WhenMadameBovarywasinthekitchenshewentuptothechimney。
　　Withthetipsofherfingersshecaughtherdressattheknee，andhavingthuspulledituptoherankle，heldoutherfootinitsblackboottothefireabovetherevolvinglegofmutton。Theflamelitupthewholeofher，penetratingwithacrudelightthewoofofhergowns，thefineporesofherfairskin，andevenhereyelids，whichsheblinkednowandagain。Agreatredglowpassedoverherwiththeblowingofthewindthroughthehalf-opendoor。
　　Ontheothersideofthechimneyayoungmanwithfairhairwatchedhersilently。
　　AshewasagooddealboredatYonville，wherehewasaclerkatthenotary’s，MonsieurGuillaumin，MonsieurLeonDupuisitwashewhowasthesecondhabitueofthe“Liond’Or“frequentlyputbackhisdinner-hourinhopethatsometravelermightcometotheinn，withwhomhecouldchatintheevening。Onthedayswhenhisworkwasdoneearly，hehad，forwantofsomethingelsetodo，tocomepunctually，andendurefromsouptocheeseatete-a-tetewithBinet。Itwasthereforewithdelightthatheacceptedthelandlady’ssuggestionthatheshoulddineincompanywiththenewcomers，andtheypassedintothelargeparlourwhereMadameLefrancois，forthepurposeofshowingoff，hadhadthetablelaidforfour。
　　Homaisaskedtobeallowedtokeeponhisskull-cap，forfearofcoryza；then，turningtohisneighbour——
　　“Madameisnodoubtalittlefatigued；onegetsjoltedsoabominablyinour’Hirondelle。’“
　　“Thatistrue，“repliedEmma；“butmovingaboutalwaysamusesme。
　　Ilikechangeofplace。“
　　“Itissotedious，“sighedtheclerk，“tobealwaysrivetedtothesameplaces。“
　　“Ifyouwerelikeme，“saidCharles，“constantlyobligedtobeinthesaddle“——
　　“But，“Leonwenton，addressinghimselftoMadameBovary，“nothing，itseemstome，ismorepleasant——whenonecan，“headded。
　　“Moreover，“saidthedruggist，“thepracticeofmedicineisnotveryhardworkinourpartoftheworld，forthestateofourroadsallowsustheuseofgigs，andgenerally，asthefarmersareprosperous，theypayprettywell。Wehave，medicallyspeaking，besidestheordinarycasesofenteritis，bronchitis，biliousaffections，etc。，nowandthenafewintermittentfeversatharvest-time；butonthewhole，littleofaseriousnature，nothingspecialtonote，unlessitbeagreatdealofscrofula，due，nodoubt，tothedeplorablehygienicconditionsofourpeasantdwellings。Ah!youwillfindmanyprejudicestocombat，MonsieurBovary，muchobstinacyofroutine，withwhichalltheeffortsofyoursciencewilldailycomeintocollision；forpeoplestillhaverecoursetonovenas，torelics，tothepriest，ratherthancomestraighttothedoctorofthechemist。Theclimate，however，isnot，truthtotell，bad，andweevenhaveafewnonagenariansinourparish。ThethermometerIhavemadesomeobservationsfallsinwinterto4degreesCentigradeattheoutside，whichgivesus24degreesReaumurasthemaximum，orotherwise54degreesFahrenheitEnglishscale，notmore。And，asamatteroffact，weareshelteredfromthenorthwindsbytheforestofArgueilontheoneside，fromthewestwindsbytheSt。
　　Jeanrangeontheother；andthisheat，moreover，which，onaccountoftheaqueousvapoursgivenoffbytheriverandtheconsiderablenumberofcattleinthefields，which，asyouknow，exhalemuchammonia，thatistosay，nitrogen，hydrogenandoxygenno，nitrogenandhydrogenalone，andwhichsuckingupintoitselfthehumusfromtheground，mixingtogetherallthosedifferentemanations，unitesthemintoastack，sotosay，andcombiningwiththeelectricitydiffusedthroughtheatmosphere，whenthereisany，mightinthelongrun，asintropicalcountries，engenderinsalubriousmiasmata——thisheat，Isay，findsitselfperfectlytemperedonthesidewhenceitcomes，orratherwhenceitshouldcome——thatistosay，thesouthernside——
　　bythesouth-easternwinds，which，havingcooledthemselvespassingovertheSeine，reachussometimesallatoncelikebreezesfromRussia。“
　　“Atanyrate，youhavesomewalksintheneighbourhood？“
　　continuedMadameBovary，speakingtotheyoungman。
　　“Oh，veryfew，“heanswered。“ThereisaplacetheycallLaPature，onthetopofthehill，ontheedgeoftheforest。
　　Sometimes，onSundays，Igoandstaytherewithabook，watchingthesunset。“
　　“Ithinkthereisnothingsoadmirableassunsets，“sheresumed；
　　“butespeciallybythesideofthesea。“
　　“Oh，Iadorethesea!“saidMonsieurLeon。
　　“Andthen，doesitnotseemtoyou，“continuedMadameBovary，“thatthemindtravelsmorefreelyonthislimitlessexpanse，thecontemplationofwhichelevatesthesoul，givesideasoftheinfinite，theideal？“
　　“Itisthesamewithmountainouslandscapes，“continuedLeon。“A
