首页 >出版文学> Madame Bovary>第46章

第46章

  “Truly,“hesaidwithagroan,“itadornedthetombofRichardCoeurdeLion,KingofEnglandandDukeofNormandy。ItwastheCalvinists,sir,whoreducedittothiscondition。Theyhadburieditforspiteintheearth,undertheepiscopalseatofMonsignor。See!thisisthedoorbywhichMonsignorpassestohishouse。Letuspassonquicklytoseethegargoylewindows。“
  ButLeonhastilytooksomesilverfromhispocketandseizedEmma’sarm。Thebeadlestooddumfounded,notabletounderstandthisuntimelymunificencewhentherewerestillsomanythingsforthestrangertosee。Socallinghimback,hecried——
  “Sir!sir!Thesteeple!thesteeple!“
  “No,thankyou!“saidLeon。
  “Youarewrong,sir!Itisfourhundredandfortyfeethigh,ninelessthanthegreatpyramidofEgypt。Itisallcast;it——“
  Leonwasfleeing,foritseemedtohimthathislove,thatfornearlytwohoursnowhadbecomepetrifiedinthechurchlikethestones,wouldvanishlikeavapourthroughthatsortoftruncatedfunnel,ofoblongcage,ofopenchimneythatrisessogrotesquelyfromthecathedralliketheextravagantattemptofsomefantasticbrazier。
  “Butwherearewegoing?“shesaid。
  Makingnoanswer,hewalkedonwitharapidstep;andMadameBovarywasalready,dippingherfingerintheholywaterwhenbehindthemtheyheardapantingbreathinterruptedbytheregularsoundofacane。Leonturnedback。
  “Sir!“
  “Whatisit?“
  Andherecognisedthebeadle,holdingunderhisarmsandbalancingagainsthisstomachsometwentylargesewnvolumes。
  Theywereworks“whichtreatedofthecathedral。“
  “Idiot!“growledLeon,rushingoutofthechurch。
  Aladwasplayingabouttheclose。
  “Goandgetmeacab!“
  ThechildboundedofflikeaballbytheRueQuatre-Vents;thentheywerealoneafewminutes,facetoface,andalittleembarrassed。
  “Ah!Leon!Really——Idon’tknow——ifIought,“shewhispered。Thenwithamoreseriousair,“Doyouknow,itisveryimproper——“
  “Howso?“repliedtheclerk。“ItisdoneatParis。“
  Andthat,asanirresistibleargument,decidedher。
  Stillthecabdidnotcome。Leonwasafraidshemightgobackintothechurch。Atlastthecabappeared。
  “Atallevents,gooutbythenorthporch,“criedthebeadle,whowasleftaloneonthethreshold,“soastoseetheResurrection,theLastJudgment,Paradise,KingDavid,andtheCondemnedinHell-flames。“
  “Whereto,sir?“askedthecoachman。
  “Whereyoulike,“saidLeon,forcingEmmaintothecab。
  Andthelumberingmachinesetout。ItwentdowntheRueGrand-Pont,crossedthePlacedesArts,theQuaiNapoleon,thePontNeuf,andstoppedshortbeforethestatueofPierreCorneille。
  “Goon,“criedavoicethatcamefromwithin。
  Thecabwentonagain,andassoonasitreachedtheCarrefourLafayette,setoffdown-hill,andenteredthestationatagallop。
  “No,straighton!“criedthesamevoice。
  Thecabcameoutbythegate,andsoonhavingreachedtheCours,trottedquietlybeneaththeelm-trees。Thecoachmanwipedhisbrow,puthisleatherhatbetweenhisknees,anddrovehiscarriagebeyondthesidealleybythemeadowtothemarginofthewaters。
  Itwentalongbytheriver,alongthetowing-pathpavedwithsharppebbles,andforalongwhileinthedirectionofOyssel,beyondtheisles。
  ButsuddenlyitturnedwithadashacrossQuatremares,Sotteville,LaGrande-Chaussee,theRued’Elbeuf,andmadeitsthirdhaltinfrontoftheJardindesPlantes。
  “Geton,willyou?“criedthevoicemorefuriously。
  Andatonceresumingitscourse,itpassedbySaint-Sever,bytheQuai’desCurandiers,theQuaiauxMeules,oncemoreoverthebridge,bythePlaceduChampdeMars,andbehindthehospitalgardens,whereoldmeninblackcoatswerewalkinginthesunalongtheterraceallgreenwithivy。ItwentuptheBoulevardBouvreuil,alongtheBoulevardCauchoise,thenthewholeofMont-RiboudettotheDevillehills。
  Itcameback;andthen,withoutanyfixedplanordirection,wanderedaboutathazard。ThecabwasseenatSaint-Pol,atLescure,atMontGargan,atLaRougue-MarcandPlaceduGaillardbois;intheRueMaladrerie,RueDinanderie,beforeSaint-Romain,Saint-Vivien,Saint-Maclou,Saint-Nicaise——infrontoftheCustoms,atthe“VieilleTour,“the“TroisPipes,“andtheMonumentalCemetery。Fromtimetotimethecoachman,onhisboxcastdespairingeyesatthepublic-houses。Hecouldnotunderstandwhatfuriousdesireforlocomotionurgedtheseindividualsnevertowishtostop。Hetriedtonowandthen,andatonceexclamationsofangerburstforthbehindhim。Thenhelashedhisperspiringjadesafresh,butindifferenttotheirjolting,runningupagainstthingshereandthere,notcaringifhedid,demoralised,andalmostweepingwiththirst,fatigue,anddepression。
