首页 >出版文学> Madame Bovary>第62章

第62章

  “Thatwilldo。Takeheraway,“criedCharles,whowassobbinginthealcove。
  Thenthesymptomsceasedforamoment;sheseemedlessagitated;
  andateveryinsignificantword,ateveryrespirationalittlemoreeasy,heregainedhope。Atlast,whenCanivetcamein,hethrewhimselfintohisarms。
  “Ah!itisyou。Thanks!Youaregood!Butsheisbetter。See!
  lookather。“
  Hiscolleaguewasbynomeansofthisopinion,and,ashesaidofhimself,“neverbeatingaboutthebush,“heprescribed,anemeticinordertoemptythestomachcompletely。
  Shesoonbeganvomitingblood。Herlipsbecamedrawn。Herlimbswereconvulsed,herwholebodycoveredwithbrownspots,andherpulseslippedbeneaththefingerslikeastretchedthread,likeaharp-stringnearlybreaking。
  Afterthisshebegantoscreamhorribly。Shecursedthepoison,railedatit,andimploredittobequick,andthrustawaywithherstiffenedarmseverythingthatCharles,inmoreagonythanherself,triedtomakeherdrink。Hestoodup,hishandkerchieftohislips,witharattlingsoundinhisthroat,weeping,andchokedbysobsthatshookhiswholebody。Felicitewasrunninghitherandthitherintheroom。Homais,motionless,utteredgreatsighs;andMonsieurCanivet,alwaysretaininghisself-command,neverthelessbegantofeeluneasy。
  “Thedevil!yetshehasbeenpurged,andfromthemomentthatthecauseceases——“
  “Theeffectmustcease,“saidHomais,“thatisevident。“
  “Oh,saveher!“criedBovary。
  And,withoutlisteningtothechemist,whowasstillventuringthehypothesis,“Itisperhapsasalutaryparoxysm,“Canivetwasabouttoadministersometheriac,whentheyheardthecrackingofawhip;allthewindowsrattled,andapost-chaisedrawnbythreehorsesabreast,uptotheirearsinmud,droveatagalloproundthecornerofthemarket。ItwasDoctorLariviere。
  Theapparitionofagodwouldnothavecausedmorecommotion。
  Bovaryraisedhishands;Canivetstoppedshort;andHomaispulledoffhisskull-caplongbeforethedoctorhadcomein。
  HebelongedtothatgreatschoolofsurgerybegottenofBichat,tothatgeneration,nowextinct,ofphilosophicalpractitioners,who,lovingtheirartwithafanaticallove,exerciseditwithenthusiasmandwisdom。Everyoneinhishospitaltrembledwhenhewasangry;andhisstudentssoreveredhimthattheytried,assoonastheywerethemselvesinpractice,toimitatehimasmuchaspossible。Sothatinallthetownsabouttheywerefoundwearinghislongwaddedmerinoovercoatandblackfrock-coat,whosebuttonedcuffsslightlycoveredhisbrawnyhands——verybeautifulhands,andthatneverknewgloves,asthoughtobemorereadytoplungeintosuffering。Disdainfulofhonours,oftitles,andofacademies,likeoneoftheoldKnight-Hospitallers,generous,fatherlytothepoor,andpractisingvirtuewithoutbelievinginit,hewouldalmosthavepassedforasaintifthekeennessofhisintellecthadnotcausedhimtobefearedasademon。Hisglance,morepenetratingthanhisbistouries,lookedstraightintoyoursoul,anddissectedeverylieathwartallassertionsandallreticences。Andthushewentalong,fullofthatdebonairmajestythatisgivenbytheconsciousnessofgreattalent,offortune,andoffortyyearsofalabouriousandirreproachablelife。
  HefrownedassoonashehadpassedthedoorwhenhesawthecadaverousfaceofEmmastretchedoutonherbackwithhermouthopen。Then,whileapparentlylisteningtoCanivet,herubbedhisfingersupanddownbeneathhisnostrils,andrepeated——
  “Good!good!
  Buthemadeaslowgesturewithhisshoulders。Bovarywatchedhim;theylookedatoneanother;andthisman,accustomedashewastothesightofpain,couldnotkeepbackatearthatfellonhisshirt-frill。
  HetriedtotakeCanivetintothenextroom。Charlesfollowedhim。
  “Sheisveryill,isn’tshe?Ifweputonsinapisms?Anything!
