首页 >出版文学> Madame Bovary>第67章

第67章

  “Yesterday,bytheBois-Guillaumehill,askittishhorse——“Andthenfollowedthestoryofanaccidentcausedbythepresenceoftheblindman。
  Hemanagedsowellthatthefellowwaslockedup。Buthewasreleased。Hebeganagain,andHomaisbeganagain。Itwasastruggle。Homaiswonit,forhisfoewascondemnedtolife-longconfinementinanasylum。
  Thissuccessemboldenedhim,andhenceforththerewasnolongeradogrunover,abarnburntdown,awomanbeatenintheparish,ofwhichhedidnotimmediatelyinformthepublic,guidedalwaysbytheloveofprogressandthehateofpriests。Heinstitutedcomparisonsbetweentheelementaryandclericalschoolstothedetrimentofthelatter;calledtomindthemassacreofSt。
  Bartholomewaproposofagrantofonehundredfrancstothechurch,anddenouncedabuses,airednewviews。Thatwashisphrase。Homaiswasdigginganddelving;hewasbecomingdangerous。
  However,hewasstiflinginthenarrowlimitsofjournalism,andsoonabook,aworkwasnecessarytohim。Thenhecomposed“GeneralStatisticsoftheCantonofYonville,followedbyClimatologicalRemarks。“Thestatisticsdrovehimtophilosophy。
  Hebusiedhimselfwithgreatquestions:thesocialproblem:
  moralisationofthepoorerclasses,pisciculture,caoutchouc,railways,etc。Heevenbegantoblushatbeingabourgeois。Heaffectedtheartisticstyle,hesmoked。HeboughttwochicPompadourstatuettestoadornhisdrawing-room。
  Hebynomeansgaveuphisshop。Onthecontrary,hekeptwellabreastofnewdiscoveries。Hefollowedthegreatmovementofchocolates;hewasthefirsttointroduce“cocoa“and“revalenta“
  intotheSeine-Inferieure。Hewasenthusiasticaboutthehydro-electricPulvermacherchains;heworeonehimself,andwhenatnighthetookoffhisflannelvest,MadameHomaisstoodquitedazzledbeforethegoldenspiralbeneathwhichhewashidden,andfeltherardourredoubleforthismanmorebandagedthanaScythian,andsplendidasoneoftheMagi。
  HehadfineideasaboutEmma’stomb。Firstheproposedabrokencolumnwithsomedrapery,nextapyramid,thenaTempleofVesta,asortofrotunda,orelsea“massofruins。“AndinallhisplansHomaisalwaysstucktotheweepingwillow,whichhelookeduponastheindispensablesymbolofsorrow。
  CharlesandhemadeajourneytoRouentogethertolookatsometombsatafuneralfurnisher’s,accompaniedbyanartist,oneVaufrylard,afriendofBridoux’s,whomadepunsallthetime。Atlast,afterhavingexaminedsomehundreddesigns,havingorderedanestimateandmadeanotherjourneytoRouen,Charlesdecidedinfavourofamausoleum,whichonthetwoprincipalsideswastohavea“spiritbearinganextinguishedtorch。“
  Astotheinscription,HomaiscouldthinkofnothingsofineasStaviator*,andhegotnofurther;herackedhisbrain,heconstantlyrepeatedStaviator。AtlasthehituponAmabilenconjugemcalcas**,whichwasadopted。
  *Resttraveler。
  **Treaduponalovingwife。
  AstrangethingwasthatBovary,whilecontinuallythinkingofEmma,wasforgettingher。Hegrewdesperateashefeltthisimagefadingfromhismemoryinspiteofalleffortstoretainit。Yeteverynighthedreamtofher;itwasalwaysthesamedream。Hedrewnearher,butwhenhewasabouttoclasphershefellintodecayinhisarms。
  Foraweekhewasseengoingtochurchintheevening。MonsieurBournisienevenpaidhimtwoorthreevisits,thengavehimup。
  Moreover,theoldfellowwasgrowingintolerant,fanatic,saidHomais。Hethunderedagainstthespiritoftheage,andneverfailed,everyotherweek,inhissermon,torecountthedeathagonyofVoltaire,whodieddevouringhisexcrements,aseveryoneknows。
