首页 >出版文学> Madame Bovary>第34章

第34章

  ThisamputationofthethighbyDoctorCanivetwasagreateventinthevillage。Onthatdayalltheinhabitantsgotupearlier,andtheGrandeRue,althoughfullofpeople,hadsomethinglugubriousaboutit,asifanexecutionhadbeenexpected。Atthegrocer’stheydiscussedHippolyte’sillness;theshopsdidnobusiness,andMadameTuvache,themayor’swife,didnotstirfromherwindow,suchwasherimpatiencetoseetheoperatorarrive。
  Hecameinhisgig,whichhedrovehimself。Butthespringsoftherightsidehavingatlengthgivenwaybeneaththeweightofhiscorpulence,ithappenedthatthecarriageasitrolledalongleanedoveralittle,andontheothercushionnearhimcouldbeseenalargeboxcoveredinredsheep-leather,whosethreebrassclaspsshonegrandly。
  Afterhehadenteredlikeawhirlwindtheporchofthe“Liond’Or,“thedoctor,shoutingveryloud,orderedthemtounharnesshishorse。Thenhewentintothestabletoseethathewaseatinghisoatsallright;foronarrivingatapatient’shefirstofalllookedafterhismareandhisgig。Peopleevensaidaboutthis——
  “Ah!MonsieurCanivet’sacharacter!“
  Andhewasthemoreesteemedforthisimperturbablecoolness。Theuniversetothelastmanmighthavedied,andhewouldnothavemissedthesmallestofhishabits。
  Homaispresentedhimself。
  “Icountonyou,“saidthedoctor。“Areweready?Comealong!“
  Butthedruggist,turningred,confessedthathewastoosensitivetoassistatsuchanoperation。
  “Whenoneisasimplespectator,“hesaid,“theimagination,youknow,isimpressed。AndthenIhavesuchanervoussystem!“
  “Pshaw!“interruptedCanivet;“onthecontrary,youseemtomeinclinedtoapoplexy。Besides,thatdoesn’tastonishme,foryouchemistfellowsarealwayspokingaboutyourkitchens,whichmustendbyspoilingyourconstitutions。Nowjustlookatme。Igetupeverydayatfouro’clock;Ishavewithcoldwaterandamnevercold。Idon’twearflannels,andInevercatchcold;mycarcassisgoodenough!Ilivenowinoneway,nowinanother,likeaphilosopher,takingpot-luck;thatiswhyIamnotsqueamishlikeyou,anditisasindifferenttometocarveaChristianasthefirstfowlthatturnsup。Then,perhaps,youwillsay,habit!
  habit!“
  Then,withoutanyconsiderationforHippolyte,whowassweatingwithagonybetweenhissheets,thesegentlemenenteredintoaconversation,inwhichthedruggistcomparedthecoolnessofasurgeontothatofageneral;andthiscomparisonwaspleasingtoCanivet,wholaunchedoutontheexigenciesofhisart。Helookedupon,itasasacredoffice,althoughtheordinarypractitionersdishonouredit。Atlast,comingbacktothepatient,heexaminedthebandagesbroughtbyHomais,thesamethathadappearedfortheclub-foot,andaskedforsomeonetoholdthelimbforhim。
  Lestiboudoiswassentfor,andMonsieurCanivethavingturneduphissleeves,passedintothebilliard-room,whilethedruggiststayedwithArtemiseandthelandlady,bothwhiterthantheiraprons,andwithearsstrainedtowardsthedoor。
  Bovaryduringthistimedidnotdaretostirfromhishouse。
  Hekeptdownstairsinthesitting-roombythesideofthefirelesschimney,hischinonhisbreast,hishandsclasped,hiseyesstaring。“Whatamishap!“hethought,“whatamishap!“
  Perhaps,afterall,hehadmadesomeslip。Hethoughtitover,butcouldhituponnothing。Butthemostfamoussurgeonsalsomademistakes;andthatiswhatnoonewouldeverbelieve!
  People,onthecontrary,wouldlaugh,jeer!ItwouldspreadasfarasForges,asNeufchatel,asRouen,everywhere!Whocouldsayifhiscolleagueswouldnotwriteagainsthim。Polemicswouldensue;hewouldhavetoanswerinthepapers。Hippolytemightevenprosecutehim。Hesawhimselfdishonoured,ruined,lost;andhisimagination,assailedbyaworldofhypotheses,tossedamongstthemlikeanemptycaskbornebytheseaandfloatinguponthewaves。
  Emma,opposite,watchedhim;shedidnotsharehishumiliation;
  shefeltanother——thatofhavingsupposedsuchamanwasworthanything。Asiftwentytimesalreadyshehadnotsufficientlyperceivedhismediocrity。
  Charleswaswalkingupanddowntheroom;hisbootscreakedonthefloor。
  “Sitdown,“shesaid;“youfidgetme。“
  Hesatdownagain。
  Howwasitthatshe——she,whowassointelligent——couldhaveallowedherselftobedeceivedagain?andthroughwhatdeplorablemadnesshadshethusruinedherlifebycontinualsacrifices?Sherecalledallherinstinctsofluxury,alltheprivationsofhersoul,thesordidnessofmarriage,ofthehousehold,herdreamsinkingintothemirelikewoundedswallows;allthatshehadlongedfor,allthatshehaddeniedherself,allthatshemighthavehad!Andforwhat?forwhat?