  Oh,thinkofsomething,youwhohavesavedsomany!“
  Charlescaughthiminbothhisarms,andgazedathimwildly,imploringly,half-faintingagainsthisbreast。
  “Come,mypoorfellow,courage!Thereisnothingmoretobedone。“
  AndDoctorLariviereturnedaway。
  “Youaregoing?“
  “Iwillcomeback。“
  Hewentoutonlytogiveanordertothecoachman,withMonsieurCanivet,whodidnotcareeithertohaveEmmadieunderhishands。
  ThechemistrejoinedthemonthePlace。Hecouldnotbytemperamentkeepawayfromcelebrities,sohebeggedMonsieurLarivieretodohimthesignalhonourofacceptingsomebreakfast。
  Hesentquicklytothe“Liond’Or“forsomepigeons;tothebutcher’sforallthecutletsthatweretobehad;toTuvacheforcream;andtoLestiboudoisforeggs;andthedruggisthimselfaidedinthepreparations,whileMadameHomaiswassayingasshepulledtogetherthestringsofherjacket——
  “Youmustexcuseus,sir,forinthispoorplace,whenonehasn’tbeentoldthenightbefore——“
  “Wineglasses!“whisperedHomais。
  “Ifonlywewereintown,wecouldfallbackuponstuffedtrotters。“
  “Bequiet!Sitdown,doctor!“
  Hethoughtfit,afterthefirstfewmouthfuls,togivesomedetailsastothecatastrophe。
  “Wefirsthadafeelingofsiccityinthepharynx,thenintolerablepainsattheepigastrium,superpurgation,coma。“
  “Buthowdidshepoisonherself?“
  “Idon’tknow,doctor,andIdon’tevenknowwhereshecanhaveprocuredthearseniousacid。“
  Justin,whowasjustbringinginapileofplates,begantotremble。
  “What’sthematter?“saidthechemist。
  Atthisquestiontheyoungmandroppedthewholelotonthegroundwithacrash。
  “Imbecile!“criedHomais。“awkwardlout!block-head!confoundedass!“
  Butsuddenlycontrollinghimself——
  “Iwished,doctor,tomakeananalysis,andprimoIdelicatelyintroducedatube——“
  “Youwouldhavedonebetter,“saidthephysician,“tointroduceyourfingersintoherthroat。“
  Hiscolleaguewassilent,havingjustbeforeprivatelyreceivedaseverelectureabouthisemetic,sothatthisgoodCanivet,soarrogantandsoverboseatthetimeoftheclubfoot,wasto-dayverymodest。Hesmiledwithoutceasinginanapprovingmanner。
  HomaisdilatedinAmphytrionicpride,andtheaffectingthoughtofBovaryvaguelycontributedtohispleasurebyakindofegotisticreflexuponhimself。Thenthepresenceofthedoctortransportedhim。Hedisplayedhiserudition,citedpell-mellcantharides,upas,themanchineel,vipers。
  “Ihaveevenreadthatvariouspersonshavefoundthemselvesundertoxicologicalsymptoms,and,asitwere,thunderstrickenbyblack-puddingthathadbeensubjectedtoatoovehementfumigation。Atleast,thiswasstatedinaveryfinereportdrawnupbyoneofourpharmaceuticalchiefs,oneofourmasters,theillustriousCadetdeGassicourt!“
  MadameHomaisreappeared,carryingoneofthoseshakymachinesthatareheatedwithspiritsofwine;forHomaislikedtomakehiscoffeeattable,having,moreover,torrefiedit,pulverisedit,andmixedithimself。
  “Saccharum,doctor?“saidhe,offeringthesugar。
  Thenhehadallhischildrenbroughtdown,anxioustohavethephysician’sopinionontheirconstitutions。
  AtlastMonsieurLarivierewasabouttoleave,whenMadameHomaisaskedforaconsultationaboutherhusband。Hewasmakinghisbloodtoothickbygoingtosleepeveryeveningafterdinner。
  “Oh,itisn’thisbloodthat’stoothick,“saidthephysician。
  And,smilingalittleathisunnoticedjoke,thedoctoropenedthedoor。Butthechemist’sshopwasfullofpeople;hehadthegreatestdifficultyingettingridofMonsieurTuvache,whofearedhisspousewouldgetinflammationofthelungs,becauseshewasinthehabitofspittingontheashes;thenofMonsieurBinet,whosometimesexperiencedsuddenattacksofgreathunger;
  andofMadameCaron,whosufferedfromtinglings;ofLheureux,whohadvertigo;ofLestiboudois,whohadrheumatism;andofMadameLefrancois,whohadheartburn。Atlastthethreehorsesstarted;anditwasthegeneralopinionthathehadnotshownhimselfatallobliging。
  PublicattentionwasdistractedbytheappearanceofMonsieurBournisien,whowasgoingacrossthemarketwiththeholyoil。
  Homais,aswasduetohisprinciples,comparedprieststoravensattractedbytheodourofdeath。Thesightofanecclesiasticwaspersonallydisagreeabletohim,forthecassockmadehimthinkoftheshroud,andhedetestedtheonefromsomefearoftheother。
  Nevertheless,notshrinkingfromwhathecalledhismission,hereturnedtoBovary’sincompanywithCanivetwhomMonsieurLariviere,beforeleaving,hadstronglyurgedtomakethisvisit;