Oftenherhusband,notingherpallor,askedifshewereunwell。
“No,“saidEmma。
“But,“hereplied,“youseemsostrangethisevening。“
“Oh,it’snothing!nothing!“
Therewereevendayswhenshehadnosoonercomeinthanshewentuptoherroom;andJustin,happeningtobethere,movedaboutnoiselessly,quickerathelpingherthanthebestofmaids。Heputthematchesready,thecandlestick,abook,arrangedhernightgown,turnedbackthebedclothes。
“Come!“saidshe,“thatwilldo。Nowyoucango。“
Forhestoodthere,hishandshangingdownandhiseyeswideopen,asifenmeshedintheinnumerablethreadsofasuddenreverie。
Thefollowingdaywasfrightful,andthosethatcameafterstillmoreunbearable,becauseofherimpatiencetoonceagainseizeherhappiness;anardentlust,inflamedbytheimagesofpastexperience,andthatburstforthfreelyontheseventhdaybeneathLeon’scaresses。Hisardourswerehiddenbeneathoutburstsofwonderandgratitude。Emmatastedthisloveinadiscreet,absorbedfashion,maintaineditbyalltheartificesofhertenderness,andtrembledalittlelestitshouldbelostlateron。
Sheoftensaidtohim,withhersweet,melancholyvoice——
“Ah!youtoo,youwillleaveme!Youwillmarry!Youwillbelikealltheothers。“
Heasked,“Whatothers?“
“Why,likeallmen,“shereplied。Thenadded,repulsinghimwithalanguidmovement——
“Youareallevil!“
Oneday,astheyweretalkingphilosophicallyofearthlydisillusions,toexperimentonhisjealousy,oryielding,perhaps,toanover-strongneedtopouroutherheart,shetoldhimthatformerly,beforehim,shehadlovedsomeone。
“Notlikeyou,“shewentonquickly,protestingbytheheadofherchildthat“nothinghadpassedbetweenthem。“
Theyoungmanbelievedher,butnonethelessquestionedhertofindoutwhathewas。
“Hewasaship’scaptain,mydear。“
Wasthisnotpreventinganyinquiry,and,atthesametime,assumingahighergroundthroughthispretendedfascinationexercisedoveramanwhomusthavebeenofwarlikenatureandaccustomedtoreceivehomage?
Theclerkthenfeltthelowlinessofhisposition;helongedforepaulettes,crosses,titles。Allthatwouldpleaseher——hegatheredthatfromherspendthrifthabits。
Emmaneverthelessconcealedmanyoftheseextravagantfancies,suchasherwishtohaveabluetilburytodriveintoRouen,drawnbyanEnglishhorseanddrivenbyagroomintop-boots。ItwasJustinwhohadinspiredherwiththiswhim,bybegginghertotakehimintoherserviceasvalet-de-chambre*,andiftheprivationofitdidnotlessenthepleasureofherarrivalateachrendezvous,itcertainlyaugmentedthebitternessofthereturn。
*Manservant。
Often,whentheytalkedtogetherofParis,sheendedbymurmuring,“Ah!howhappyweshouldbethere!“
“Arewenothappy?“gentlyansweredtheyoungmanpassinghishandsoverherhair。
“Yes,thatistrue,“shesaid。“Iammad。Kissme!“
Toherhusbandshewasmorecharmingthanever。Shemadehimpistachio-creams,andplayedhimwaltzesafterdinner。SohethoughthimselfthemostfortunateofmenandEmmawaswithoutuneasiness,when,oneeveningsuddenlyhesaid——
“ItisMademoiselleLempereur,isn’tit,whogivesyoulessons?“
“Yes。“
“Well,Isawherjustnow,“Charleswenton,“atMadameLiegeard’s。Ispoketoheraboutyou,andshedoesn’tknowyou。“
Thiswaslikeathunderclap。However,sherepliedquitenaturally——
“Ah!nodoubtsheforgotmyname。“
“Butperhaps,“saidthedoctor,“thereareseveralDemoisellesLempereuratRouenwhoaremusic-mistresses。“
“Possibly!“Thenquickly——“ButIhavemyreceiptshere。See!“
Andshewenttothewriting-table,ransackedallthedrawers,rummagedthepapers,andatlastlostherheadsocompletelythatCharlesearnestlybeggedhernottotakesomuchtroubleaboutthosewretchedreceipts。
“Oh,Iwillfindthem,“shesaid。
