“Come，“saidhe，“let’sbegin。“
　　Hewrote——
　　“Courage，Emma!courage!Iwouldnotbringmiseryintoyourlife。“
　　“Afterall，that’strue，“thoughtRodolphe。“Iamactinginherinterest；Iamhonest。“
　　“Haveyoucarefullyweighedyourresolution？DoyouknowtowhatanabyssIwasdraggingyou，poorangel？No，youdonot，doyou？
　　Youwerecomingconfidentandfearless，believinginhappinessinthefuture。Ah!unhappythatweare——insensate!“
　　Rodolphestoppedheretothinkofsomegoodexcuse。
　　“IfItoldherallmyfortuneislost？No!Besides，thatwouldstopnothing。Itwouldallhavetobebegunoveragainlateron。
　　Asifonecouldmakewomenlikethatlistentoreason!“Hereflected，thenwenton——
　　“Ishallnotforgetyou，ohbelieveit；andIshalleverhaveaprofounddevotionforyou；butsomeday，soonerorlater，thisardoursuchisthefateofhumanthingswouldhavegrownless，nodoubt。Lassitudewouldhavecometous，andwhoknowsifI
　　shouldnotevenhavehadtheatrociouspainofwitnessingyourremorse，ofsharingitmyself，sinceIshouldhavebeenitscause？Themereideaofthegriefthatwouldcometoyoutorturesme，Emma。Forgetme!WhydidIeverknowyou？Whywereyousobeautiful？Isitmyfault？OmyGod!No，no!Accuseonlyfate。“
　　“That’sawordthatalwaystells，“hesaidtohimself。
　　“Ah，ifyouhadbeenoneofthosefrivolouswomenthatonesees，certainlyImight，throughegotism，havetriedanexperiment，inthatcasewithoutdangerforyou。Butthatdeliciousexaltation，atonceyourcharmandyourtorment，haspreventedyoufromunderstanding，adorablewomanthatyouare，thefalsenessofourfutureposition。NorhadIreflecteduponthisatfirst，andI
　　restedintheshadeofthatidealhappinessasbeneaththatofthemanchineeltree，withoutforeseeingtheconsequences。“
　　“Perhapsshe’llthinkI’mgivingitupfromavarice。Ah，well!somuchtheworse；itmustbestopped!“
　　“Theworldiscruel，Emma。Whereverwemighthavegone，itwouldhavepersecutedus。Youwouldhavehadtoputupwithindiscreetquestions，calumny，contempt，insultperhaps。Insulttoyou!Oh!
　　AndI，whowouldplaceyouonathrone!Iwhobearwithmeyourmemoryasatalisman!ForIamgoingtopunishmyselfbyexileforalltheillIhavedoneyou。Iamgoingaway。WhitherIknownot。Iammad。Adieu!Begoodalways。Preservethememoryoftheunfortunatewhohaslostyou。Teachmynametoyourchild；letherrepeatitinherprayers。“
　　Thewicksofthecandlesflickered。Rodolphegotupto，shutthewindow，andwhenhehadsatdownagain——
　　“Ithinkit’sallright。Ah!andthisforfearsheshouldcomeandhuntmeup。“
　　“Ishallbefarawaywhenyoureadthesesadlines，forIhavewishedtofleeasquicklyaspossibletoshunthetemptationofseeingyouagain。Noweakness!Ishallreturn，andperhapslateronweshalltalktogetherverycoldlyofouroldlove。Adieu!“
　　Andtherewasalast“adieu“dividedintotwowords!“ADieu!“
　　whichhethoughtinveryexcellenttaste。
　　“NowhowamItosign？“hesaidtohimself。“’Yoursdevotedly？’
　　No!’Yourfriend？’Yes，that’sit。“
　　“Yourfriend。“
　　Here-readhisletter。Heconsidereditverygood。
　　“Poorlittlewoman!“hethoughtwithemotion。“She’llthinkmeharderthanarock。Thereoughttohavebeensometearsonthis；
　　butIcan’tcry；itisn’tmyfault。“Then，havingemptiedsomewaterintoaglass，Rodolphedippedhisfingerintoit，andletabigdropfallonthepaper，thatmadeapalestainontheink。
　　Thenlookingforaseal，hecameupontheone“Amornelcor。“
　　“Thatdoesn’tatallfitinwiththecircumstances。Pshaw!nevermind!“
　　Afterwhichhesmokedthreepipesandwenttobed。
　　Thenextdaywhenhewasupatabouttwoo’clock——hehadsleptlate，Rodolphehadabasketofapricotspicked。Heputhisletteratthebottomundersomevineleaves，andatonceorderedGirard，hisploughman，totakeitwithcaretoMadameBovary。Hemadeuseofthismeansforcorrespondingwithher，sendingaccordingtotheseasonfruitsorgame。
