madame bovary(包法利夫人)-第58章

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back　some　playthings。　Berthe　spoke　of　her　again　several　times；
then　at　last　thought　no　more　of　her。　The　child's　gaiety　broke
Bovary's　heart；　and　he　had　to　bear　besides　the　intolerable
consolations　of　the　chemist。
Money　troubles　soon　began　again；　Monsieur　Lheureux　urging　on　anew
his　friend　Vincart；　and　Charles　pledged　himself　for　exorbitant
sums；　for　he　would　never　consent　to　let　the　smallest　of　the
things　that　had　belonged　to　HER　be　sold。　His　mother　was
exasperated　with　him；　he　grew　even　more　angry　than　she　did。　He
had　altogether　changed。　She　left　the　house。
Then　everyone　began　〃taking　advantage〃　of　him。　Mademoiselle
Lempereur　presented　a　bill　for　six　months'　teaching；　although
Emma　had　never　taken　a　lesson　（despite　the　receipted　bill　she　had
shown　Bovary）；　it　was　an　arrangement　between　the　two　women。　The
man　at　the　circulating　library　demanded　three　years'
subscriptions；　Mere　Rollet　claimed　the　postage　due　for　some
twenty　letters；　and　when　Charles　asked　for　an　explanation；　she
had　the　delicacy　to　reply
〃Oh；　I　don't　know。　It　was　for　her　business　affairs。〃
With　every　debt　he　paid　Charles　thought　he　had　come　to　the　end　of
them。　But　others　followed　ceaselessly。　He　sent　in　accounts　for
professional　attendance。　He　was　shown　the　letters　his　wife　had
written。　Then　he　had　to　apologise。
Felicite　now　wore　Madame　Bovary's　gowns；　not　all；　for　he　had　kept
some　of　them；　and　he　went　to　look　at　them　in　her　dressing…room；
locking　himself　up　there；　she　was　about　her　height；　and　often
Charles；　seeing　her　from　behind；　was　seized　with　an　illusion；　and
cried　out
〃Oh；　stay；　stay！〃
But　at　Whitsuntide　she　ran　away　from　Yonville；　carried　off　by
Theodore；　stealing　all　that　was　left　of　the　wardrobe。
It　was　about　this　time　that　the　widow　Dupuis　had　the　honour　to
inform　him　of　the　〃marriage　of　Monsieur　Leon　Dupuis　her　son；
notary　at　Yvetot；　to　Mademoiselle　Leocadie　Leboeuf　of
Bondeville。〃　Charles；　among　the　other　congratulations　he　sent
him；　wrote　this　sentence
〃How　glad　my　poor　wife　would　have　been！〃
One　day　when；　wandering　aimlessly　about　the　house；　he　had　gone　up
to　the　attic；　he　felt　a　pellet　of　fine　paper　under　his　slipper。
He　opened　it　and　read：　〃Courage；　Emma；　courage。　I　would　not　bring
misery　into　your　life。〃　It　was　Rodolphe's　letter；　fallen　to　the
ground　between　the　boxes；　where　it　had　remained；　and　that　the
wind　from　the　dormer　window　had　just　blown　towards　the　door。　And
Charles　stood；　motionless　and　staring；　in　the　very　same　place
where；　long　ago；　Emma；　in　despair；　and　paler　even　than　he；　had
thought　of　dying。　At　last　he　discovered　a　small　R　at　the　bottom
of　the　second　page。　What　did　this　mean？　He　remembered　Rodolphe's
attentions；　his　sudden；　disappearance；　his　constrained　air　when
they　had　met　two　or　three　times　since。　But　the　respectful　tone　of
the　letter　deceived　him。
〃Perhaps　they　loved　one　another　platonically；〃　he　said　to
himself。
Besides；　Charles　was　not　of　those　who　go　to　the　bottom　of　things；
he　shrank　from　the　proofs；　and　his　vague　jealousy　was　lost　in　the
immensity　of　his　woe。
Everyone；　he　thought；　must　have　adored　her；　all　men　assuredly
must　have　coveted　her。　She　seemed　but　the　more　beautiful　to　him
for　this；　he　was　seized　with　a　lasting；　furious　desire　for　her；
that　inflamed　his　despair；　and　that　was　boundless；　because　it　was
now　unrealisable。
To　please　her；　as　if　she　were　still　living；　he　adopted　her
predilections；　her　ideas；　he　bought　patent　leather　boots　and　took
to　wearing　white　cravats。　He　put　cosmetics　on　his　moustache；　and；
like　her；　signed　notes　of　hand。　She　corrupted　him　from　beyond　the
grave。
He　was　obliged　to　sell　his　silver　piece　by　piece；　next　he　sold
the　drawing…room　furniture。　All　the　rooms　were　stripped；　but　the