  InspiteoftheeconomywithwhichBovarylived,hewasfarfrombeingabletopayoffhisolddebts。Lheureuxrefusedtorenewanymorebills。Adistraintbecameimminent。Thenheappealedtohismother,whoconsentedtolethimtakeamortgageonherproperty,butwithagreatmanyrecriminationsagainstEmma;andinreturnforhersacrificesheaskedforashawlthathadescapedthedepredationsofFelicite。Charlesrefusedtogiveither;theyquarrelled。
  Shemadethefirstoverturesofreconciliationbyofferingtohavethelittlegirl,whocouldhelpherinthehouse,tolivewithher。Charlesconsentedtothis,butwhenthetimeforpartingcame,allhiscouragefailedhim。Thentherewasafinal,completerupture。
  Ashisaffectionsvanished,heclungmorecloselytotheloveofhischild。Shemadehimanxious,however,forshecoughedsometimes,andhadredspotsonhercheeks。
  Oppositehishouse,flourishingandmerry,wasthefamilyofthechemist,withwhomeverythingwasprospering。Napoleonhelpedhiminthelaboratory,Athalieembroideredhimaskullcap,Irmacutoutroundsofpapertocoverthepreserves,andFranklinrecitedPythagoras’tableinabreath。Hewasthehappiestoffathers,themostfortunateofmen。
  Notso!Asecretambitiondevouredhim。HomaishankeredafterthecrossoftheLegionofHonour。Hehadplentyofclaimstoit。
  “First,havingatthetimeofthecholeradistinguishedmyselfbyaboundlessdevotion;second,byhavingpublished,atmyexpense,variousworksofpublicutility,suchas“andherecalledhispamphletentitled,“Cider,itsmanufactureandeffects,“besidesobservationonthelanigerousplant-louse,senttotheAcademy;
  hisvolumeofstatistics,anddowntohispharmaceuticalthesis;
  “withoutcountingthatIamamemberofseverallearnedsocieties“hewasmemberofasingleone。
  “Inshort!“hecried,makingapirouette,“ifitwereonlyfordistinguishingmyselfatfires!“
  ThenHomaisinclinedtowardstheGovernment。Hesecretlydidtheprefectgreatserviceduringtheelections。Hesoldhimself——inaword,prostitutedhimself。Heevenaddressedapetitiontothesovereigninwhichheimploredhimto“dohimjustice“;hecalledhim“ourgoodking,“andcomparedhimtoHenriIV。
  Andeverymorningthedruggistrushedforthepapertoseeifhisnominationwereinit。Itwasneverthere。Atlast,unabletobearitanylonger,hehadagrassplotinhisgardendesignedtorepresenttheStaroftheCrossofHonourwithtwolittlestripsofgrassrunningfromthetoptoimitatetheribband。Hewalkedrounditwithfoldedarms,meditatingonthefollyoftheGovernmentandtheingratitudeofmen。
  >Fromrespect,orfromasortofsensualitythatmadehimcarryonhisinvestigationsslowly,CharleshadnotyetopenedthesecretdrawerofarosewooddeskwhichEmmahadgenerallyused。Oneday,however,hesatdownbeforeit,turnedthekey,andpressedthespring。AllLeon’sletterswerethere。Therecouldbenodoubtthistime。Hedevouredthemtotheverylast,ransackedeverycorner,allthefurniture,allthedrawers,behindthewalls,sobbing,cryingaloud,distraught,mad。Hefoundaboxandbrokeitopenwithakick。Rodolphe’sportraitflewfullinhisfaceinthemidstoftheoverturnedlove-letters。
  Peoplewonderedathisdespondency。Heneverwentout,sawnoone,refusedeventovisithispatients。Thentheysaid“heshuthimselfuptodrink。“
  Sometimes,however,somecuriouspersonclimbedontothegardenhedge,andsawwithamazementthislong-bearded,shabbilyclothed,wildman,whoweptaloudashewalkedupanddown。
