首页 >出版文学> Madame Bovary>第15章

第15章

  Unconsciously,Leon,whiletalking,hadplacedhisfootononeofthebarsofthechaironwhichMadameBovarywassitting。Sheworeasmallbluesilknecktie,thatkeptuplikearuffagaufferedcambriccollar,andwiththemovementsofherheadthelowerpartofherfacegentlysunkintothelinenorcameoutfromit。Thussidebyside,whileCharlesandthechemistchatted,theyenteredintooneofthosevagueconversationswherethehazardofallthatissaidbringsyoubacktothefixedcentreofacommonsympathy。TheParistheatres,titlesofnovels,newquadrilles,andtheworldtheydidnotknow;Tostes,whereshehadlived,andYonville,wheretheywere;theyexaminedall,talkedofeverythingtilltotheendofdinner。
  WhencoffeewasservedFelicitewentawaytogetreadytheroominthenewhouse,andtheguestssoonraisedthesiege。MadameLefrancoiswasasleepnearthecinders,whilethestable-boy,lanterninhand,waswaitingtoshowMonsieurandMadameBovarythewayhome。Bitsofstrawstuckinhisredhair,andhelimpedwithhisleftleg。Whenhehadtakeninhisotherhandthecure’sumbrella,theystarted。
  Thetownwasasleep;thepillarsofthemarketthrewgreatshadows;theearthwasallgreyasonasummer’snight。Butasthedoctor’shousewasonlysomefiftypacesfromtheinn,theyhadtosaygood-nightalmostimmediately,andthecompanydispersed。
  Assoonassheenteredthepassage,Emmafeltthecoldoftheplasterfallabouthershoulderslikedamplinen。Thewallswerenewandthewoodenstairscreaked。Intheirbedroom,onthefirstfloor,awhitishlightpassedthroughthecurtainlesswindows。
  Shecouldcatchglimpsesoftreetops,andbeyond,thefields,half-drownedinthefogthatlayreekinginthemoonlightalongthecourseoftheriver。Inthemiddleoftheroom,pell-mell,werescattereddrawers,bottles,curtain-rods,giltpoles,withmattressesonthechairsandbasinsontheground——thetwomenwhohadbroughtthefurniturehadlefteverythingaboutcarelessly。
  Thiswasthefourthtimethatshehadsleptinastrangeplace。
  Thefirstwasthedayofhergoingtotheconvent;thesecond,ofherarrivalatTostes;thethird,atVaubyessard;andthiswasthefourth。Andeachonehadmarked,asitwere,theinaugurationofanewphaseinherlife。Shedidnotbelievethatthingscouldpresentthemselvesinthesamewayindifferentplaces,andsincetheportionofherlifelivedhadbeenbad,nodoubtthatwhichremainedtobelivedwouldbebetter。
  ChapterThreeThenextday,asshewasgettingup,shesawtheclerkonthePlace。Shehadonadressing-gown。Helookedupandbowed。Shenoddedquicklyandreclosedthewindow。
  Leonwaitedalldayforsixo’clockintheeveningtocome,butongoingtotheinn,hefoundnoonebutMonsieurBinet,alreadyattable。Thedinneroftheeveningbeforehadbeenaconsiderableeventforhim;hehadnevertillthentalkedfortwohoursconsecutivelytoa“lady。“Howthenhadhebeenabletoexplain,andinsuchlanguage,thenumberofthingsthathecouldnothavesaidsowellbefore?Hewasusuallyshy,andmaintainedthatreservewhichpartakesatonceofmodestyanddissimulation。
  AtYonvillehewasconsidered“well-bred。“Helistenedtotheargumentsoftheolderpeople,anddidnotseemhotaboutpolitics——aremarkablethingforayoungman。Thenhehadsomeaccomplishments;hepaintedinwater-colours,couldreadthekeyofG,andreadilytalkedliteratureafterdinnerwhenhedidnotplaycards。MonsieurHomaisrespectedhimforhiseducation;
