首页 >出版文学> Madame Bovary>第27章

第27章

  Thenafaintnesscameoverher;sherecalledtheViscountwhohadwaltzedwithheratVaubyessard,andhisbeardexhaledlikethisairanodourofvanillaandcitron,andmechanicallyshehalf-closedhereyesthebettertobreatheitin。Butinmakingthismovement,assheleantbackinherchair,shesawinthedistance,rightonthelineofthehorizon,theolddiligence,the“Hirondelle,“thatwasslowlydescendingthehillofLeux,draggingafteritalongtrailofdust。ItwasinthisyellowcarriagethatLeonhadsooftencomebacktoher,andbythisroutedowntherethathehadgoneforever。Shefanciedshesawhimoppositeathiswindows;thenallgrewconfused;cloudsgathered;itseemedtoherthatshewasagainturninginthewaltzunderthelightofthelustresonthearmoftheViscount,andthatLeonwasnotfaraway,thathewascoming;andyetallthetimeshewasconsciousofthescentofRodolphe’sheadbyherside。Thissweetnessofsensationpiercedthroughherolddesires,andthese,likegrainsofsandunderagustofwind,eddiedtoandfrointhesubtlebreathoftheperfumewhichsuffusedhersoul。Sheopenedwidehernostrilsseveraltimestodrinkinthefreshnessoftheivyroundthecapitals。Shetookoffhergloves,shewipedherhands,thenfannedherfacewithherhandkerchief,whileathwartthethrobbingofhertemplessheheardthemurmurofthecrowdandthevoiceofthecouncillorintoninghisphrases。Hesaid——“Continue,persevere;listenneithertothesuggestionsofroutine,nortotheover-hastycouncilsofarashempiricism。
  Applyyourselves,aboveall,totheameliorationofthesoil,togoodmanures,tothedevelopmentoftheequine,bovine,ovine,andporcineraces。Lettheseshowsbetoyoupacificarenas,wherethevictorinleavingitwillholdforthahandtothevanquished,andwillfraternisewithhiminthehopeofbettersuccess。Andyou,agedservants,humbledomestics,whosehardlabournoGovernmentuptothisdayhastakenintoconsideration,comehithertoreceivetherewardofyoursilentvirtues,andbeassuredthatthestatehenceforwardhasitseyeuponyou;thatitencouragesyou,protectsyou;thatitwillaccedetoyourjustdemands,andalleviateasmuchasinitliestheburdenofyourpainfulsacrifices。“
  MonsieurLieuvainthensatdown;MonsieurDerozeraysgotup,beginninganotherspeech。Hiswasnotperhapssofloridasthatofthecouncillor,butitrecommendeditselfbyamoredirectstyle,thatistosay,bymorespecialknowledgeandmoreelevatedconsiderations。ThusthepraiseoftheGovernmenttookuplessspaceinit;religionandagriculturemore。Heshowedinittherelationsofthesetwo,andhowtheyhadalwayscontributedtocivilisation。RodolphewithMadameBovarywastalkingdreams,presentiments,magnetism。Goingbacktothecradleofsociety,theoratorpaintedthosefiercetimeswhenmenlivedonacornsintheheartofwoods。Thentheyhadleftofftheskinsofbeasts,hadputoncloth,tilledthesoil,plantedthevine。Wasthisagood,andinthisdiscoverywastherenotmoreofinjurythanofgain?MonsieurDerozerayssethimselfthisproblem。FrommagnetismlittlebylittleRodolphehadcometoaffinities,andwhilethepresidentwascitingCincinnatusandhisplough,Diocletian,plantinghiscabbages,andtheEmperorsofChinainauguratingtheyearbythesowingofseed,theyoungmanwasexplainingtotheyoungwomanthattheseirresistibleattractionsfindtheircauseinsomepreviousstateofexistence。
  “Thuswe,“hesaid,“whydidwecometoknowoneanother?Whatchancewilledit?Itwasbecauseacrosstheinfinite,liketwostreamsthatflowbuttounite;ourspecialbentsofmindhaddrivenustowardseachother。“
  Andheseizedherhand;shedidnotwithdrawit。
  “Forgoodfarminggenerally!“criedthepresident。
  “Justnow,forexample,whenIwenttoyourhouse。“
  “ToMonsieurBizatofQuincampoix。“
  “DidIknowIshouldaccompanyyou?“
  “Seventyfrancs。“
  “AhundredtimesIwishedtogo;andIfollowedyou——Iremained。“
  “Manures!“
  “AndIshallremainto-night,to-morrow,allotherdays,allmylife!“
  “ToMonsieurCaronofArgueil,agoldmedal!“
  “ForIhaveneverinthesocietyofanyotherpersonfoundsocompleteacharm。“
  “ToMonsieurBainofGivry-Saint-Martin。“
  “AndIshallcarryawaywithmetheremembranceofyou。“
  “Foramerinoram!“
  “Butyouwillforgetme;Ishallpassawaylikeashadow。“
  “ToMonsieurBelotofNotre-Dame。“
  “Oh,no!Ishallbesomethinginyourthought,inyourlife,shallInot?“
  “Porcinerace;prizes——equal,toMessrs。LeherisseandCullembourg,sixtyfrancs!“
  Rodolphewaspressingherhand,andhefeltitallwarmandquiveringlikeacaptivedovethatwantstoflyaway;but,whethershewastryingtotakeitawayorwhethershewasansweringhispressure;shemadeamovementwithherfingers。Heexclaimed——