　　cousinofminewhotravelledinSwitzerlandlastyeartoldmethatonecouldnotpicturetooneselfthepoetryofthelakes，thecharmofthewaterfalls，thegiganticeffectoftheglaciers。
　　Oneseespinesofincrediblesizeacrosstorrents，cottagessuspendedoverprecipices，and，athousandfeetbelowone，wholevalleyswhenthecloudsopen。Suchspectaclesmuststirtoenthusiasm，inclinetoprayer，toecstasy；andInolongermarvelatthatcelebratedmusicianwho，thebettertoinspirehisimagination，wasinthehabitofplayingthepianobeforesomeimposingsite。“
　　“Youplay？“sheasked。
　　“No，butIamveryfondofmusic，“hereplied。
　　“Ah!don’tyoulistentohim，MadameBovary，“interruptedHomais，bendingoverhisplate。“That’ssheermodesty。Why，mydearfellow，theotherdayinyourroomyouweresinging’L’AngeGardien’ravishingly。Iheardyoufromthelaboratory。Yougaveitlikeanactor。“
　　Leon，infact，lodgedatthechemist’swherehehadasmallroomonthesecondfloor，overlookingthePlace。Heblushedatthecomplimentofhislandlord，whohadalreadyturnedtothedoctor，andwasenumeratingtohim，oneaftertheother，alltheprincipalinhabitantsofYonville。Hewastellinganecdotes，givinginformation；thefortuneofthenotarywasnotknownexactly，and“therewastheTuvachehousehold，“whomadeagooddealofshow。
　　Emmacontinued，“Andwhatmusicdoyouprefer？“
　　“Oh，Germanmusic；thatwhichmakesyoudream。“
　　“Haveyoubeentotheopera？“
　　“Notyet；butIshallgonextyear，whenIamlivingatParistofinishreadingforthebar。“
　　“AsIhadthehonourofputtingittoyourhusband，“saidthechemist，“withregardtothispoorYanodawhohasrunaway，youwillfindyourself，thankstohisextravagance，inthepossessionofoneofthemostcomfortablehousesofYonville。ItsgreatestconvenienceforadoctorisadoorgivingontheWalk，whereonecangoinandoutunseen。Moreover，itcontainseverythingthatisagreeableinahousehold——alaundry，kitchenwithoffices，sitting-room，fruit-room，andsoon。Hewasagaydog，whodidn’tcarewhathespent。Attheendofthegarden，bythesideofthewater，hehadanarbourbuiltjustforthepurposeofdrinkingbeerinsummer；andifmadameisfondofgardeningshewillbeable——“
　　“Mywifedoesn’tcareaboutit，“saidCharles；“althoughshehasbeenadvisedtotakeexercise，sheprefersalwayssittinginherroomreading。“
　　“Likeme，“repliedLeon。“Andindeed，whatisbetterthantositbyone’sfiresideintheeveningwithabook，whilethewindbeatsagainstthewindowandthelampisburning？“
　　“What，indeed？“shesaid，fixingherlargeblackeyeswideopenuponhim。
　　“Onethinksofnothing，“hecontinued；“thehoursslipby。
　　Motionlesswetraversecountrieswefancywesee，andyourthought，blindingwiththefiction，playingwiththedetails，followstheoutlineoftheadventures。Itmingleswiththecharacters，anditseemsasifitwereyourselfpalpitatingbeneaththeircostumes。“
　　“Thatistrue!Thatistrue？“shesaid。
　　“Hasiteverhappenedtoyou，“Leonwenton，“tocomeacrosssomevagueideaofone’sowninabook，somedimimagethatcomesbacktoyoufromafar，andasthecompletestexpressionofyourownslightestsentiment？“
　　“Ihaveexperiencedit，“shereplied。
　　“Thatiswhy，“hesaid，“Iespeciallylovethepoets。Ithinkversemoretenderthanprose，andthatitmovesfarmoreeasilytotears。“
　　“Stillinthelongrunitistiring，“continuedEmma。NowI，onthecontrary，adorestoriesthatrushbreathlesslyalong，thatfrightenone。Idetestcommonplaceheroesandmoderatesentiments，suchasthereareinnature。“
　　“Infact，“observedtheclerk，“theseworks，nottouchingtheheart，miss，itseemstome，thetrueendofart。Itissosweet，amidallthedisenchantmentsoflife，tobeabletodwellinthoughtuponnoblecharacters，pureaffections，andpicturesofhappiness。Formyself，livingherefarfromtheworld，thisismyonedistraction；butYonvilleaffordssofewresources。“
　　“LikeTostes，nodoubt，“repliedEmma；“andsoIalwayssubscribedtoalendinglibrary。“
　　“Ifmadamewilldomethehonourofmakinguseofit“，saidthechemist，whohadjustcaughtthelastwords，“Ihaveatherdisposalalibrarycomposedofthebestauthors，Voltaire，Rousseau，Delille，WalterScott，the’EchodesFeuilletons’；andinadditionIreceivevariousperiodicals，amongthemthe’FanaldeRouen’daily，havingtheadvantagetobeitscorrespondentforthedistrictsofBuchy，Forges，Neufchatel，Yonville，andvicinity。“
　　Fortwohoursandahalftheyhadbeenattable；fortheservantArtemis，carelesslydraggingheroldlistslippersovertheflags，broughtoneplateaftertheother，forgoteverything，andconstantlyleftthedoorofthebilliard-roomhalfopen，sothatitbeatagainstthewallwithitshooks。