首页 >出版文学> Madame Bovary>第32章

第32章

  “Good-bye,mydearchildren。Ikissyou,mygirl,youtoo,myson-in-law,andthelittleoneonbothcheeks。Iam,withbestcompliments,yourlovingfather。
  “TheodoreRouault。“
  Sheheldthecoarsepaperinherfingersforsomeminutes。Thespellingmistakeswereinterwovenonewiththeother,andEmmafollowedthekindlythoughtthatcackledrightthroughitlikeahenhalfhiddeninthehedgeofthorns。Thewritinghadbeendriedwithashesfromthehearth,foralittlegreypowderslippedfromtheletterontoherdress,andshealmostthoughtshesawherfatherbendingoverthehearthtotakeupthetongs。
  Howlongsinceshehadbeenwithhim,sittingonthefootstoolinthechimney-corner,wheresheusedtoburntheendofabitofwoodinthegreatflameofthesea-sedges!Sherememberedthesummereveningsallfullofsunshine。Thecoltsneighedwhenanyonepassedby,andgalloped,galloped。Underherwindowtherewasabeehive,andsometimesthebeeswheelingroundinthelightstruckagainstherwindowlikereboundingballsofgold。Whathappinesstherehadbeenatthattime,whatfreedom,whathope!
  Whatanabundanceofillusions!Nothingwasleftofthemnow。Shehadgotridofthemallinhersoul’slife,inallhersuccessiveconditionsoflifemaidenhood,hermarriage,andherlove——thusconstantlylosingthemallherlifethrough,likeatravellerwholeavessomethingofhiswealthateveryinnalonghisroad。
  Butwhatthen,madehersounhappy?Whatwastheextraordinarycatastrophethathadtransformedher?Andsheraisedherhead,lookingroundasiftoseekthecauseofthatwhichmadehersuffer。
  AnAprilraywasdancingonthechinaofthewhatnot;thefireburned;beneathherslippersshefeltthesoftnessofthecarpet;
  thedaywasbright,theairwarm,andsheheardherchildshoutingwithlaughter。
  Infact,thelittlegirlwasjustthenrollingonthelawninthemidstofthegrassthatwasbeingturned。Shewaslyingflatonherstomachatthetopofarick。Theservantwasholdingherbyherskirt。Lestiboudoiswasrakingbyherside,andeverytimehecamenearshelentforward,beatingtheairwithbothherarms。
  “Bringhertome,“saidhermother,rushingtoembraceher。“HowIloveyou,mypoorchild!HowIloveyou!“
  Thennoticingthatthetipsofherearswereratherdirty,sherangatonceforwarmwater,andwashedher,changedherlinen,herstockings,hershoes,askedathousandquestionsaboutherhealth,asifonthereturnfromalongjourney,andfinally,kissingheragainandcryingalittle,shegaveherbacktotheservant,whostoodquitethunderstrickenatthisexcessoftenderness。
  ThateveningRodolphefoundhermoreseriousthanusual。
  “Thatwillpassover,“heconcluded;“it’sawhim:“
  Andhemissedthreerendezvousrunning。Whenhedidcome,sheshowedherselfcoldandalmostcontemptuous。
  “Ah!you’relosingyourtime,mylady!“
  Andhepretendednottonoticehermelancholysighs,northehandkerchiefshetookout。
  ThenEmmarepented。SheevenaskedherselfwhyshedetestedCharles;ifithadnotbeenbettertohavebeenabletolovehim?
  Buthegavehernoopportunitiesforsucharevivalofsentiment,sothatshewasmuchembarrassedbyherdesireforsacrifice,whenthedruggistcamejustintimetoprovideherwithanopportunity。
  ChapterElevenHehadrecentlyreadaeulogyonanewmethodforcuringclub-foot,andashewasapartisanofprogress,heconceivedthepatrioticideathatYonville,inordertokeeptothefore,oughttohavesomeoperationsforstrephopodyorclub-foot。
  “For,“saidhetoEmma,“whatriskisthere?See——“andheenumeratedonhisfingerstheadvantagesoftheattempt,“success,almostcertainreliefandbeautifyingofthepatient,celebrityacquiredbytheoperator。Why,forexample,shouldnotyourhusbandrelievepoorHippolyteofthe’Liond’Or’?Notethathewouldnotfailtotellabouthiscuretoallthetravellers,andthen“Homaisloweredhisvoiceandlookedroundhim“whoistopreventmefromsendingashortparagraphonthesubjecttothepaper?Eh!goodnessme!anarticlegetsabout;itistalkedof;itendsbymakingasnowball!Andwhoknows?whoknows?“
  Infact,Bovarymightsucceed。NothingprovedtoEmmathathewasnotclever;andwhatasatisfactionforhertohaveurgedhimtoastepbywhichhisreputationandfortunewouldbeincreased!
