首页 >出版文学> Madame Bovary>第45章

第45章

  itisimpossible。Ifyoushould——listentome。Thenyouhavenotunderstoodme;youhavenotguessed——“
  “Yetyouspeakplainly,“saidEmma。
  “Ah!youcanjest。Enough!enough!Oh,forpity’ssake,letmeseeyouonce——onlyonce!“
  “Well——“Shestopped;then,asifthinkingbetterofit,“Oh,nothere!“
  “Whereyouwill。“
  “Willyou——“Sheseemedtoreflect;thenabruptly,“To-morrowateleveno’clockinthecathedral。“
  “Ishallbethere,“hecried,seizingherhands,whichshedisengaged。
  Andastheywerebothstandingup,hebehindher,andEmmawithherheadbent,hestoopedoverherandpressedlongkissesonherneck。
  “Youaremad!Ah!youaremad!“shesaid,withsoundinglittlelaughs,whilethekissesmultiplied。
  Thenbendinghisheadoverhershoulder,heseemedtobegtheconsentofhereyes。Theyfelluponhimfullofanicydignity。
  Leonsteppedbacktogoout。Hestoppedonthethreshold;thenhewhisperedwithatremblingvoice,“Tomorrow!“
  Sheansweredwithanod,anddisappearedlikeabirdintothenextroom。
  IntheeveningEmmawrotetheclerkaninterminableletter,inwhichshecancelledtherendezvous;allwasover;theymustnot,forthesakeoftheirhappiness,meetagain。Butwhentheletterwasfinished,asshedidnotknowLeon’saddress,shewaspuzzled。
  “I’llgiveittohimmyself,“shesaid;“hewillcome。“
  Thenextmorning,attheopenwindow,andhummingonhisbalcony,Leonhimselfvarnishedhispumpswithseveralcoatings。Heputonwhitetrousers,finesocks,agreencoat,emptiedallthescenthehadintohishandkerchief,thenhavinghadhishaircurled,heuncurleditagain,inordertogiveitamorenaturalelegance。
  “Itisstilltooearly,“hethought,lookingatthehairdresser’scuckoo-clock,thatpointedtothehourofnine。Hereadanoldfashionjournal,wentout,smokedacigar,walkedupthreestreets,thoughtitwastime,andwentslowlytowardstheporchofNotreDame。
  Itwasabeautifulsummermorning。Silverplatesparkledinthejeweller’swindows,andthelightfallingobliquelyonthecathedralmademirrorsofthecornersofthegreystones;aflockofbirdsflutteredinthegreyskyroundthetrefoilbell-turrets;thesquare,resoundingwithcries,wasfragrantwiththeflowersthatbordereditspavement,roses,jasmines,pinks,narcissi,andtube-roses,unevenlyspacedoutbetweenmoistgrasses,catmint,andchickweedforthebirds;thefountainsgurgledinthecentre,andunderlargeumbrellas,amidstmelons,piledupinheaps,flower-women,bare-headed,weretwistingpaperroundbunchesofviolets。
  Theyoungmantookone。Itwasthefirsttimethathehadboughtflowersforawoman,andhisbreast,ashesmeltthem,swelledwithpride,asifthishomagethathemeantforanotherhadrecoileduponhimself。
  Buthewasafraidofbeingseen;heresolutelyenteredthechurch。Thebeadle,whowasjustthenstandingonthethresholdinthemiddleoftheleftdoorway,underthe“DancingMarianne,“
  withfeathercap,andrapierdanglingagainsthiscalves,camein,moremajesticthanacardinal,andasshiningasasaintonaholypyx。
  HecametowardsLeon,and,withthatsmileofwheedlingbenignityassumedbyecclesiasticswhentheyquestionchildren——
  “Thegentleman,nodoubt,doesnotbelongtotheseparts?Thegentlemanwouldliketoseethecuriositiesofthechurch?“
  “No!“saidtheother。
  Andhefirstwentroundtheloweraisles。ThenhewentouttolookatthePlace。Emmawasnotcomingyet。Hewentupagaintothechoir。
  Thenavewasreflectedinthefullfontswiththebeginningofthearchesandsomeportionsoftheglasswindows。Butthereflectionsofthepaintings,brokenbythemarblerim,werecontinuedfartheronupontheflag-stones,likeamany-colouredcarpet。Thebroaddaylightfromwithoutstreamedintothechurchinthreeenormousraysfromthethreeopenedportals。Fromtimetotimeattheupperendasacristanpassed,makingtheobliquegenuflexionofdevoutpersonsinahurry。Thecrystallustreshungmotionless。Inthechoirasilverlampwasburning,andfromthesidechapelsanddarkplacesofthechurchsometimesrosesoundslikesighs,withtheclangofaclosinggrating,itsechoreverberatingundertheloftyvault。
