“Itreallygrievesme，onmyword!toseeyoudeprivingyourselfallatonceofsuchabigsumasthat。“
　　Thenshelookedatthebank-notes，anddreamingoftheunlimitednumberofrendezvousrepresentedbythosetwothousandfrancs，shestammered——
　　“What!what!“
　　“Oh!“hewenton，laughinggood-naturedly，“oneputsanythingonelikesonreceipts。Don’tyouthinkIknowwhathouseholdaffairsare？“Andhelookedatherfixedly，whileinhishandheheldtwolongpapersthatheslidbetweenhisnails。Atlast，openinghispocket-book，hespreadoutonthetablefourbillstoorder，eachforathousandfrancs。
　　“Signthese，“hesaid，“andkeepitall!“
　　Shecriedout，scandalised。
　　“ButifIgiveyouthesurplus，“repliedMonsieurLheureuximpudently，“isthatnothelpingyou？“
　　Andtakingapenhewroteatthebottomoftheaccount，“ReceivedofMadameBovaryfourthousandfrancs。“
　　“Nowwhocantroubleyou，sinceinsixmonthsyou’lldrawthearrearsforyourcottage，andIdon’tmakethelastbillduetillafteryou’vebeenpaid？“
　　Emmagrewratherconfusedinhercalculations，andherearstingledasifgoldpieces，burstingfromtheirbags，rangallroundheronthefloor。AtlastLheureuxexplainedthathehadaverygoodfriend，Vincart，abrokeratRouen，whowoulddiscountthesefourbills。Thenhehimselfwouldhandovertomadametheremainderaftertheactualdebtwaspaid。
　　Butinsteadoftwothousandfrancshebroughtonlyeighteenhundred，forthefriendVincartwhichwasonlyfairhaddeductedtwohundredfrancsforcommissionanddiscount。Thenhecarelesslyaskedforareceipt。
　　“Youunderstand——inbusiness——sometimes。Andwiththedate，ifyouplease，withthedate。“
　　AhorizonofrealisablewhimsopenedoutbeforeEmma。Shewasprudentenoughtolaybyathousandcrowns，withwhichthefirstthreebillswerepaidwhentheyfelldue；butthefourth，bychance，cametothehouseonaThursday，andCharles，quiteupset，patientlyawaitedhiswife’sreturnforanexplanation。
　　Ifshehadnottoldhimaboutthisbill，itwasonlytosparehimsuchdomesticworries；shesatonhisknees，caressedhim，cooedtohim，gavehimalongenumerationofalltheindispensablethingsthathadbeengotoncredit。
　　“Really，youmustconfess，consideringthequantity，itisn’ttoodear。“
　　Charles，athiswit’send，soonhadrecoursetotheeternalLheureux，whosworehewouldarrangemattersifthedoctorwouldsignhimtwobills，oneofwhichwasforsevenhundredfrancs，payableinthreemonths。Inordertoarrangeforthishewrotehismotherapatheticletter。Insteadofsendingareplyshecameherself；andwhenEmmawantedtoknowwhetherhehadgotanythingoutofher，“Yes，“hereplied；“butshewantstoseetheaccount。“ThenextmorningatdaybreakEmmarantoLheureuxtobeghimtomakeoutanotheraccountfornotmorethanathousandfrancs，fortoshowtheoneforfourthousanditwouldbenecessarytosaythatshehadpaidtwo-thirds，andconfess，consequently，thesaleoftheestate——anegotiationadmirablycarriedoutbytheshopkeeper，andwhich，infact，wasonlyactuallyknownlateron。
　　Despitethelowpriceofeacharticle，MadameBovarysenior，ofcourse，thoughttheexpenditureextravagant。
　　“Couldn’tyoudowithoutacarpet？Whyhaverecoveredthearm-chairs？Inmytimetherewasasinglearm-chairinahouse，forelderlypersons——atanyrateitwassoatmymother’s，whowasagoodwoman，Icantellyou。Everybodycan’tberich!Nofortunecanholdoutagainstwaste!Ishouldbeashamedtocoddlemyselfasyoudo!AndyetIamold。Ineedlookingafter。Andthere!there!fittingupgowns!fallals!What!silkforliningattwofrancs，whenyoucangetjaconetfortensous，orevenforeight，thatwoulddowellenough!“
　　Emma，lyingonalounge，repliedasquietlyaspossible——“Ah!
