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。
第34章