And,infact,onthefollowingFriday,asCharleswasputtingononeofhisbootsinthedarkcabinetwherehisclotheswerekept,hefeltapieceofpaperbetweentheleatherandhissock。Hetookitoutandread——
“Received,forthreemonths’lessonsandseveralpiecesofmusic,thesumofsixty-threefrancs——FelicieLempereur,professorofmusic。“
“Howthedevildiditgetintomyboots?“
“Itmust,“shereplied,“havefallenfromtheoldboxofbillsthatisontheedgeoftheshelf。“
>Fromthatmomentherexistencewasbutonelongtissueoflies,inwhichsheenvelopedherloveasinveilstohideit。Itwasawant,amania,apleasurecarriedtosuchanextentthatifshesaidshehadthedaybeforewalkedontherightsideofaroad,onemightknowshehadtakentheleft。
Onemorning,whenshehadgone,asusual,ratherlightlyclothed,itsuddenlybegantosnow,andasCharleswaswatchingtheweatherfromthewindow,hecaughtsightofMonsieurBournisieninthechaiseofMonsieurTuvache,whowasdrivinghimtoRouen。
ThenhewentdowntogivethepriestathickshawlthathewastohandovertoEmmaassoonashereachedthe“Croix-Rouge。“Whenhegottotheinn,MonsieurBournisienaskedforthewifeoftheYonvilledoctor。Thelandladyrepliedthatsheveryrarelycametoherestablishment。Sothatevening,whenherecognisedMadameBovaryinthe“Hirondelle,“thecuretoldherhisdilemma,without,however,appearingtoattachmuchimportancetoit,forhebeganpraisingapreacherwhowasdoingwondersattheCathedral,andwhomalltheladieswererushingtohear。
Still,ifhedidnotaskforanyexplanation,others,lateron,mightprovelessdiscreet。Soshethoughtwelltogetdowneachtimeatthe“Croix-Rouge,“sothatthegoodfolkofhervillagewhosawheronthestairsshouldsuspectnothing。
Oneday,however,MonsieurLheureuxmethercomingoutoftheHoteldeBoulogneonLeon’sarm;andshewasfrightened,thinkinghewouldgossip。Hewasnotsuchafool。Butthreedaysafterhecametoherroom,shutthedoor,andsaid,“Imusthavesomemoney。“
Shedeclaredshecouldnotgivehimany。Lheureuxburstintolamentationsandremindedherofallthekindnesseshehadshownher。
Infact,ofthetwobillssignedbyCharles,Emmauptothepresenthadpaidonlyone。Astothesecond,theshopkeeper,atherrequest,hadconsentedtoreplaceitbyanother,whichagainhadbeenrenewedforalongdate。Thenhedrewfromhispocketalistofgoodsnotpaidfor;towit,thecurtains,thecarpet,thematerialforthearmchairs,severaldresses,anddiversarticlesofdress,thebillsforwhichamountedtoabouttwothousandfrancs。
Shebowedherhead。Hewenton——
“Butifyouhaven’tanyreadymoney,youhaveanestate。“AndheremindedherofamiserablelittlehovelsituatedatBarneville,nearAumale,thatbroughtinalmostnothing。IthadformerlybeenpartofasmallfarmsoldbyMonsieurBovarysenior;forLheureuxkneweverything,eventothenumberofacresandthenamesoftheneighbours。
“IfIwereinyourplace,“hesaid,“Ishouldclearmyselfofmydebts,andhavemoneyleftover。“
Shepointedoutthedifficultyofgettingapurchaser。Heheldoutthehopeoffindingone;butsheaskedhimhowsheshouldmanagetosellit。
“Haven’tyouyourpowerofattorney?“hereplied。
Thephrasecametoherlikeabreathoffreshair。“Leavemethebill,“saidEmma。
“Oh,itisn’tworthwhile,“answeredLheureux。
Hecamebackthefollowingweekandboastedofhaving,aftermuchtrouble,atlastdiscoveredacertainLanglois,who,foralongtime,hadhadaneyeontheproperty,butwithoutmentioninghisprice。
“Nevermindtheprice!“shecried。
Buttheywould,onthecontrary,havetowait,tosoundthefellow。Thethingwasworthajourney,and,asshecouldnotundertakeit,heofferedtogototheplacetohaveaninterviewwithLanglois。Onhisreturnheannouncedthatthepurchaserproposedfourthousandfrancs。
Emmawasradiantatthisnews。
“Frankly,“headded,“that’sagoodprice。“
Shedrewhalfthesumatonce,andwhenshewasabouttopayheraccounttheshopkeepersaid