　　“Ifsheasksafterme，“hesaid，“youwilltellherthatIhavegoneonajourney。Youmustgivethebaskettoherherself，intoherownhands。Getalongandtakecare!“
　　Girardputonhisnewblouse，knottedhishandkerchiefroundtheapricots，andwalkingwithgreatheavystepsinhisthickiron-boundgaloshes，madehiswaytoYonville。
　　MadameBovary，whenhegottoherhouse，wasarrangingabundleoflinenonthekitchen-tablewithFelicite。
　　“Here，“saidtheploughboy，“issomethingforyou——fromthemaster。“
　　Shewasseizedwithapprehension，andasshesoughtinherpocketforsomecoppers，shelookedatthepeasantwithhaggardeyes，whilehehimselflookedatherwithamazement，notunderstandinghowsuchapresentcouldsomoveanyone。Atlasthewentout。
　　Feliciteremained。Shecouldbearitnolonger；sheranintothesittingroomasiftotaketheapricotsthere，overturnedthebasket，toreawaytheleaves，foundtheletter，openedit，and，asifsomefearfulfirewerebehindher，Emmaflewtoherroomterrified。
　　Charleswasthere；shesawhim；hespoketoher；sheheardnothing，andshewentonquicklyupthestairs，breathless，distraught，dumb，andeverholdingthishorriblepieceofpaper，thatcrackledbetweenherfingerslikeaplateofsheet-iron。Onthesecondfloorshestoppedbeforetheatticdoor，whichwasclosed。
　　Thenshetriedtocalmherself；sherecalledtheletter；shemustfinishit；shedidnotdareto。Andwhere？How？Shewouldbeseen!“Ah，no!here，“shethought，“Ishallbeallright。“
　　Emmapushedopenthedoorandwentin。
　　Theslatesthrewstraightdownaheavyheatthatgrippedhertemples，stifledher；shedraggedherselftotheclosedgarret-window。Shedrewbackthebolt，andthedazzlinglightburstinwithaleap。
　　Opposite，beyondtheroofs，stretchedtheopencountrytillitwaslosttosight。Downbelow，underneathher，thevillagesquarewasempty；thestonesofthepavementglittered，theweathercocksonthehousesweremotionless。Atthecornerofthestreet，fromalowerstorey，roseakindofhummingwithstridentmodulations。
　　ItwasBinetturning。
　　Sheleantagainsttheembrasureofthewindow，andrereadtheletterwithangrysneers。Butthemoreshefixedherattentionuponit，themoreconfusedwereherideas。Shesawhimagain，heardhim，encircledhimwithherarms，andthrobsofherheart，thatbeatagainstherbreastlikeblowsofasledge-hammer，grewfasterandfaster，withunevenintervals。Shelookedaboutherwiththewishthattheearthmightcrumbleintopieces。Whynotenditall？Whatrestrainedher？Shewasfree。Sheadvanced，lookingatthepaving-stones，sayingtoherself，“Come!come!“
　　Theluminousraythatcamestraightupfrombelowdrewtheweightofherbodytowardstheabyss。Itseemedtoherthatthegroundoftheoscillatingsquarewentupthewallsandthatthefloordippedonendlikeatossingboat。Shewasrightattheedge，almosthanging，surroundedbyvastspace。Theblueoftheheavenssuffusedher，theairwaswhirlinginherhollowhead；shehadbuttoyield，toletherselfbetaken；andthehummingofthelatheneverceased，likeanangryvoicecallingher。
　　“Emma!Emma!“criedCharles。
　　Shestopped。
　　“Whereverareyou？Come!“
　　Thethoughtthatshehadjustescapedfromdeathalmostmadeherfaintwithterror。Sheclosedhereyes；thensheshiveredatthetouchofahandonhersleeve；itwasFelicite。
　　“Masteriswaitingforyou，madame；thesoupisonthetable。“
　　Andshehadtogodowntositattable。
　　Shetriedtoeat。Thefoodchokedher。Thensheunfoldedhernapkinasiftoexaminethedarns，andshereallythoughtofapplyingherselftothiswork，countingthethreadsinthelinen。
　　Suddenlytheremembranceoftheletterreturnedtoher。Howhadshelostit？Wherecouldshefindit？Butshefeltsuchwearinessofspiritthatshecouldnoteveninventapretextforleavingthetable。Thenshebecameacoward；shewasafraidofCharles；
　　heknewall，thatwascertain!Indeedhepronouncedthesewordsinastrangemanner：
　　“WearenotlikelytoseeMonsieurRodolphesoonagain，itseems。“
　　“Whotoldyou？“shesaid，shuddering。