  Intheeveninginsummerhetookhislittlegirlwithhimandledhertothecemetery。Theycamebackatnightfall,whentheonlylightleftinthePlacewasthatinBinet’swindow。
  Thevoluptuousnessofhisgriefwas,however,incomplete,forhehadnoonenearhimtoshareit,andhepaidvisitstoMadameLefrancoistobeabletospeakofher。
  Butthelandladyonlylistenedwithhalfanear,havingtroubleslikehimself。ForLheureuxhadatlastestablishedthe“FavoritesduCommerce,“andHivert,whoenjoyedagreatreputationfordoingerrands,insistedonariseofwages,andwasthreateningtogoover“totheoppositionshop。“
  OnedaywhenhehadgonetothemarketatArgueiltosellhishorse——hislastresource——hemetRodolphe。
  Theybothturnedpalewhentheycaughtsightofoneanother。
  Rodolphe,whohadonlysenthiscard,firststammeredsomeapologies,thengrewbolder,andevenpushedhisassuranceitwasinthemonthofAugustandveryhottothelengthofinvitinghimtohaveabottleofbeeratthepublic-house。
  Leaningonthetableoppositehim,hechewedhiscigarashetalked,andCharleswaslostinreverieatthisfacethatshehadloved。Heseemedtoseeagainsomethingofherinit。Itwasamarveltohim。Hewouldhavelikedtohavebeenthisman。
  Theotherwentontalkingagriculture,cattle,pasturage,fillingoutwithbanalphrasesallthegapswhereanallusionmightslipin。Charleswasnotlisteningtohim;Rodolphenoticedit,andhefollowedthesuccessionofmemoriesthatcrossedhisface。Thisgraduallygrewredder;thenostrilsthrobbedfast,thelipsquivered。TherewasatlastamomentwhenCharles,fullofasombrefury,fixedhiseyesonRodolphe,who,insomethingoffear,stoppedtalking。Butsoonthesamelookofwearylassitudecamebacktohisface。
  “Idon’tblameyou,“hesaid。
  Rodolphewasdumb。AndCharles,hisheadinhishands,wentoninabrokenvoice,andwiththeresignedaccentofinfinitesorrow——
  “No,Idon’tblameyounow。“
  Heevenaddedafinephrase,theonlyoneheevermade——
  “Itisthefaultoffatality!“
  Rodolphe,whohadmanagedthefatality,thoughttheremarkveryoffhandfromamaninhisposition,comiceven,andalittlemean。
  ThenextdayCharleswenttositdownontheseatinthearbour。
  Raysoflightwerestrayingthroughthetrellis,thevineleavesthrewtheirshadowsonthesand,thejasminesperfumedtheair,theheavenswereblue,Spanishfliesbuzzedroundtheliliesinbloom,andCharleswassuffocatinglikeayouthbeneaththevagueloveinfluencesthatfilledhisachingheart。
  Atseveno’clocklittleBerthe,whohadnotseenhimalltheafternoon,wenttofetchhimtodinner。
  Hisheadwasthrownbackagainstthewall,hiseyesclosed,hismouthopen,andinhishandwasalongtressofblackhair。
  “Comealong,papa,“shesaid。
  Andthinkinghewantedtoplay;shepushedhimgently。Hefelltotheground。Hewasdead。
  Thirty-sixhoursafter,atthedruggist’srequest,MonsieurCanivetcamethither。Hemadeapost-mortemandfoundnothing。
  Wheneverythinghadbeensold,twelvefrancsseventy-fivecentimesremained,thatservedtopayforMademoiselleBovary’sgoingtohergrandmother。Thegoodwomandiedthesameyear;oldRouaultwasparalysed,anditwasanauntwhotookchargeofher。
  Sheispoor,andsendshertoacotton-factorytoearnaliving。
  SinceBovary’sdeaththreedoctorshavefollowedoneanotheratYonvillewithoutanysuccess,soseverelydidHomaisattackthem。
  Hehasanenormouspractice;theauthoritiestreathimwithconsideration,andpublicopinionprotectshim。
  HehasjustreceivedthecrossoftheLegionofHonour。
  End