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。
第27章