  Andontheharbour,inthemidstofthedraysandcasks,andinthestreets,atthecorners,thegoodfolkopenedlargewonder-strickeneyesatthissight,soextraordinaryintheprovinces,acabwithblindsdrawn,andwhichappearedthusconstantlyshutmorecloselythanatomb,andtossingaboutlikeavessel。
  Onceinthemiddleoftheday,intheopencountry,justasthesunbeatmostfiercelyagainsttheoldplatedlanterns,abaredhandpassedbeneaththesmallblindsofyellowcanvas,andthrewoutsomescrapsofpaperthatscatteredinthewind,andfartherofflightedlikewhitebutterfliesonafieldofredcloverallinbloom。
  Ataboutsixo’clockthecarriagestoppedinabackstreetoftheBeauvoisineQuarter,andawomangotout,whowalkedwithherveildown,andwithoutturningherhead。
  ChapterTwoOnreachingtheinn,MadameBovarywassurprisednottoseethediligence。Hivert,whohadwaitedforherfifty-threeminutes,hadatlaststarted。
  Yetnothingforcedhertogo;butshehadgivenherwordthatshewouldreturnthatsameevening。Moreover,Charlesexpectedher,andinherheartshefeltalreadythatcowardlydocilitythatisforsomewomenatoncethechastisementandatonementofadultery。
  Shepackedherboxquickly,paidherbill,tookacabintheyard,hurryingonthedriver,urginghimon,everymomentinquiringaboutthetimeandthemilestraversed。Hesucceededincatchingupthe“Hirondelle“asitnearedthefirsthousesofQuincampoix。
  Hardlywassheseatedinhercornerthansheclosedhereyes,andopenedthematthefootofthehill,whenfromafarsherecognisedFelicite,whowasonthelookoutinfrontofthefarrier’sshop。Hivertpulledinhishorsesand,theservant,climbinguptothewindow,saidmysteriously——
  “Madame,youmustgoatoncetoMonsieurHomais。It’sforsomethingimportant。“
  Thevillagewassilentasusual。Atthecornerofthestreetsweresmallpinkheapsthatsmokedintheair,forthiswasthetimeforjam-making,andeveryoneatYonvillepreparedhissupplyonthesameday。Butinfrontofthechemist’sshoponemightadmireafarlargerheap,andthatsurpassedtheotherswiththesuperioritythatalaboratorymusthaveoverordinarystores,ageneralneedoverindividualfancy。
  Shewentin。Thelargearm-chairwasupset,andeventhe“FanaldeRouen“layontheground,outspreadbetweentwopestles。Shepushedopenthelobbydoor,andinthemiddleofthekitchen,amidbrownjarsfullofpickedcurrants,ofpowderedsugarandlumpsugar,ofthescalesonthetable,andofthepansonthefire,shesawalltheHomais,smallandlarge,withapronsreachingtotheirchins,andwithforksintheirhands。Justinwasstandingupwithbowedhead,andthechemistwasscreaming——
  “WhotoldyoutogoandfetchitintheCapharnaum。“
  “Whatisit?Whatisthematter?“
  “Whatisit?“repliedthedruggist。“Wearemakingpreserves;
  theyaresimmering;buttheywereabouttoboilover,becausethereistoomuchjuice,andIorderedanotherpan。Thenhe,fromindolence,fromlaziness,wentandtook,hangingonitsnailinmylaboratory,thekeyoftheCapharnaum。“
  Itwasthusthedruggistcalledasmallroomundertheleads,fulloftheutensilsandthegoodsofhistrade。Heoftenspentlonghourstherealone,labelling,decanting,anddoingupagain;
  andhelookeduponitnotasasimplestore,butasaveritablesanctuary,whencethereafterwardsissued,elaboratedbyhishands,allsortsofpills,boluses,infusions,lotions,andpotions,thatwouldbearfarandwidehiscelebrity。Nooneintheworldsetfootthere,andherespecteditso,thathesweptithimself。Finally,ifthepharmacy,opentoallcomers,wasthespotwherehedisplayedhispride,theCapharnaumwastherefugewhere,egoisticallyconcentratinghimself,Homaisdelightedintheexerciseofhispredilections,sothatJustin’sthoughtlessnessseemedtohimamonstrouspieceofirreverence,and,redderthanthecurrants,herepeated——
  “Yes,fromtheCapharnaum!Thekeythatlocksuptheacidsandcausticalkalies!Togoandgetasparepan!apanwithalid!