madame bovary-第74章

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〃What？〃

And　he　looked　at　her；　astonished　at　the　pallor　of　her　face；　that
stood　out　white　against　the　black　background　of　the　night。　She
seemed　to　him　extraordinarily　beautiful　and　majestic　as　a
phantom。　Without　understanding　what　she　wanted；　he　had　the
presentiment　of　something　terrible。

But　she　went　on　quickly　in　a　love　voice；　in　a　sweet；　melting
voice；　〃I　want　it；　give　it　to　me。〃

As　the　partition　wall　was　thin；　they　could　hear　the　clatter　of
the　forks　on　the　plates　in　the　dining…room。

She　pretended　that　she　wanted　to　kill　the　rats　that　kept　her　from
sleeping。

〃I　must　tell　master。〃

〃No；　stay！〃　Then　with　an　indifferent　air；　〃Oh；　it's　not　worth
while；　I'll　tell　him　presently。　Come；　light　me　upstairs。〃

She　entered　the　corridor　into　which　the　laboratory　door　opened。
Against　the　wall　was　a　key　labelled　Capharnaum。

〃Justin！〃　called　the　druggist　impatiently。

〃Let　us　go　up。〃

And　he　followed　her。　The　key　turned　in　the　lock；　and　she　went
straight　to　the　third　shelf；　so　well　did　her　memory　guide　her；
seized　the　blue　jar；　tore　out　the　cork；　plunged　in　her　hand；　and
withdrawing　it　full　of　a　white　powder；　she　began　eating　it。

〃Stop！〃　he　cried；　rushing　at　her。

〃Hush！　someone　will　come。〃

He　was　in　despair；　was　calling　out。

〃Say　nothing；　or　all　the　blame　will　fall　on　your　master。〃

Then　she　went　home；　suddenly　calmed；　and　with　something　of　the
serenity　of　one　that　had　performed　a　duty。

When　Charles；　distracted　by　the　news　of　the　distraint；　returned
home；　Emma　had　just　gone　out。　He　cried　aloud；　wept；　fainted；　but
she　did　not　return。　Where　could　she　be？　He　sent　Felicite　to
Homais；　to　Monsieur　Tuvache；　to　Lheureux；　to　the　〃Lion　d'Or；〃
everywhere；　and　in　the　intervals　of　his　agony　he　saw　his
reputation　destroyed；　their　fortune　lost；　Berthe's　future　ruined。
By　what？Not　a　word！　He　waited　till　six　in　the　evening。　At　last；
unable　to　bear　it　any　longer；　and　fancying　she　had　gone　to　Rouen；
he　set　out　along　the　highroad；　walked　a　mile；　met　no　one；　again
waited；　and　returned　home。　She　had　come　back。

〃What　was　the　matter？　Why？　Explain　to　me。〃

She　sat　down　at　her　writing…table　and　wrote　a　letter；　which　she
sealed　slowly；　adding　the　date　and　the　hour。　Then　she　said　in　a
solemn　tone：

〃You　are　to　read　it　to…morrow；　till　then；　I　pray　you；　do　not　ask
me　a　single　question。　No；　not　one！〃

〃But〃

〃Oh；　leave　me！〃

She　lay　down　full　length　on　her　bed。　A　bitter　taste　that　she　felt
in　her　mouth　awakened　her。　She　saw　Charles；　and　again　closed　her
eyes。

She　was　studying　herself　curiously；　to　see　if　she　were　not
suffering。　But　no！　nothing　as　yet。　She　heard　the　ticking　of　the
clock；　the　crackling　of　the　fire；　and　Charles　breathing　as　he
stood　upright　by　her　bed。

〃Ahl　it　is　but　a　little　thing；　death！〃　she　thought。　〃I　shall　fall
asleep　and　all　will　be　over。〃

She　drank　a　mouthful　of　water　and　turned　to　the　wall。　The
frightful　taste　of　ink　continued。

〃I　am　thirsty；　oh！　so　thirsty；〃　she　sighed。

〃What　is　it？〃　said　Charles；　who　was　handing　her　a　glass。

〃It　is　nothing！　Open　the　window；　I　am　choking。〃

She　was　seized　with　a　sickness　so　sudden　that　she　had　hardly　time
to　draw　out　her　handkerchief　from　under　the　pillow。

〃Take　it　away；〃　she　said　quickly；　〃throw　it　away。〃

He　spoke　to　her；　she　did　not　answer。　She　lay　motionless；　afraid
that　the　slightest　movement　might　make　her　vomit。　But　she　felt　an
icy　cold　creeping　from　her　feet　to　her　heart。

〃Ah！　it　is　beginning；〃　she　murmured。

〃What　did　you　say？〃

She　turned　her　head　from　side　to　side　with　a　gentle　movement　full
of　agony；　while　constantly　opening　her　mouth　as　if　something　very
heavy　were　weighing　upon　her　tongue。　At　eight　o'clock　the
vomiting　began　again。

Charles　noticed　that　at　the　bottom　of　the　basin　there　was　a　sort
of　white　sediment　sticking　to　the　sides　of　the　porcelain。

〃This　is　extraordinaryvery　singular；〃　he　repeated。

But　she　said　in　a　firm　voice；　〃No；　you　are　mistaken。〃

Then　gently；　and　almost　as　caressing　her；　he　passed　his　hand　over
her　stomach。　She　uttered　a　sharp　cry。　He　fell　back
terror…stricken。