  MadameHomaislikedhimforhisgood-nature,forheoftentookthelittleHomaisintothegarden——littlebratswhowerealwaysdirty,verymuchspoilt,andsomewhatlymphatic,liketheirmother。Besidestheservanttolookafterthem,theyhadJustin,thechemist’sapprentice,asecondcousinofMonsieurHomais,whohadbeentakenintothehousefromcharity,andwhowasusefulatthesametimeasaservant。
  Thedruggistprovedthebestofneighbours。HegaveMadameBovaryinformationastothetrades-people,sentexpresslyforhisowncidermerchant,tastedthedrinkhimself,andsawthatthecaskswereproperlyplacedinthecellar;heexplainedhowtosetaboutgettinginasupplyofbuttercheap,andmadeanarrangementwithLestiboudois,thesacristan,who,besideshissacerdotalandfuneralfunctions,lookedaftertheprincipalgardensatYonvillebythehourortheyear,accordingtothetasteofthecustomers。
  Theneedoflookingafterotherswasnottheonlythingthaturgedthechemisttosuchobsequiouscordiality;therewasaplanunderneathitall。
  Hehadinfringedthelawofthe19thVentose,yearxi。,articleI,whichforbadeallpersonsnothavingadiplomatopractisemedicine;sothat,aftercertainanonymousdenunciations,HomaishadbeensummonedtoRouentoseetheprocurerofthekinginhisownprivateroom;themagistratereceivinghimstandingup,ermineonshoulderandcaponhead。Itwasinthemorning,beforethecourtopened。Inthecorridorsoneheardtheheavybootsofthegendarmeswalkingpast,andlikeafar-offnoisegreatlocksthatwereshut。Thedruggist’searstingledasifhewereabouttohaveanapoplecticstroke;hesawthedepthsofdungeons,hisfamilyintears,hisshopsold,allthejarsdispersed;andhewasobligedtoenteracafeandtakeaglassofrumandseltzertorecoverhisspirits。
  Littlebylittlethememoryofthisreprimandgrewfainter,andhecontinued,asheretofore,togiveanodyneconsultationsinhisback-parlour。Butthemayorresentedit,hiscolleagueswerejealous,everythingwastobefeared;gainingoverMonsieurBovarybyhisattentionswastoearnhisgratitude,andpreventhisspeakingoutlateron,shouldhenoticeanything。SoeverymorningHomaisbroughthim“thepaper,“andoftenintheafternoonlefthisshopforafewmomentstohaveachatwiththeDoctor。
  Charleswasdull:patientsdidnotcome。Heremainedseatedforhourswithoutspeaking,wentintohisconsultingroomtosleep,orwatchedhiswifesewing。Thenfordiversionheemployedhimselfathomeasaworkman;heeventriedtodouptheatticwithsomepaintwhichhadbeenleftbehindbythepainters。Butmoneymattersworriedhim。HehadspentsomuchforrepairsatTostes,formadame’stoilette,andforthemoving,thatthewholedowry,overthreethousandcrowns,hadslippedawayintwoyears。
  ThenhowmanythingshadbeenspoiltorlostduringtheircarriagefromTostestoYonville,withoutcountingtheplastercure,whofallingoutofthecoachatanover-severejolt,hadbeendashedintoathousandfragmentsonthepavementsofQuincampoix!Apleasantertroublecametodistracthim,namely,thepregnancyofhiswife。Asthetimeofherconfinementapproachedhecherishedherthemore。Itwasanotherbondofthefleshestablishingitself,and,asitwere,acontinuedsentimentofamorecomplexunion。Whenfromafarhesawherlanguidwalk,andherfigurewithoutstaysturningsoftlyonherhips;whenoppositeoneanotherhelookedatherathisease,whileshetooktiredposesinherarmchair,thenhishappinessknewnobounds;
