首页 >出版文学> Madame Bovary>第28章

第28章

  ThepyrotechnicpiecessenttoMonsieurTuvachehad,throughanexcessofcaution,beenshutupinhiscellar,andsothedamppowderwouldnotlight,andtheprincipalsetpiece,thatwastorepresentadragonbitinghistail,failedcompletely。NowandthenameagreRoman-candlewentoff;thenthegapingcrowdsentupashoutthatmingledwiththecryofthewomen,whosewaistswerebeingsqueezedinthedarkness。EmmasilentlynestledagainstCharles’sshoulder;then,raisingherchin,shewatchedtheluminousraysoftherocketsagainstthedarksky。Rodolphegazedatherinthelightoftheburninglanterns。
  Theywentoutonebyone。Thestarsshoneout。Afewcropsofrainbegantofall。Sheknottedherfichuroundherbarehead。
  Atthismomentthecouncillor’scarriagecameoutfromtheinn。
  Hiscoachman,whowasdrunk,suddenlydozedoff,andonecouldseefromthedistance,abovethehood,betweenthetwolanterns,themassofhisbody,thatswayedfromrighttoleftwiththegivingofthetraces。
  “Truly,“saidthedruggist,“oneoughttoproceedmostrigorouslyagainstdrunkenness!Ishouldliketoseewrittenupweeklyatthedoorofthetownhallonaboardadhoc*thenamesofallthosewhoduringtheweekgotintoxicatedonalcohol。Besides,withregardtostatistics,onewouldthushave,asitwere,publicrecordsthatonecouldrefertoincaseofneed。Butexcuseme!“
  *Specificallyforthat。
  Andheoncemoreranofftothecaptain。Thelatterwasgoingbacktoseehislatheagain。
  “Perhapsyouwouldnotdoill,“Homaissaidtohim,“tosendoneofyourmen,ortogoyourself——“
  “Leavemealone!“answeredthetax-collector。“It’sallright!“
  “Donotbeuneasy,“saidthedruggist,whenhereturnedtohisfriends。“MonsieurBinethasassuredmethatallprecautionshavebeentaken。Nosparkshavefallen;thepumpsarefull。Letusgotorest。“
  “Mafoi!Iwantit,“saidMadameHomais,yawningatlarge。“Butnevermind;we’vehadabeautifuldayforourfete。“
  Rodolpherepeatedinalowvoice,andwithatenderlook,“Oh,yes!verybeautiful!“
  Andhavingbowedtooneanother,theyseparated。
  Twodayslater,inthe“FinaldeRouen,“therewasalongarticleontheshow。Homaishadcomposeditwithvervetheverynextmorning。
  “Whythesefestoons,theseflowers,thesegarlands?Whitherhurriesthiscrowdlikethewavesofafuriousseaunderthetorrentsofatropicalsunpouringitsheatuponourheads?“
  Thenhespokeoftheconditionofthepeasants。CertainlytheGovernmentwasdoingmuch,butnotenough。“Courage!“hecriedtoit;“athousandreformsareindispensable;letusaccomplishthem!“Thentouchingontheentryofthecouncillor,hedidnotforget“themartialairofourmilitia;“nor“ourmostmerryvillagemaidens;“northe“bald-headedoldmenlikepatriarchswhowerethere,andofwhomsome,theremnantsofourphalanxes,stillfelttheirheartsbeatatthemanlysoundofthedrums。“Hecitedhimselfamongthefirstofthemembersofthejury,andheevencalledattentioninanotetothefactthatMonsieurHomais,chemist,hadsentamemoironcidertotheagriculturalsociety。
  Whenhecametothedistributionoftheprizes,hepaintedthejoyoftheprize-winnersindithyrambicstrophes。“Thefatherembracedtheson,thebrotherthebrother,thehusbandhisconsort。Morethanoneshowedhishumblemedalwithpride;andnodoubtwhenhegothometohisgoodhousewife,hehungitupweepingonthemodestwallsofhiscot。
  “Aboutsixo’clockabanquetpreparedinthemeadowofMonsieurLeigeardbroughttogethertheprincipalpersonagesofthefete。
  Thegreatestcordialityreignedhere。Diverstoastswereproposed:MonsieurLieuvain,theKing;MonsieurTuvache,thePrefect;MonsieurDerozerays,Agriculture;MonsieurHomais,IndustryandtheFineArts,thosetwinsisters;MonsieurLeplichey,Progress。Intheeveningsomebrilliantfireworksonasuddenilluminedtheair。Onewouldhavecalleditaveritablekaleidoscope,arealoperaticscene;andforamomentourlittlelocalitymighthavethoughtitselftransportedintothemidstofadreamofthe’ThousandandOneNights。’“Letusstatethatnountowardeventdisturbedthisfamilymeeting。“Andheadded“Onlytheabsenceoftheclergywasremarked。Nodoubtthepriestsunderstandprogressinanotherfashion。Justasyouplease,messieursthefollowersofLoyola!“
