Itwasasubstantial-lookingfarm。Inthestables,overthetopoftheopendoors,onecouldseegreatcart-horsesquietlyfeedingfromnewracks。Rightalongtheoutbuildingsextendedalargedunghill,fromwhichmanureliquidoozed,whileamidstfowlsandturkeys,fiveorsixpeacocks,aluxuryinChauchoisfarmyards,wereforagingonthetopofit。Thesheepfoldwaslong,thebarnhigh,withwallssmoothasyourhand。Underthecart-shedweretwolargecartsandfourploughs,withtheirwhips,shaftsandharnessescomplete,whosefleecesofbluewoolweregettingsoiledbythefinedustthatfellfromthegranaries。Thecourtyardslopedupwards,plantedwithtreessetoutsymmetrically,andthechatteringnoiseofaflockofgeesewasheardnearthepond。
AyoungwomaninabluemerinodresswiththreeflouncescametothethresholdofthedoortoreceiveMonsieurBovary,whomsheledtothekitchen,wherealargefirewasblazing。Theservant’sbreakfastwasboilingbesideitinsmallpotsofallsizes。Somedampclothesweredryinginsidethechimney-corner。Theshovel,tongs,andthenozzleofthebellows,allofcolossalsize,shonelikepolishedsteel,whilealongthewallshungmanypotsandpansinwhichtheclearflameofthehearth,minglingwiththefirstraysofthesuncominginthroughthewindow,wasmirroredfitfully。
Charleswentupthefirstfloortoseethepatient。Hefoundhiminhisbed,sweatingunderhisbed-clothes,havingthrownhiscottonnightcaprightawayfromhim。Hewasafatlittlemanoffifty,withwhiteskinandblueeyes,theforepartofhisheadbald,andheworeearrings。Byhissideonachairstoodalargedecanterofbrandy,whencehepouredhimselfalittlefromtimetotimetokeepuphisspirits;butassoonashecaughtsightofthedoctorhiselationsubsided,andinsteadofswearing,ashehadbeendoingforthelasttwelvehours,begantogroanfreely。
Thefracturewasasimpleone,withoutanykindofcomplication。
Charlescouldnothavehopedforaneasiercase。Thencallingtomindthedevicesofhismastersatthebedsidesofpatients,hecomfortedthesuffererwithallsortsofkindlyremarks,thoseCaressesofthesurgeonthatareliketheoiltheyputonbistouries。Inordertomakesomesplintsabundleoflathswasbroughtupfromthecart-house。Charlesselectedone,cutitintotwopiecesandplaneditwithafragmentofwindowpane,whiletheservanttoreupsheetstomakebandages,andMademoiselleEmmatriedtosewsomepads。Asshewasalongtimebeforeshefoundherwork-case,herfathergrewimpatient;shedidnotanswer,butasshesewedsheprickedherfingers,whichshethenputtohermouthtosuckthem。Charleswassurprisedatthewhitenessofhernails。Theywereshiny,delicateatthetips,morepolishedthantheivoryofDieppe,andalmond-shaped。Yetherhandwasnotbeautiful,perhapsnotwhiteenough,andalittlehardattheknuckles;besides,itwastoolong,withnosoftinflectionsintheoutlines。Herrealbeautywasinhereyes。Althoughbrown,theyseemedblackbecauseofthelashes,andherlookcameatyoufrankly,withacandidboldness。
Thebandagingover,thedoctorwasinvitedbyMonsieurRouaulthimselfto“pickabit“beforeheleft。
Charleswentdownintotheroomonthegroundfloor。KnivesandforksandsilvergobletswerelaidfortwoonalittletableatthefootofahugebedthathadacanopyofprintedcottonwithfiguresrepresentingTurks。Therewasanodourofiris-rootanddampsheetsthatescapedfromalargeoakchestoppositethewindow。Onthefloorincornersweresacksofflourstuckuprightinrows。Theseweretheoverflowfromtheneighbouringgranary,towhichthreestonestepsled。Bywayofdecorationfortheapartment,hangingtoanailinthemiddleofthewall,whosegreenpaintscaledofffromtheeffectsofthesaltpetre,wasacrayonheadofMinervaingoldframe,underneathwhichwaswritteninGothicletters“TodearPapa。“
Firsttheyspokeofthepatient,thenoftheweather,ofthegreatcold,ofthewolvesthatinfestedthefieldsatnight。
MademoiselleRouaultdidnotatalllikethecountry,especiallynowthatshehadtolookafterthefarmalmostalone。Astheroomwaschilly,sheshiveredassheate。Thisshowedsomethingofherfulllips,thatshehadahabitofbitingwhensilent。
Herneckstoodoutfromawhiteturned-downcollar。Herhair,whosetwoblackfoldsseemedeachofasinglepiece,sosmoothwerethey,waspartedinthemiddlebyadelicateliethatcurvedslightlywiththecurveofthehead;and,justshowingthetipoftheear,itwasjoinedbehindinathickchignon,withawavymovementatthetemplesthatthecountrydoctorsawnowforthefirsttimeinhislife。Theupperpartofhercheekwasrose-coloured。Shehad,likeaman,thrustinbetweentwobuttonsofherbodiceatortoise-shelleyeglass。
WhenCharles,afterbiddingfarewelltooldRouault,returnedtotheroombeforeleaving,hefoundherstanding,herforeheadagainstthewindow,lookingintothegarden,wherethebeanpropshadbeenknockeddownbythewind。Sheturnedround。“Areyoulookingforanything?“sheasked。
“Mywhip,ifyouplease,“heanswered。
