the　end　of　the
garden。

It　was　in　the　arbour；　on　the　same　seat　of　old　sticks　where
formerly　Leon　had　looked　at　her　so　amorously　on　the　summer
evenings。　She　never　thought　of　him　now。

The　stars　shone　through　the　leafless　jasmine　branches。　Behind
them　they　heard　the　river　flowing；　and　now　and　again　on　the　bank
the　rustling　of　the　dry　reeds。　Masses　of　shadow　here　and　there
loomed　out　in　the　darkness；　and　sometimes；　vibrating　with　one
movement；　they　rose　up　and　swayed　like　immense　black　waves
pressing　forward　to　engulf　them。　The　cold　of　the　nights　made　them
clasp　closer；　the　sighs　of　their　lips　seemed　to　them　deeper；
their　eyes　that　they　could　hardly　see；　larger；　and　in　the　midst
of　the　silence　low　words　were　spoken　that　fell　on　their　souls
sonorous；　crystalline；　and　that　reverberated　in　multiplied
vibrations。

When　the　night　was　rainy；　they　took　refuge　in　the　consulting…room
between　the　cart…shed　and　the　stable。　She　lighted　one　of　the
kitchen　candles　that　she　had　hidden　behind　the　books。　Rodolphe
settled　down　there　as　if　at　home。　The　sight　of　the　library；　of
the　bureau；　of　the　whole　apartment；　in　fine；　excited　his
merriment；　and　he　could　not　refrain　from　making　jokes　about
Charles；　which　rather　embarrassed　Emma。　She　would　have　liked　to
see　him　more　serious；　and　even　on　occasions　more　dramatic；　as；
for　example；　when　she　thought　she　heard　a　noise　of　approaching
steps　in　the　alley。

〃Someone　is　coming！〃　she　said。

He　blew　out　the　light。

〃Have　you　your　pistols？〃

〃Why？〃

〃Why；　to　defend　yourself；〃　replied　Emma。

〃From　your　husband？　Oh；　poor　devil！〃　And　Rodolphe　finished　his
sentence　with　a　gesture　that　said；　〃I　could　crush　him　with　a
flip　of　my　finger。〃

She　was　wonder…stricken　at　his　bravery；　although　she　felt　in　it　a
sort　of　indecency　and　a　naive　coarseness　that　scandalised　her。

Rodolphe　reflected　a　good　deal　on　the　affair　of　the　pistols。　If
she　had　spoken　seriously；　it　was　very　ridiculous；　he　thought；
even　odious；　for　he　had　no　reason　to　hate　the　good　Charles；　not
being　what　is　called　devoured　by　jealousy；　and　on　this　subject
Emma　had　taken　a　great　vow　that　he　did　not　think　in　the　best　of
taste。

Besides；　she　was　growing　very　sentimental。　She　had　insisted　on
exchanging　miniatures；　they　had　cut　off　handfuls　of　hair；　and　now
she　was　asking　for　a　ringa　real　wedding…ring；　in　sign　of　an
eternal　union。　She　often　spoke　to　him　of　the　evening　chimes；　of
the　voices　of　nature。　Then　she　talked　to　him　of　her　motherhers！
and　of　his　motherhis！　Rodolphe　had　lost　his　twenty　years　ago。
Emma　none　the　less　consoled　him　with　caressing　words　as　one　would
have　done　a　lost　child；　and　she　sometimes　even　said　to　him；
gazing　at　the　moon

〃I　am　sure　that　above　there　together　they　approve　of　our　love。〃

But　she　was　so　pretty。　He　had　possessed　so　few　women　of　such
ingenuousness。　This　love　without　debauchery　was　a　new　experience
for　him；　and；　drawing　him　out　of　his　lazy　habits；　caressed　at
once　his　pride　and　his　sensuality。　Emma's　enthusiasm；　which　his
bourgeois　good　sense　disdained；　seemed　to　him　in　his　heart　of
h