按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
for elderly personsat any rate it was so at my mother's； who
was a good woman； I can tell you。 Everybody can't be rich！ No
fortune can hold out against waste！ I should be ashamed to coddle
myself as you do！ And yet I am old。 I need looking after。 And
there！ there！ fitting up gowns！ fallals！ What！ silk for lining at
two francs； when you can get jaconet for ten sous； or even for
eight； that would do well enough！〃
Emma； lying on a lounge； replied as quietly as possible〃Ah！
Madame； enough！ enough！〃
The other went on lecturing her； predicting they would end in the
workhouse。 But it was Bovary's fault。 Luckily he had promised to
destroy that power of attorney。
〃What？〃
〃Ah！ he swore he would；〃 went on the good woman。
Emma opened the window； called Charles； and the poor fellow was
obliged to confess the promise torn from him by his mother。
Emma disappeared； then came back quickly； and majestically handed
her a thick piece of paper。
〃Thank you；〃 said the old woman。 And she threw the power of
attorney into the fire。
Emma began to laugh； a strident； piercing； continuous laugh； she
had an attack of hysterics。
〃Oh； my God！〃 cried Charles。 〃Ah！ you really are wrong！ You come
here and make scenes with her！〃
His mother； shrugging her shoulders； declared it was 〃all put
on。〃
But Charles； rebelling for the first time； took his wife's part；
so that Madame Bovary； senior； said she would leave。 She went the
very next day； and on the threshold； as he was trying to detain
her； she replied
〃No； no！ You love her better than me； and you are right。 It is
natural。 For the rest； so much the worse！ You will see。 Good
dayfor I am not likely to come soon again； as you say； to make
scenes。〃
Charles nevertheless was very crestfallen before Emma； who did
not hide the resentment she still felt at his want of confidence；
and it needed many prayers before she would consent to have
another power of attorney。 He even accompanied her to Monsieur
Guillaumin to have a second one； just like the other； drawn up。
〃I understand；〃 said the notary； 〃a man of science can't be
worried with the practical details of life。〃
And Charles felt relieved by this comfortable reflection； which
gave his weakness the flattering appearance of higher
pre…occupation。
And what an outburst the next Thursday at the hotel in their room
with Leon！ She laughed； cried； sang； sent for sherbets； wanted to
smoke cigarettes； seemed to him wild and extravagant； but
adorable； superb。
He did not know what recreation of her whole being drove her more
and more to plunge into the pleasures of life。 She was becoming
irritable； greedy； voluptuous； and she walked about the streets
with him carrying her head high； without fear； so she said； of
compromising herself。 At times； however； Emma shuddered at the
sudden thought of meeting Rodolphe； for it seemed to her that；
although they were separated forever； she was not completely free
from her subjugation to him。
One night she did not return to Yonville at all。 Charles lost his
head with anxiety； and little Berthe would not go to bed without
her mamma； and sobbed enough to break her heart。 Justin had gone
out searching the road at random。 Monsieur Homais even had left
his pharmacy。
At last； at eleven o'clock； able to bear it no longer； Charles
harnessed his chaise； jumped in； whipped up his horse； and
reached the 〃Croix…Rouge〃 about two o'clock in the morning。 No
one there！ He thought that the clerk had perhaps seen her； but
where did he live？ Happily； Charles remembered his employer's
address； and rushed off there。
Day was breaking； and he could distinguish the escutcheons over
the door； and knocked。 Someone； without opening the door； shouted
out the required information； adding a few insults to those who
disturb people in the middle of the night。
The house inhabited by the clerk had neither bell； knocker； nor
porter。 Charles knocked loudly at the shutters with his hands。 A
policeman happened to pass by。 Then he was frightened； and went
away。
〃I am mad；〃 he said； 〃no doubt they kept her to dinner at
Monsieur Lormeaux'。〃 But the Lormeaux no longer lived at Rouen。
〃She probably stayed to look after Madame Dubreuil。 Why； Madame
Dubreuil has been dead these ten months！ Where can she be？〃
An idea occurred to him。 At a cafe he asked for a Directory； and
hurriedly looked for the name of Mademoiselle Lempereur； who
lived at No。 74 Rue de la Renelle…des…Maroquiniers。
As he was turning into the street； Emma herself appeared at the
other end of it。 He threw himself upon her rather than embraced
her； crying
〃What kept you yesterday？〃
〃I was not well。〃
〃What was it？ Where？ How？〃
She passed her hand over her forehead and answered； 〃At
Mademoiselle Lempereur's。〃
〃I was sure of it！ I was going there。〃
〃Oh； it isn't worth while；〃 said Emma。 〃She went out just now；
but for the future don't worry。 I do not feel free； you see； if I
know that the least delay upsets you like this。〃
This was a sort of permission that she gave herself； so as to get
perfect freedom in her escapades。 And she profited by it freely；
fully。 When she was seized with the desire to see Leon； she set
out upon any pretext； and as he was not expecting her on that
day； she went to fetch him at his office。
It was a great delight at first； but soon he no longer concealed
the truth； which was； that his master complained very much about
these interruptions。
〃Pshaw！ come along；〃 she said。
And he slipped out。
She wanted him to dress all in black； and grow a pointed beard；
to look like the portraits of Louis XIII。 She wanted to see his
lodgings； thought them poor。 He blushed at them； but she did not
notice this； then advised him to buy some curtains like hers； and
as he objected to the expense
〃Ah！ ah！ you care for your money；〃 she said laughing。
Each time Leon had to tell her everything that he had done since
their last meeting。 She asked him for some versessome verses
〃for herself；〃 a 〃love poem〃 in honour of her。 But he never
succeeded in getting a rhyme for the second verse； and at last
ended by copying a sonnet in a 〃Keepsake。〃 This was less from
vanity than from the one desire of pleasing her。 He did not
question her ideas； he accepted all her tastes； he was rather
becoming her mistress than she his。 She had tender words and
kisses that thrilled his soul。 Where could she have learnt this
corruption almost incorporeal in the strength of its profanity
and dissimulation？
Chapter Six
During the journeys he made to see her； Leon had often dined at
the chemist's； and he felt obliged from politeness to invite him
in turn。
〃With pleasure！〃 Monsieur Homais replied； 〃besides； I must
invigorate my mind； for I am getting rusty here。 We'll go to the
theatre； to the restaurant； we'll make a night of it。〃
〃Oh； my dear！〃 tenderly murmured Madame Homais； alarmed at the
vague perils he was preparing to brave。
〃Well； what？ Do you think I'm not sufficiently ruining my health
living here amid the continual emanations of the pharmacy？ But
there！ that is the way with women！ They are jealous of science；
and then are opposed to our taking the most legitimate
distractions。 No matter！ Count upon me。 One of these days I shall
turn up at Rouen； and we'll go the pace together。〃
The druggist would formerly have taken good care not to use such
an expression； but he was cultivating a gay Parisian style； which
he thought in the best taste； and； like his neighbour； Madame
Bovary； he questioned the clerk curiously about the customs of
the capital； he even talked slang to dazzle the bourgeois； saying
bender； crummy； dandy； macaroni； the cheese； cut my stick and
〃I'll hook it；〃 for 〃I am going。〃
So one Thursday Emma was surprised to meet Monsieur Homais in the
kitchen of the 〃Lion d'Or；〃 wearing a traveller's costume； that
is to say； wrapped in an old cloak which no one knew he had；
while he carried a valise in one hand and the foot…warmer of his
establishment in the other。 He had confided his intentions to no
one； for fear of causing the public anxiety by his absence。
The idea of seeing again the place where his youth ha