“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。
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