bedroom；　her　own　room；　remained　as　before。　After　his　dinner
Charles　went　up　there。　He　pushed　the　round　table　in　front　of　the
fire；　and　drew　up　her　armchair。　He　sat　down　opposite　it。　A　candle
burnt　in　one　of　the　gilt　candlesticks。　Berthe　by　his　side　was
painting　prints。
He　suffered；　poor　man；　at　seeing　her　so　badly　dressed；　with
laceless　boots；　and　the　arm…holes　of　her　pinafore　torn　down　to
the　hips；　for　the　charwoman　took　no　care　of　her。　But　she　was　so
sweet；　so　pretty；　and　her　little　head　bent　forward　so　gracefully；
letting　the　dear　fair　hair　fall　over　her　rosy　cheeks；　that　an
infinite　joy　came　upon　him；　a　happiness　mingled　with　bitterness；
like　those　ill…made　wines　that　taste　of　resin。　He　mended　her
toys；　made　her　puppets　from　cardboard；　or　sewed　up　half…torn
dolls。　Then；　if　his　eyes　fell　upon　the　workbox；　a　ribbon　lying
about；　or　even　a　pin　left　in　a　crack　of　the　table；　he　began　to
dream；　and　looked　so　sad　that　she　became　as　sad　as　he。
No　one　now　came　to　see　them；　for　Justin　had　run　away　to　Rouen；
where　he　was　a　grocer's　assistant；　and　the　druggist's　children
saw　less　and　less　of　the　child；　Monsieur　Homais　not　caring；
seeing　the　difference　of　their　social　position；　to　continue　the
intimacy。
The　blind　man；　whom　he　had　not　been　able　to　cure　with　the　pomade；
had　gone　back　to　the　hill　of　Bois…Guillaume；　where　he　told　the
travellers　of　the　vain　attempt　of　the　druggist；　to　such　an
extent；　that　Homais　when　he　went　to　town　hid　himself　behind　the
curtains　of　the　〃Hirondelle〃　to　avoid　meeting　him。　He　detested
him；　and　wishing；　in　the　interests　of　his　own　reputation；　to　get
rid　of　him　at　all　costs；　he　directed　against　him　a　secret
battery；　that　betrayed　the　depth　of　his　intellect　and　the
baseness　of　his　vanity。　Thus；　for　six　consecutive　months；　one
could　read　in　the　〃Fanal　de　Rouen〃　editorials　such　as　these
〃All　who　bend　their　steps　towards　the　fertile　plains　of　Picardy
have；　no　doubt；　remarked；　by　the　Bois…Guillaume　hill；　a　wretch
suffering　from　a　horrible　facial　wound。　He　importunes；　persecutes
one；　and　levies　a　regular　tax　on　all　travellers。　Are　we　still
living　in　the　monstrous　times　of　the　Middle　Ages；　when　vagabonds
were　permitted　to　display　in　our　public　places　leprosy　and
scrofulas　they　had　brought　back　from　the　Crusades？〃
Or
〃In　spite　of　the　laws　against　vagabondage；　the　approaches　to　our
great　towns　continue　to　be　infected　by　bands　of　beggars。　Some　are
seen　going　about　alone；　and　these　are　not；　perhaps；　the　least
dangerous。　What　are　our　ediles　about？〃
Then　Homais　invented　anecdotes
〃Yesterday；　by　the　Bois…Guillaume　hill；　a　skittish　horse〃　And
then　followed　the　story　of　an　accident　caused　by　the　presence　of
the　blind　man。
He　managed　so　well　that　the　fellow　was　locked　up。　But　he　was
released。　He　began　again；　and　Homais　began　again。　It　was　a
struggle。　Homais　won　it；　for　his　foe　was　condemned　to　life…long
confinement　in　an　asylum。
This　success　emboldened　him；　and　henceforth　there　was　no　longer　a
dog　run　over；　a　barn　burnt　down；　a　woman　beaten　in　the　parish；　of
which　he　did　not　immediately　inform　the　public；　guided　always　by
the　love　of　progress　and　the　hate　of　priests。　He　instituted
comparisons　between　the　elementary　and　clerical　schools　to　the
detriment　of　the　latter；　called　to　mind　the　massacre　of　St。
Bartholomew　a　propos　of　a　grant　of　one　hundred　francs　to　the
church；　and　denounced　abuses；　aired　new　views。　That　was　his
phrase。　Homais　was　digging　and　delving；　he　was　becoming
dangerous。
However；　he　was　stifling　in　the　narrow　limits　of　journalism；　and
soon　a　book；　a　work　was　necessary　to　him。　Then　he　composed
〃General　Statistics　of　the　Canton　of　Yonville；　followed　by
Climatological　Remarks。〃　The　statistics　drove　him　to　philosophy。
He　busied　himself　with　great　questions：　the　social　problem：