  ChapterNineSixweekspassed。Rodolphedidnotcomeagain。Atlastoneeveningheappeared。
  Thedayaftertheshowhehadsaidtohimself——“Wemustn’tgobacktoosoon;thatwouldbeamistake。“
  Andattheendofaweekhehadgoneoffhunting。Afterthehuntinghehadthoughtitwastoolate,andthenhereasonedthus——
  “Iffromthefirstdayshelovedme,shemustfromimpatiencetoseemeagainlovememore。Let’sgoonwithit!“
  Andheknewthathiscalculationhadbeenrightwhen,onenteringtheroom,hesawEmmaturnpale。
  Shewasalone。Thedaywasdrawingin。Thesmallmuslincurtainalongthewindowsdeepenedthetwilight,andthegildingofthebarometer,onwhichtheraysofthesunfell,shoneinthelooking-glassbetweenthemeshesofthecoral。
  Rodolpheremainedstanding,andEmmahardlyansweredhisfirstconventionalphrases。
  “I,“hesaid,“havebeenbusy。Ihavebeenill。“
  “Seriously?“shecried。
  “Well,“saidRodolphe,sittingdownathersideonafootstool,“no;itwasbecauseIdidnotwanttocomeback。“
  “Why?“
  “Canyounotguess?“
  Helookedatheragain,butsohardthatsheloweredherhead,blushing。Hewenton——
  “Emma!“
  “Sir,“shesaid,drawingbackalittle。
  “Ah!yousee,“repliedheinamelancholyvoice,“thatIwasrightnottocomeback;forthisname,thisnamethatfillsmywholesoul,andthatescapedme,youforbidmetouse!MadameBovary!whyalltheworldcallsyouthus!Besides,itisnotyourname;itisthenameofanother!“
  Herepeated,“ofanother!“Andhehidhisfaceinhishands。
  “Yes,Ithinkofyouconstantly。Thememoryofyoudrivesmetodespair。Ah!forgiveme!Iwillleaveyou!Farewell!Iwillgofaraway,sofarthatyouwillneverhearofmeagain;andyet——
  to-day——Iknownotwhatforceimpelledmetowardsyou。ForonedoesnotstruggleagainstHeaven;onecannotresistthesmileofangels;oneiscarriedawaybythatwhichisbeautiful,charming,adorable。“
  ItwasthefirsttimethatEmmahadheardsuchwordsspokentoherself,andherpride,likeonewhoreposesbathedinwarmth,expandedsoftlyandfullyatthisglowinglanguage。
  “ButifIdidnotcome,“hecontinued,“ifIcouldnotseeyou,atleastIhavegazedlongonallthatsurroundsyou。Atnight-everynight-Iarose;Icamehither;Iwatchedyourhouse,itsglimmeringinthemoon,thetreesinthegardenswayingbeforeyourwindow,andthelittlelamp,agleamshiningthroughthewindow-panesinthedarkness。Ah!youneverknewthatthere,sonearyou,sofarfromyou,wasapoorwretch!“
  Sheturnedtowardshimwithasob。
  “Oh,youaregood!“shesaid。
  “No,Iloveyou,thatisall!Youdonotdoubtthat!Tellme——oneword——onlyoneword!“
  AndRodolpheimperceptiblyglidedfromthefootstooltotheground;butasoundofwoodenshoeswasheardinthekitchen,andhenoticedthedooroftheroomwasnotclosed。
  “Howkinditwouldbeofyou,“hewenton,rising,“ifyouwouldhumourawhimofmine。“Itwastogooverherhouse;hewantedtoknowit;andMadameBovaryseeingnoobjectiontothis,theybothrose,whenCharlescamein。
  “Goodmorning,doctor,“Rodolphesaidtohim。
  Thedoctor,flatteredatthisunexpectedtitle,launchedoutintoobsequiousphrases。Ofthistheothertookadvantagetopullhimselftogetheralittle。
  “Madamewasspeakingtome,“hethensaid,“aboutherhealth。“
  Charlesinterruptedhim;hehadindeedathousandanxieties;hiswife’spalpitationsoftheheartwerebeginningagain。ThenRodolpheaskedifridingwouldnotbegood。
  “Certainly!excellent!justthething!There’sanidea!Yououghttofollowitup。“
  Andassheobjectedthatshehadnohorse,MonsieurRodolpheofferedone。Sherefusedhisoffer;hedidnotinsist。Thentoexplainhisvisithesaidthathisploughman,themanoftheblood-letting,stillsufferedfromgiddiness。
  “I’llcallaround,“saidBovary。
  “No,no!I’llsendhimtoyou;we’llcome;thatwillbemoreconvenientforyou。“