  Leonwithsolemnstepswalkedalongbythewalls。Lifehadneverseemedsogoodtohim。Shewouldcomedirectly,charming,agitated,lookingbackattheglancesthatfollowedher,andwithherflounceddress,hergoldeyeglass,herthinshoes,withallsortsofeleganttriflesthathehadneverenjoyed,andwiththeineffableseductionofyieldingvirtue。Thechurchlikeahugeboudoirspreadaroundher;thearchesbentdowntogatherintheshadetheconfessionofherlove;thewindowsshoneresplendenttoillumineherface,andthecenserswouldburnthatshemightappearlikeanangelamidthefumesofthesweet-smellingodours。
  Butshedidnotcome。Hesatdownonachair,andhiseyesfelluponabluestainedwindowrepresentingboatmencarryingbaskets。
  Helookedatitlong,attentively,andhecountedthescalesofthefishesandthebutton-holesofthedoublets,whilehisthoughtswanderedofftowardsEmma。
  Thebeadle,standingaloof,wasinwardlyangryatthisindividualwhotookthelibertyofadmiringthecathedralbyhimself。Heseemedtohimtobeconductinghimselfinamonstrousfashion,toberobbinghiminasort,andalmostcommittingsacrilege。
  Butarustleofsilkontheflags,thetipofabonnet,alinedcloak——itwasshe!Leonroseandrantomeether。
  Emmawaspale。Shewalkedfast。
  “Read!“shesaid,holdingoutapapertohim。“Oh,no!“
  AndsheabruptlywithdrewherhandtoenterthechapeloftheVirgin,where,kneelingonachair,shebegantopray。
  Theyoungmanwasirritatedatthisbigotfancy;thenheneverthelessexperiencedacertaincharminseeingher,inthemiddleofarendezvous,thuslostinherdevotions,likeanAndalusianmarchioness;thenhegrewbored,forsheseemednevercomingtoanend。
  Emmaprayed,orratherstrovetopray,hopingthatsomesuddenresolutionmightdescendtoherfromheaven;andtodrawdowndivineaidshefilledfullhereyeswiththesplendoursofthetabernacle。Shebreathedintheperfumesofthefull-blownflowersinthelargevases,andlistenedtothestillnessofthechurch,thatonlyheightenedthetumultofherheart。
  Sherose,andtheywereabouttoleave,whenthebeadlecameforward,hurriedlysaying——
  “Madame,nodoubt,doesnotbelongtotheseparts?Madamewouldliketoseethecuriositiesofthechurch?“
  “Oh,no!“criedtheclerk。
  “Whynot?“saidshe。ForsheclungwithherexpiringvirtuetotheVirgin,thesculptures,thetombs——anything。
  Then,inordertoproceed“byrule,“thebeadleconductedthemrighttotheentrancenearthesquare,where,pointingoutwithhiscanealargecircleofblock-stoneswithoutinscriptionorcarving——
  “This,“hesaidmajestically,“isthecircumferenceofthebeautifulbellofAmbroise。Itweighedfortythousandpounds。
  TherewasnotitsequalinallEurope。Theworkmanwhocastitdiedofthejoy——“
  “Letusgoon,“saidLeon。
  Theoldfellowstartedoffagain;then,havinggotbacktothechapeloftheVirgin,hestretchedforthhisarmwithanall-embracinggestureofdemonstration,and,prouderthanacountrysquireshowingyouhisespaliers,wenton——
  “ThissimplestonecoversPierredeBreze,lordofVarenneandofBrissac,grandmarshalofPoitou,andgovernorofNormandy,whodiedatthebattleofMontlheryonthe16thofJuly,1465。“
  Leonbithislips,fuming。
  “Andontheright,thisgentlemanallencasediniron,ontheprancinghorse,ishisgrandson,LouisdeBreze,lordofBrevalandofMontchauvet,CountdeMaulevrier,BarondeMauny,chamberlaintotheking,KnightoftheOrder,andalsogovernorofNormandy;diedonthe23rdofJuly,1531——aSunday,astheinscriptionspecifies;andbelow,thisfigure,abouttodescendintothetomb,portraysthesameperson。Itisnotpossible,isit,toseeamoreperfectrepresentationofannihilation?“
  MadameBovaryputuphereyeglasses。Leon,motionless,lookedather,nolongerevenattemptingtospeakasingleword,tomakeagesture,sodiscouragedwasheatthistwo-foldobstinacyofgossipandindifference。
  Theeverlastingguidewenton——
  “Nearhim,thiskneelingwomanwhoweepsishisspouse,DianedePoitiers,CountessdeBreze,DuchessdeValentinois,bornin1499,diedin1566,andtotheleft,theonewiththechildistheHolyVirgin。Nowturntothisside;herearethetombsoftheAmbroise。TheywerebothcardinalsandarchbishopsofRouen。ThatonewasministerunderLouisXII。Hedidagreatdealforthecathedral。Inhiswillheleftthirtythousandgoldcrownsforthepoor。“
  Andwithoutstopping,stilltalking,hepushedthemintoachapelfullofbalustrades,someputaway,anddisclosedakindofblockthatcertainlymightoncehavebeenanill-madestatue。