moralisation　of　the　poorer　classes；　pisciculture；　caoutchouc；
railways；　etc。　He　even　began　to　blush　at　being　a　bourgeois。　He
affected　the　artistic　style；　he　smoked。　He　bought　two　chic
Pompadour　statuettes　to　adorn　his　drawing…room。
He　by　no　means　gave　up　his　shop。　On　the　contrary；　he　kept　well
abreast　of　new　discoveries。　He　followed　the　great　movement　of
chocolates；　he　was　the　first　to　introduce　〃cocoa〃　and　〃revalenta〃
into　the　Seine…Inferieure。　He　was　enthusiastic　about　the
hydro…electric　Pulvermacher　chains；　he　wore　one　himself；　and　when
at　night　he　took　off　his　flannel　vest；　Madame　Homais　stood　quite
dazzled　before　the　golden　spiral　beneath　which　he　was　hidden；
and　felt　her　ardour　redouble　for　this　man　more　bandaged　than　a
Scythian；　and　splendid　as　one　of　the　Magi。
He　had　fine　ideas　about　Emma's　tomb。　First　he　proposed　a　broken
column　with　some　drapery；　next　a　pyramid；　then　a　Temple　of　Vesta；
a　sort　of　rotunda；　or　else　a　〃mass　of　ruins。〃　And　in　all　his
plans　Homais　always　stuck　to　the　weeping　willow；　which　he　looked
upon　as　the　indispensable　symbol　of　sorrow。
Charles　and　he　made　a　journey　to　Rouen　together　to　look　at　some
tombs　at　a　funeral　furnisher's；　accompanied　by　an　artist；　one
Vaufrylard；　a　friend　of　Bridoux's；　who　made　puns　all　the　time。　At
last；　after　having　examined　some　hundred　designs；　having　ordered
an　estimate　and　made　another　journey　to　Rouen；　Charles　decided　in
favour　of　a　mausoleum；　which　on　the　two　principal　sides　was　to
have　a　〃spirit　bearing　an　extinguished　torch。〃
As　to　the　inscription；　Homais　could　think　of　nothing　so　fine　as
Sta　viator*；　and　he　got　no　further；　he　racked　his　brain；　he
constantly　repeated　Sta　viator。　At　last　he　hit　upon　Amabilen
conjugem　calcas**；　which　was　adopted。
*　Rest　traveler。
**　Tread　upon　a　loving　wife。

A　strange　thing　was　that　Bovary；　while　continually　thinking　of
Emma；　was　forgetting　her。　He　grew　desperate　as　he　felt　this　image
fading　from　his　memory　in　spite　of　all　efforts　to　retain　it。　Yet
every　night　he　dreamt　of　her；　it　was　always　the　same　dream。　He
drew　near　her；　but　when　he　was　about　to　clasp　her　she　fell　into
decay　in　his　arms。
For　a　week　he　was　seen　going　to　church　in　the　evening。　Monsieur
Bournisien　even　paid　him　two　or　three　visits；　then　gave　him　up。
Moreover；　the　old　fellow　was　growing　intolerant；　fanatic；　said
Homais。　He　thundered　against　the　spirit　of　the　age；　and　never
failed；　every　other　week；　in　his　sermon；　to　recount　the　death
agony　of　Voltaire；　who　died　devouring　his　excrements；　as　everyone
knows。
In　spite　of　the　economy　with　which　Bovary　lived；　he　was　far　from
being　able　to　pay　off　his　old　debts。　Lheureux　refused　to　renew
any　more　bills。　A　distraint　became　imminent。　Then　he　appealed　to
his　mother；　who　consented　to　let　him　take　a　mortgage　on　her
property；　but　with　a　great　many　recriminations　against　Emma；　and
in　return　for　her　sacrifice　she　asked　for　a　shawl　that　had
escaped　the　depredations　of　Felicite。　Charles　refused　to　give　it
her；　they　quarrelled。
She　made　the　first　overtures　of　reconciliation　by　offering　to
have　the　little　girl；　who　could　help　her　in　the　house；　to　live
with　her。　Charles　consented　to　this；　but　when　the　time　for
parting　came；　all　his　courage　failed　him。　Then　there　was　a　final；
complete　rupture。
As　his　affections　vanished；　he　clung　more　closely　to　the　love　of
his　child。　She　made　him　anxious；　however；　for　she　coughed
sometimes；　and　had　red　spots　on　her　cheeks。
Opposite　his　house；　flourishing　and　merry；　was　the　family　of　the
chemist；　with　whom　everything　was　prospering。　Napoleon　helped　him
in　the　laboratory；　Athalie　embroidered　him　a　skullcap；　Irma　cut
out　rounds　of　paper　to　cover　the　preserves；　and　Franklin　recited
Pythagoras'　table　in　a　breath。　He　was　the　happiest