  “Oh,Ithankyou!Youdonotrepulseme!Youaregood!YouunderstandthatIamyours!Letmelookatyou;letmecontemplateyou!“
  Agustofwindthatblewinatthewindowruffledtheclothonthetable,andinthesquarebelowallthegreatcapsofthepeasantwomenwereupliftedbyitlikethewingsofwhitebutterfliesfluttering。
  “Useofoil-cakes,“continuedthepresident。Hewashurryingon:
  “Flemishmanure-flax-growing-drainage-longleases-domesticservice。“
  Rodolphewasnolongerspeaking。Theylookedatoneanother。A
  supremedesiremadetheirdrylipstremble,andwearily,withoutaneffort,theirfingersintertwined。
  “CatherineNicaiseElizabethLeroux,ofSassetot-la-Guerriere,forfifty-fouryearsofserviceatthesamefarm,asilvermedal——value,twenty-fivefrancs!“
  “WhereisCatherineLeroux?“repeatedthecouncillor。
  Shedidnotpresentherself,andonecouldhearvoiceswhispering——
  “Goup!“
  “Don’tbeafraid!“
  “Oh,howstupidsheis!“
  “Well,isshethere?“criedTuvache。
  “Yes;heresheis。“
  “Thenlethercomeup!“
  Thentherecameforwardontheplatformalittleoldwomanwithtimidbearing,whoseemedtoshrinkwithinherpoorclothes。Onherfeetsheworeheavywoodenclogs,andfromherhipshungalargeblueapron。Herpalefaceframedinaborderlesscapwasmorewrinkledthanawitheredrussetapple。Andfromthesleevesofherredjacketlookedouttwolargehandswithknottyjoints,thedustofbarns,thepotashofwashingthegreaseofwoolshadsoencrusted,roughened,hardenedthesethattheyseemeddirty,althoughtheyhadbeenrinsedinclearwater;andbydintoflongservicetheyremainedhalfopen,asiftobearhumblewitnessforthemselvesofsomuchsufferingendured。Somethingofmonasticrigiditydignifiedherface。Nothingofsadnessorofemotionweakenedthatpalelook。Inherconstantlivingwithanimalsshehadcaughttheirdumbnessandtheircalm。Itwasthefirsttimethatshefoundherselfinthemidstofsolargeacompany,andinwardlyscaredbytheflags,thedrums,thegentlemeninfrock-coats,andtheorderofthecouncillor,shestoodmotionless,notknowingwhethertoadvanceorrunaway,norwhythecrowdwaspushingherandthejuryweresmilingather。
  Thusstoodbeforetheseradiantbourgeoisthishalf-centuryofservitude。
  “Approach,venerableCatherineNicaiseElizabethLeroux!“saidthecouncillor,whohadtakenthelistofprize-winnersfromthepresident;and,lookingatthepieceofpaperandtheoldwomanbyturns,herepeatedinafatherlytone——“Approach!approach!“
  “Areyoudeaf?“saidTuvache,fidgetinginhisarmchair;andhebeganshoutinginherear,“Fifty-fouryearsofservice。Asilvermedal!Twenty-fivefrancs!Foryou!“
  Then,whenshehadhermedal,shelookedatit,andasmileofbeatitudespreadoverherface;andasshewalkedawaytheycouldhearhermuttering“I’llgiveittoourcureuphome,tosaysomemassesforme!“
  “Whatfanaticism!“exclaimedthechemist,leaningacrosstothenotary。
  Themeetingwasover,thecrowddispersed,andnowthatthespeecheshadbeenread,eachonefellbackintohisplaceagain,andeverythingintotheoldgrooves;themastersbulliedtheservants,andthesestrucktheanimals,indolentvictors,goingbacktothestalls,agreen-crownontheirhorns。
  TheNationalGuards,however,hadgoneuptothefirstfloorofthetownhallwithbunsspittedontheirbayonets,andthedrummerofthebattalioncarriedabasketwithbottles。MadameBovarytookRodolphe’sarm;hesawherhome;theyseparatedatherdoor;thenhewalkedaboutaloneinthemeadowwhilehewaitedforthetimeofthebanquet。
  Thefeastwaslong,noisy,illserved;theguestsweresocrowdedthattheycouldhardlymovetheirelbows;andthenarrowplanksusedforformsalmostbrokedownundertheirweight。Theyatehugely。Eachonestuffedhimselfonhisownaccount。Sweatstoodoneverybrow,andawhitishsteam,likethevapourofastreamonanautumnmorning,floatedabovethetablebetweenthehanginglamps。Rodolphe,leaningagainstthecalicoofthetentwasthinkingsoearnestlyofEmmathatheheardnothing。Behindhimonthegrasstheservantswerepilingupthedirtyplates,hisneighboursweretalking;hedidnotanswerthem;theyfilledhisglass,andtherewassilenceinhisthoughtsinspiteofthegrowingnoise。Hewasdreamingofwhatshehadsaid,ofthelineofherlips;herface,asinamagicmirror,shoneontheplatesoftheshakos,thefoldsofhergownfellalongthewalls,anddaysofloveunrolledtoallinfinitybeforehiminthevistasofthefuture。
  Hesawheragainintheeveningduringthefireworks,butshewaswithherhusband,MadameHomais,andthedruggist,whowasworryingaboutthedangerofstrayrockets,andeverymomentheleftthecompanytogoandgivesomeadvicetoBinet。