Then　she　began　to　groan；　faintly　at　first。　Her　shoulders　were
shaken　by　a　strong　shuddering；　and　she　was　growing　paler　than　the
sheets　in　which　her　clenched　fingers　buried　themselves。　Her
unequal　pulse　was　now　almost　imperceptible。

Drops　of　sweat　oozed　from　her　bluish　face；　that　seemed　as　if
rigid　in　the　exhalations　of　a　metallic　vapour。　Her　teeth
chattered；　her　dilated　eyes　looked　vaguely　about　her；　and　to　all
questions　she　replied　only　with　a　shake　of　the　head；　she　even
smiled　once　or　twice。　Gradually；　her　moaning　grew　louder；　a
hollow　shriek　burst　from　her；　she　pretended　she　was　better　and
that　she　would　get　up　presently。　But　she　was　seized　with
convulsions　and　cried　out

〃Ah！　my　God！　It　is　horrible！〃

He　threw　himself　on　his　knees　by　her　bed。

〃Tell　me！　what　have　you　eaten？　Answer；　for　heaven's　sake！〃

And　he　looked　at　her　with　a　tenderness　in　his　eyes　such　as　she
had　never　seen。

〃Well；　therethere！〃　she　said　in　a　faint　voice。　He　flew　to　the
writing…table；　tore　open　the　seal；　and　read　aloud：　〃Accuse　no
one。〃　He　stopped；　passed　his　hands　across　his　eyes；　and　read　it
over　again。

〃What！　helphelp！〃

He　could　only　keep　repeating　the　word：　〃Poisoned！　poisoned！〃
Felicite　ran　to　Homais；　who　proclaimed　it　in　the　market…place；
Madame　Lefrancois　heard　it　at　the　〃Lion　d'Or〃；　some　got　up　to　go
and　tell　their　neighbours；　and　all　night　the　village　was　on　the
alert。

Distraught；　faltering；　reeling；　Charles　wandered　about　the　room。
He　knocked　against　the　furniture；　tore　his　hair；　and　the　chemist
had　never　believed　that　there　could　be　so　terrible　a　sight。

He　went　home　to　write　to　Monsieur　Canivet　and　to　Doctor
Lariviere。　He　lost　his　head；　and　made　more　than　fifteen　rough
copies。　Hippolyte　went　to　Neufchatel；　and　Justin　so　spurred
Bovary's　horse　that　he　left　it　foundered　and　three　parts　dead　by
the　hill　at　Bois…Guillaume。

Charles　tried　to　look　up　his　medical　dictionary；　but　could　not
read　it；　the　lines　were　dancing。

〃Be　calm；〃　said　the　druggist；　〃we　have　only　to　administer　a
powerful　antidote。　What　is　the　poison？〃

Charles　showed　him　the　letter。　It　was　arsenic。

〃Very　well；〃　said　Homais；　〃we　must　make　an　analysis。〃

For　he　knew　that　in　cases　of　poisoning　an　analysis　must　be　made；
and　the　other；　who　did　not　understand；　answered

〃Oh；　do　anything！　save　her！〃

Then　going　back　to　her；　he　sank　upon　the　carpet；　and　lay　there
with　his　head　leaning　against　the　edge　of　her　bed；　sobbing。

〃Don't　cry；〃　she　said　to　him。　〃Soon　I　shall　not　trouble　you　any
more。〃

〃Why　was　it？　Who　drove　you　to　it？〃

She　replied。　〃It　had　to　be；　my　dear！〃

〃Weren't　you　happy？　Is　it　my　fault？　I　did　all　I　could！〃

〃Yes；　that　is　trueyou　are　goodyou。〃

And　she　passed　her　hand　slowly　over　his　hair。　The　sweetness　of
this　sensation　deepened　his　sadness；　he　felt　his　whole　being
dissolving　in　despair　at　the　thought　that　he　must　lose　her；　just
when　she　was　confessing　more　love　for　him　than　ever。　And　he　could
think　of　nothing；　he　did　not　know；　he　did　not　dare；　the　urgent
need　for　some　immediate　resolution　gave　the　finishing　stroke　to
the　turmoil　of　his　mind。

So　she　had　done；　she　thought；　with　all　the　treachery；　and
meanness；　and　numberless　desires　that　had　tortured　her。　She　hated
no　one　now；　a　twilight　dimness　was　settling　upon　her　thoughts；
and；　of　all　earthly　noises；　Emma　heard　none　but　the　intermittent
lamentations　of　this　poor　heart；　sweet　and　indistinct　like　the
echo　of　a　symphony　dying　away。

〃Bring　me　the　child；〃　she　said；　raising　herself　on　her　elbow。

〃You　are　not　worse；　are　you？〃　asked　Charles。

〃No；　no！〃

The　child；　serious；　and　still　half…asleep；　was　carried　in　on　the
servant's　arm　in　her　long　white　nightgown；　from　which　her　bare
feet　peeped　out。　She　looked　wonderingly　at　the　disordered　room；
and　half…closed　her　eyes；　dazzled　by　the　candles　burning　on　the
table。　They　reminded　her；　no　doubt；　of　the　morning　of　New　Year's
day　and　Mid…Lent；　when　thus　awakened　early　by　candle…light　she
came　to　her　mother's　bed　to　fetch　her　presents；　for　she　began
saying

〃But　where　is　it；　mamma？〃　And　as　everybody　was　silent；　〃But　I
can't　se