  Inthemidstofthesilencethathungoverthevillageaheart-rendingcryroseontheair。Bovaryturnedwhitetofainting。Sheknitherbrowswithanervousgesture,thenwenton。Anditwasforhim,forthiscreature,forthisman,whounderstoodnothing,whofeltnothing!Forhewastherequitequiet,notevensuspectingthattheridiculeofhisnamewouldhenceforthsullyhersaswellashis。Shehadmadeeffortstolovehim,andshehadrepentedwithtearsforhavingyieldedtoanother!
  “Butitwasperhapsavalgus!“suddenlyexclaimedBovary,whowasmeditating。
  Attheunexpectedshockofthisphrasefallingonherthoughtlikealeadenbulletonasilverplate,Emma,shuddering,raisedherheadinordertofindoutwhathemeanttosay;andtheylookedattheotherinsilence,almostamazedtoseeeachother,sofarsunderedweretheybytheirinnerthoughts。Charlesgazedatherwiththedulllookofadrunkenman,whilehelistenedmotionlesstothelastcriesofthesufferer,thatfollowedeachotherinlong-drawnmodulations,brokenbysharpspasmslikethefar-offhowlingofsomebeastbeingslaughtered。Emmabitherwanlips,androllingbetweenherfingersapieceofcoralthatshehadbroken,fixedonCharlestheburningglanceofhereyesliketwoarrowsoffireabouttodartforth。Everythinginhimirritatedhernow;hisface,hisdress,whathedidnotsay,hiswholeperson,hisexistence,infine。Sherepentedofherpastvirtueasofacrime,andwhatstillremainedofitrumbledawaybeneaththefuriousblowsofherpride。Sherevelledinalltheevilironiesoftriumphantadultery。Thememoryofherlovercamebacktoherwithdazzlingattractions;shethrewherwholesoulintoit,borneawaytowardsthisimagewithafreshenthusiasm;
  andCharlesseemedtoherasmuchremovedfromherlife,asabsentforever,asimpossibleandannihilated,asifhehadbeenabouttodieandwerepassingunderhereyes。
  Therewasasoundofstepsonthepavement。Charleslookedup,andthroughtheloweredblindshesawatthecornerofthemarketinthebroadsunshineDr。Canivet,whowaswipinghisbrowwithhishandkerchief。Homais,behindhim,wascarryingalargeredboxinhishand,andbothweregoingtowardsthechemist’s。
  ThenwithafeelingofsuddentendernessanddiscouragementCharlesturnedtohiswifesayingtoher——
  “Oh,kissme,myown!“
  “Leaveme!“shesaid,redwithanger。
  “Whatisthematter?“heasked,stupefied。“Becalm;composeyourself。YouknowwellenoughthatIloveyou。Come!“
  “Enough!“shecriedwithaterriblelook。
  Andescapingfromtheroom,Emmaclosedthedoorsoviolentlythatthebarometerfellfromthewallandsmashedonthefloor。
  Charlessankbackintohisarm-chairoverwhelmed,tryingtodiscoverwhatcouldbewrongwithher,fancyingsomenervousillness,weeping,andvaguelyfeelingsomethingfatalandincomprehensiblewhirlingroundhim。
  WhenRodolphecametothegardenthatevening,hefoundhismistresswaitingforhimatthefootofthestepsontheloweststair。Theythrewtheirarmsroundoneanother,andalltheirrancourmeltedlikesnowbeneaththewarmthofthatkiss。
  ChapterTwelveTheybegantoloveoneanotheragain。Often,eveninthemiddleoftheday,Emmasuddenlywrotetohim,thenfromthewindowmadeasigntoJustin,who,takinghisapronoff,quicklyrantoLaHuchette。Rodolphewouldcome;shehadsentforhimtotellhimthatshewasbored,thatherhusbandwasodious,herlifefrightful。
  “ButwhatcanIdo?“hecriedonedayimpatiently。
  “Ah!ifyouwould——“
  Shewassittingonthefloorbetweenhisknees,herhairloose,herlooklost。
  “Why,what?“saidRodolphe。
  Shesighed。
  “Wewouldgoandliveelsewhere——somewhere!“
  “Youarereallymad!“hesaidlaughing。“Howcouldthatbepossible?“
  Shereturnedtothesubject;hepretendednottounderstand,andturnedtheconversation。
  Whathedidnotunderstandwasallthisworryaboutsosimpleanaffairaslove。Shehadamotive,areason,and,asitwere,apendanttoheraffection。
  Hertenderness,infact,greweachdaywithherrepulsiontoherhusband。Themoreshegaveupherselftotheone,themoresheloathedtheother。NeverhadCharlesseemedtohersodisagreeable,tohavesuchstodgyfingers,suchvulgarways,tobesodullaswhentheyfoundthemselvestogetherafterhermeetingwithRodolphe。Then,whileplayingthespouseandvirtue,shewasburningatthethoughtofthatheadwhoseblackhairfellinacurloverthesunburntbrow,ofthatformatoncesostrongandelegant,ofthatman,inaword,whohadsuchexperienceinhisreasoning,suchpassioninhisdesires。Itwasforhimthatshefiledhernailswiththecareofachaser,andthattherewasneverenoughcold-creamforherskin,norofpatchouliforherhandkerchiefs。Sheloadedherselfwithbracelets,rings,andnecklaces。Whenhewascomingshefilledthetwolargeblueglassvaseswithroses,andpreparedherroomandherpersonlikeacourtesanexpectingaprince。Theservanthadtobeconstantlywashinglinen,andalldayFelicitedidnotstirfromthekitchen,wherelittleJustin,whooftenkepthercompany,watchedheratwork。