  hegotup,embracedher,passedhishandsoverherface,calledherlittlemamma,wantedtomakeherdance,andhalf-laughing,half-crying,utteredallkindsofcaressingpleasantriesthatcameintohishead。Theideaofhavingbegottenachilddelightedhim。Nowhewantednothing。Heknewhumanlifefromendtoend,andhesatdowntoitwithserenity。
  Emmaatfirstfeltagreatastonishment;thenwasanxioustobedeliveredthatshemightknowwhatitwastobeamother。Butnotbeingabletospendasmuchasshewouldhaveliked,tohaveaswing-bassinettewithrosesilkcurtains,andembroideredcaps,inafitofbitternessshegaveuplookingafterthetrousseau,andorderedthewholeofitfromavillageneedlewoman,withoutchoosingordiscussinganything。Thusshedidnotamuseherselfwiththosepreparationsthatstimulatethetendernessofmothers,andsoheraffectionwasfromtheveryoutset,perhaps,tosomeextentattenuated。
  AsCharles,however,spokeoftheboyateverymeal,shesoonbegantothinkofhimmoreconsecutively。
  Shehopedforason;hewouldbestronganddark;shewouldcallhimGeorge;andthisideaofhavingamalechildwaslikeanexpectedrevengeforallherimpotenceinthepast。Aman,atleast,isfree;hemaytraveloverpassionsandovercountries,overcomeobstacles,tasteofthemostfar-awaypleasures。Butawomanisalwayshampered。Atonceinertandflexible,shehasagainsthertheweaknessofthefleshandlegaldependence。Herwill,liketheveilofherbonnet,heldbyastring,fluttersineverywind;thereisalwayssomedesirethatdrawsher,someconventionalitythatrestrains。
  ShewasconfinedonaSundayataboutsixo’clock,asthesunwasrising。
  “Itisagirl!“saidCharles。
  Sheturnedherheadawayandfainted。
  MadameHomais,aswellasMadameLefrancoisoftheLiond’Or,almostimmediatelycamerunningintoembraceher。Thechemist,asmanofdiscretion,onlyofferedafewprovincialfelicitationsthroughthehalf-openeddoor。Hewishedtoseethechildandthoughtitwellmade。
  Whilstshewasgettingwellsheoccupiedherselfmuchinseekinganameforherdaughter。FirstshewentoverallthosethathaveItalianendings,suchasClara,Louisa,Amanda,Atala;shelikedGalsuindeprettywell,andYseultorLeocadiestillbetter。
  Charleswantedthechildtobecalledafterhermother;Emmaopposedthis。Theyranoverthecalendarfromendtoend,andthenconsultedoutsiders。
  “MonsieurLeon,“saidthechemist,“withwhomIwastalkingaboutittheotherday,wondersyoudonotchoseMadeleine。Itisverymuchinfashionjustnow。“
  ButMadameBovary,senior,criedoutloudlyagainstthisnameofasinner。AstoMonsieurHomais,hehadapreferenceforallthosethatrecalledsomegreatman,anillustriousfact,oragenerousidea,anditwasonthissystemthathehadbaptizedhisfourchildren。ThusNapoleonrepresentedgloryandFranklinliberty;Irmawasperhapsaconcessiontoromanticism,butAthaliewasahomagetothegreatestmasterpieceoftheFrenchstage。Forhisphilosophicalconvictionsdidnotinterferewithhisartistictastes;inhimthethinkerdidnotstiflethemanofsentiment;hecouldmakedistinctions,makeallowancesforimaginationandfanaticism。Inthistragedy,forexample,hefoundfaultwiththeideas,butadmiredthestyle;hedetestedtheconception,butapplaudedallthedetails,andloathedthecharacterswhilehegrewenthusiasticovertheirdialogue。Whenhereadthefinepassageshewastransported,butwhenhethoughtthatmummerswouldgetsomethingoutofthemfortheirshow,hewasdisconsolate;andinthisconfusionofsentimentsinwhichhewasinvolvedhewouldhavelikeatoncetocrownRacinewithbothhishandsanddiscusswithhimforagoodquarterofanhour。