  Sheonlywishedtoleanonsomethingmoresolidthanlove。
  Charles,urgedbythedruggistandbyher,allowedhimselftobepersuaded。HesenttoRouenforDr。Duval’svolume,andeveryevening,holdinghisheadbetweenbothhands,plungedintothereadingofit。
  Whilehewasstudyingequinus,varus,andvalgus,thatistosay,katastrephopody,endostrephopody,andexostrephopodyorbetter,thevariousturningsofthefootdownwards,inwards,andoutwards,withthehypostrephopodyandanastrephopody,otherwisetorsiondownwardsandupwards,MonsierHomais,withallsortsofarguments,wasexhortingtheladattheinntosubmittotheoperation。
  “Youwillscarcelyfeel,probably,aslightpain;itisasimpleprick,likealittleblood-letting,lessthantheextractionofcertaincorns。“
  Hippolyte,reflecting,rolledhisstupideyes。
  “However,“continuedthechemist,“itdoesn’tconcernme。It’sforyoursake,forpurehumanity!Ishouldliketoseeyou,myfriend,ridofyourhideouscaudication,togetherwiththatwaddlingofthelumbarregionswhich,whateveryousay,mustconsiderablyinterferewithyouintheexerciseofyourcalling。“
  ThenHomaisrepresentedtohimhowmuchjollierandbriskerhewouldfeelafterwards,andevengavehimtounderstandthathewouldbemorelikelytopleasethewomen;andthestable-boybegantosmileheavily。Thenheattackedhimthroughhisvanity:
  “Aren’tyouaman?Hangit!whatwouldyouhavedoneifyouhadhadtogointothearmy,togoandfightbeneaththestandard?
  Ah!Hippolyte!“
  AndHomaisretired,declaringthathecouldnotunderstandthisobstinacy,thisblindnessinrefusingthebenefactionsofscience。
  Thepoorfellowgaveway,foritwaslikeaconspiracy。Binet,whoneverinterferedwithotherpeople’sbusiness,MadameLefrancois,Artemise,theneighbours,eventhemayor,MonsieurTuvache——everyonepersuadedhim,lecturedhim,shamedhim;butwhatfinallydecidedhimwasthatitwouldcosthimnothing。
  Bovaryevenundertooktoprovidethemachinefortheoperation。
  ThisgenerositywasanideaofEmma’s,andCharlesconsentedtoit,thinkinginhisheartofheartsthathiswifewasanangel。
  Sobytheadviceofthechemist,andafterthreefreshstarts,hehadakindofboxmadebythecarpenter,withtheaidofthelocksmith,thatweighedabouteightpounds,andinwhichiron,wood,sheer-iron,leather,screws,andnutshadnotbeenspared。
  ButtoknowwhichofHippolyte’stendonstocut,itwasnecessaryfirstofalltofindoutwhatkindofclub-foothehad。
  Hehadafootformingalmostastraightlinewiththeleg,which,however,didnotpreventitfrombeingturnedin,sothatitwasanequinustogetherwithsomethingofavarus,orelseaslightvaruswithastrongtendencytoequinus。Butwiththisequinus,wideinfootlikeahorse’shoof,withrugoseskin,drytendons,andlargetoes,onwhichtheblacknailslookedasifmadeofiron,theclubfootranaboutlikeadeerfrommorntillnight。HewasconstantlytobeseenonthePlace,jumpingroundthecarts,thrustinghislimpingfootforwards。Heseemedevenstrongeronthatlegthantheother。Bydintofhardserviceithadacquired,asitwere,moralqualitiesofpatienceandenergy;andwhenhewasgivensomeheavywork,hestoodonitinpreferencetoitsfellow。
  Now,asitwasanequinus,itwasnecessarytocutthetendonofAchilles,and,ifneedwere,theanteriortibialmusclecouldbeseentoafterwardsforgettingridofthevarus;forthedoctordidnotdaretoriskbothoperationsatonce;hewaseventremblingalreadyforfearofinjuringsomeimportantregionthathedidnotknow。
  NeitherAmbrosePare,applyingforthefirsttimesinceCelsus,afteranintervaloffifteencenturies,aligaturetoanartery,norDupuytren,abouttoopenanabscessinthebrain,norGensoulwhenhefirsttookawaythesuperiormaxilla,hadheartsthattrembled,handsthatshook,mindssostrainedasMonsieurBovarywhenheapproachedHippolyte,histenotomebetweenhisfingers。
  Andasathospitals,nearbyonatablelayaheapoflint,withwaxedthread,manybandages——apyramidofbandages——everybandagetobefoundatthedruggist’s。ItwasMonsieurHomaiswhosincemorninghadbeenorganisingallthesepreparations,asmuchtodazzlethemultitudeastokeepuphisillusions。Charlespiercedtheskin;adrycracklingwasheard。Thetendonwascut,theoperationover。Hippolytecouldnotgetoverhissurprise,butbentoverBovary’shandstocoverthemwithkisses。
  “Come,becalm,“saidthedruggist;“lateronyouwillshowyourgratitudetoyourbenefactor。“
  Andhewentdowntotelltheresulttofiveorsixinquirerswhowerewaitingintheyard,andwhofanciedthatHippolytewouldreappearwalkingproperly。ThenCharles,havingbuckledhispatientintothemachine,wenthome,whereEmma,allanxiety,awaitedhimatthedoor。Shethrewherselfonhisneck;theysatdowntotable;heatemuch,andatdessertheevenwantedtotakeacupofcoffee,aluxuryheonlypermittedhimselfonSundayswhentherewascompany。
  Theeveningwascharming,fullofprattle,ofdreamstogether。
  Theytalkedabouttheirfuturefortune,oftheimprovementstobemadeintheirhouse;hesawpeople’sestimationofhimgrowing,hiscomfortsincreasing,hiswifealwayslovinghim;andshewashappytorefreshherselfwithanewsentiment,healthier,better,tofeelatlastsometendernessforthispoorfellowwhoadoredher。ThethoughtofRodolpheforonemomentpassedthroughhermind,buthereyesturnedagaintoCharles;sheevennoticedwithsurprisethathehadnotbadteeth。