Hebeganrummagingonthebed,behindthedoors,underthechairs。Ithadfallentothefloor,betweenthesacksandthewall。MademoiselleEmmasawit,andbentoverthefloursacks。
Charlesoutofpolitenessmadeadashalso,andashestretchedouthisarm,atthesamemomentfelthisbreastbrushagainstthebackoftheyounggirlbendingbeneathhim。Shedrewherselfup,scarlet,andlookedathimoverhershoulderasshehandedhimhiswhip。
InsteadofreturningtotheBertauxinthreedaysashehadpromised,hewentbacktheverynextday,thenregularlytwiceaweek,withoutcountingthevisitshepaidnowandthenasifbyaccident。
Everything,moreover,wentwell;thepatientprogressedfavourably;andwhen,attheendofforty-sixdays,oldRouaultwasseentryingtowalkaloneinhis“den,“MonsieurBovarybegantobelookeduponasamanofgreatcapacity。OldRouaultsaidthathecouldnothavebeencuredbetterbythefirstdoctorofYvetot,orevenofRouen。
AstoCharles,hedidnotstoptoaskhimselfwhyitwasapleasuretohimtogototheBertaux。Hadhedoneso,hewould,nodoubt,haveattributedhiszealtotheimportanceofthecase,orperhapstothemoneyhehopedtomakebyit。Wasitforthis,however,thathisvisitstothefarmformedadelightfulexceptiontothemeagreoccupationsofhislife?Onthesedaysheroseearly,setoffatagallop,urgingonhishorse,thengotdowntowipehisbootsinthegrassandputonblackglovesbeforeentering。Helikedgoingintothecourtyard,andnoticingthegateturnagainsthisshoulder,thecockcrowonthewall,theladsruntomeethim。Helikedthegranaryandthestables;
helikedoldRouault,whopressedhishandandcalledhimhissaviour;helikethesmallwoodenshoesofMademoiselleEmmaonthescouredflagsofthekitchen——herhighheelsmadeheralittletaller;andwhenshewalkedinfrontofhim,thewoodensolesspringingupquicklystruckwithasharpsoundagainsttheleatherofherboots。
Shealwaysaccompaniedhimtothefirststepofthestairs。Whenhishorsehadnotyetbeenbroughtroundshestayedthere。Theyhadsaid“Good-bye“;therewasnomoretalking。Theopenairwrappedherround,playingwiththesoftdownonthebackofherneck,orblewtoandfroonherhipstheapron-strings,thatflutteredlikestreamers。Once,duringathawthebarkofthetreesintheyardwasoozing,thesnowontheroofsoftheoutbuildingswasmelting;shestoodonthethreshold,andwenttofetchhersunshadeandopenedit。Thesunshadeofsilkofthecolourofpigeons’breasts,throughwhichthesunshone,lightedupwithshiftinghuesthewhiteskinofherface。Shesmiledunderthetenderwarmth,anddropsofwatercouldbeheardfallingonebyoneonthestretchedsilk。
DuringthefirstperiodofCharles’svisitstotheBertaux,MadameBovaryjuniorneverfailedtoinquireaftertheinvalid,andshehadevenchoseninthebookthatshekeptonasystemofdoubleentryacleanblankpageforMonsieurRouault。Butwhensheheardhehadadaughter,shebegantomakeinquiries,andshelearnttheMademoiselleRouault,broughtupattheUrsulineConvent,hadreceivedwhatiscalled“agoodeducation“;andsoknewdancing,geography,drawing,howtoembroiderandplaythepiano。Thatwasthelaststraw。
“Soitisforthis,“shesaidtoherself,“thathisfacebeamswhenhegoestoseeher,andthatheputsonhisnewwaistcoatattheriskofspoilingitwiththerain。Ah!thatwoman!Thatwoman!“
Andshedetestedherinstinctively。AtfirstshesolacedherselfbyallusionsthatCharlesdidnotunderstand,thenbycasualobservationsthatheletpassforfearofastorm,finallybyopenapostrophestowhichheknewnotwhattoanswer。“WhydidhegobacktotheBertauxnowthatMonsieurRouaultwascuredandthatthesefolkshadn’tpaidyet?Ah!itwasbecauseayoungladywasthere,someonewhoknowhowtotalk,toembroider,tobewitty。Thatwaswhathecaredabout;hewantedtownmisses。“Andshewenton——
“ThedaughterofoldRouaultatownmiss!Getout!Theirgrandfatherwasashepherd,andtheyhaveacousinwhowasalmosthadupattheassizesforanastyblowinaquarrel。Itisnotworthwhilemakingsuchafuss,orshowingherselfatchurchonSundaysinasilkgownlikeacountess。Besides,thepooroldchap,ifithadn’tbeenforthecolzalastyear,wouldhavehadmuchadotopayuphisarrears。“
ForverywearinessCharlesleftoffgoingtotheBertaux。Heloisemadehimswear,hishandontheprayer-book,thathewouldgotherenomoreaftermuchsobbingandmanykisses,inagreatoutburstoflove。Heobeyedthen,butthestrengthofhisdesireprotestedagainsttheservilityofhisconduct;andhethought,withakindofnaivehypocrisy,thathisinterdicttoseehergavehimasortofrighttoloveher。Andthenthewidowwasthin;shehadlongteeth;woreinallweathersalittleblackshawl,theedgeofwhichhungdownbetweenhershoulder-blades;
herbonyfigurewassheathedinherclothesasiftheywereascabbard;theyweretooshort,anddisplayedherankleswiththelacesofherlargebootscrossedovergreystockings。
Charles’smothercametoseethemfromtimetotime,butafterafewdaysthedaughter-in-lawseemedtoputherownedgeonher,andthen,liketwoknives,theyscarifiedhimwiththeirreflectionsandobservations。Itwaswrongofhimtoeatsomuch。