　　Madame，enough!enough!“
　　Theotherwentonlecturingher，predictingtheywouldendintheworkhouse。ButitwasBovary’sfault。Luckilyhehadpromisedtodestroythatpowerofattorney。
　　“What？“
　　“Ah!hesworehewould，“wentonthegoodwoman。
　　Emmaopenedthewindow，calledCharles，andthepoorfellowwasobligedtoconfessthepromisetornfromhimbyhismother。
　　Emmadisappeared，thencamebackquickly，andmajesticallyhandedherathickpieceofpaper。
　　“Thankyou，“saidtheoldwoman。Andshethrewthepowerofattorneyintothefire。
　　Emmabegantolaugh，astrident，piercing，continuouslaugh；shehadanattackofhysterics。
　　“Oh，myGod!“criedCharles。“Ah!youreallyarewrong!Youcomehereandmakesceneswithher!“
　　Hismother，shrugginghershoulders，declareditwas“allputon。“
　　ButCharles，rebellingforthefirsttime，tookhiswife’spart，sothatMadameBovary，senior，saidshewouldleave。Shewenttheverynextday，andonthethreshold，ashewastryingtodetainher，shereplied——
　　“No，no!Youloveherbetterthanme，andyouareright。Itisnatural。Fortherest，somuchtheworse!Youwillsee。Goodday——forIamnotlikelytocomesoonagain，asyousay，tomakescenes。“
　　CharlesneverthelesswasverycrestfallenbeforeEmma，whodidnothidetheresentmentshestillfeltathiswantofconfidence，anditneededmanyprayersbeforeshewouldconsenttohaveanotherpowerofattorney。HeevenaccompaniedhertoMonsieurGuillaumintohaveasecondone，justliketheother，drawnup。
　　“Iunderstand，“saidthenotary；“amanofsciencecan’tbeworriedwiththepracticaldetailsoflife。“
　　AndCharlesfeltrelievedbythiscomfortablereflection，whichgavehisweaknesstheflatteringappearanceofhigherpre-occupation。
　　AndwhatanoutburstthenextThursdayatthehotelintheirroomwithLeon!Shelaughed，cried，sang，sentforsherbets，wantedtosmokecigarettes，seemedtohimwildandextravagant，butadorable，superb。
　　Hedidnotknowwhatrecreationofherwholebeingdrovehermoreandmoretoplungeintothepleasuresoflife。Shewasbecomingirritable，greedy，voluptuous；andshewalkedaboutthestreetswithhimcarryingherheadhigh，withoutfear，soshesaid，ofcompromisingherself。Attimes，however，EmmashudderedatthesuddenthoughtofmeetingRodolphe，foritseemedtoherthat，althoughtheywereseparatedforever，shewasnotcompletelyfreefromhersubjugationtohim。
　　OnenightshedidnotreturntoYonvilleatall。Charleslosthisheadwithanxiety，andlittleBerthewouldnotgotobedwithouthermamma，andsobbedenoughtobreakherheart。Justinhadgoneoutsearchingtheroadatrandom。MonsieurHomaisevenhadlefthispharmacy。
　　Atlast，ateleveno’clock，abletobearitnolonger，Charlesharnessedhischaise，jumpedin，whippeduphishorse，andreachedthe“Croix-Rouge“abouttwoo’clockinthemorning。Noonethere!Hethoughtthattheclerkhadperhapsseenher；butwheredidhelive？Happily，Charlesrememberedhisemployer’saddress，andrushedoffthere。
　　Daywasbreaking，andhecoulddistinguishtheescutcheonsoverthedoor，andknocked。Someone，withoutopeningthedoor，shoutedouttherequiredinformation，addingafewinsultstothosewhodisturbpeopleinthemiddleofthenight。
　　Thehouseinhabitedbytheclerkhadneitherbell，knocker，norporter。Charlesknockedloudlyattheshutterswithhishands。A
　　policemanhappenedtopassby。Thenhewasfrightened，andwentaway。
　　“Iammad，“hesaid；“nodoubttheykepthertodinneratMonsieurLormeaux’。“ButtheLormeauxnolongerlivedatRouen。
　　“SheprobablystayedtolookafterMadameDubreuil。Why，MadameDubreuilhasbeendeadthesetenmonths!Wherecanshebe？“
　　Anideaoccurredtohim。AtacafeheaskedforaDirectory，andhurriedlylookedforthenameofMademoiselleLempereur，wholivedatNo。74RuedelaRenelle-des-Maroquiniers。
　　Ashewasturningintothestreet，Emmaherselfappearedattheotherendofit。Hethrewhimselfuponherratherthanembracedher，crying——
　　“Whatkeptyouyesterday？“
　　“Iwasnotwell。“
　　“Whatwasit？Where？How？“
　　Shepassedherhandoverherforeheadandanswered，“AtMademoiselleLempereur’s。“
　　“Iwassureofit!Iwasgoingthere。“
　　“Oh，itisn’tworthwhile，“saidEmma。“Shewentoutjustnow；
　　butforthefuturedon’tworry。Idonotfeelfree，yousee，ifI
　　knowthattheleastdelayupsetsyoulikethis。“
　　Thiswasasortofpermissionthatshegaveherself，soastogetperfectfreedominherescapades。Andsheprofitedbyitfreely，fully。WhenshewasseizedwiththedesiretoseeLeon，shesetoutuponanypretext；andashewasnotexpectingheronthatday，shewenttofetchhimathisoffice。
　　Itwasagreatdelightatfirst，butsoonhenolongerconcealedthetruth，whichwas，thathismastercomplainedverymuchabouttheseinterruptions。
　　“Pshaw!comealong，“shesaid。