Andheslippedout。
Shewantedhimtodressallinblack,andgrowapointedbeard,tolookliketheportraitsofLouisXIII。Shewantedtoseehislodgings;thoughtthempoor。Heblushedatthem,butshedidnotnoticethis,thenadvisedhimtobuysomecurtainslikehers,andasheobjectedtotheexpense——
“Ah!ah!youcareforyourmoney,“shesaidlaughing。
EachtimeLeonhadtotellhereverythingthathehaddonesincetheirlastmeeting。Sheaskedhimforsomeverses——someverses“forherself,“a“lovepoem“inhonourofher。Butheneversucceededingettingarhymeforthesecondverse;andatlastendedbycopyingasonnetina“Keepsake。“Thiswaslessfromvanitythanfromtheonedesireofpleasingher。Hedidnotquestionherideas;heacceptedallhertastes;hewasratherbecominghermistressthanshehis。Shehadtenderwordsandkissesthatthrilledhissoul。Wherecouldshehavelearntthiscorruptionalmostincorporealinthestrengthofitsprofanityanddissimulation?
ChapterSixDuringthejourneyshemadetoseeher,Leonhadoftendinedatthechemist’s,andhefeltobligedfrompolitenesstoinvitehiminturn。
“Withpleasure!“MonsieurHomaisreplied;“besides,Imustinvigoratemymind,forIamgettingrustyhere。We’llgotothetheatre,totherestaurant;we’llmakeanightofit。“
“Oh,mydear!“tenderlymurmuredMadameHomais,alarmedatthevagueperilshewaspreparingtobrave。
“Well,what?DoyouthinkI’mnotsufficientlyruiningmyhealthlivinghereamidthecontinualemanationsofthepharmacy?Butthere!thatisthewaywithwomen!Theyarejealousofscience,andthenareopposedtoourtakingthemostlegitimatedistractions。Nomatter!Countuponme。OneofthesedaysIshallturnupatRouen,andwe’llgothepacetogether。“
Thedruggistwouldformerlyhavetakengoodcarenottousesuchanexpression,buthewascultivatingagayParisianstyle,whichhethoughtinthebesttaste;and,likehisneighbour,MadameBovary,hequestionedtheclerkcuriouslyaboutthecustomsofthecapital;heeventalkedslangtodazzlethebourgeois,sayingbender,crummy,dandy,macaroni,thecheese,cutmystickand“I’llhookit,“for“Iamgoing。“
SooneThursdayEmmawassurprisedtomeetMonsieurHomaisinthekitchenofthe“Liond’Or,“wearingatraveller’scostume,thatistosay,wrappedinanoldcloakwhichnooneknewhehad,whilehecarriedavaliseinonehandandthefoot-warmerofhisestablishmentintheother。Hehadconfidedhisintentionstonoone,forfearofcausingthepublicanxietybyhisabsence。
Theideaofseeingagaintheplacewherehisyouthhadbeenspentnodoubtexcitedhim,forduringthewholejourneyheneverceasedtalking,andassoonashehadarrived,hejumpedquicklyoutofthediligencetogoinsearchofLeon。Invaintheclerktriedtogetridofhim。MonsieurHomaisdraggedhimofftothelargeCafedelaNormandie,whichheenteredmajestically,notraisinghishat,thinkingitveryprovincialtouncoverinanypublicplace。
EmmawaitedforLeonthreequartersofanhour。Atlastsherantohisoffice;and,lostinallsortsofconjectures,accusinghimofindifference,andreproachingherselfforherweakness,shespenttheafternoon,herfacepressedagainstthewindow-panes。
Attwoo’clocktheywerestillatatableoppositeeachother。
Thelargeroomwasemptying;thestove-pipe,intheshapeofapalm-tree,spreaditsgiltleavesoverthewhiteceiling,andnearthem,outsidethewindow,inthebrightsunshine,alittlefountaingurgledinawhitebasin,where;inthemidstofwatercressandasparagus,threetorpidlobstersstretchedacrosstosomequailsthatlayheapedupinapileontheirsides。
Homaiswasenjoyinghimself。Althoughhewasevenmoreintoxicatedwiththeluxurythantherichfare,thePommardwineallthesameratherexcitedhisfaculties;andwhentheomeletteaurhum*appeared,hebeganpropoundingimmoraltheoriesaboutwomen。Whatseducedhimaboveallelsewaschic。Headmiredaneleganttoiletteinawell-furnishedapartment,andastobodilyqualities,hedidn’tdislikeayounggirl。
*Inrum。
Leonwatchedtheclockindespair。Thedruggistwentondrinking,eating,andtalking。
“Youmustbeverylonely,“hesaidsuddenly,“hereatRouen。Tobesureyourlady-lovedoesn’tlivefaraway。“
Andtheotherblushed——
“Comenow,befrank。CanyoudenythatatYonville——“
Theyoungmanstammeredsomething。
“AtMadameBovary’s,you’renotmakingloveto——“
“Towhom?“
“Theservant!“
Hewasnotjoking;butvanitygettingthebetterofallprudence,Leon,inspiteofhimselfprotested。Besides,heonlylikeddarkwomen。
“Iapproveofthat,“saidthechemist;“theyhavemorepassion。“
Andwhisperingintohisfriend’sear,hepointedoutthesymptomsbywhichonecouldfindoutifawomanhadpassion。Heevenlaunchedintoanethnographicdigression:theGermanwasvapourish,theFrenchwomanlicentious,theItalianpassionate。
“Andnegresses?“askedtheclerk。
“Theyareanartistictaste!“saidHomais。“Waiter!twocupsofcoffee!“
“Arewegoing?“atlastaskedLeonimpatiently。
“Ja!“
Butbeforeleavinghewantedtoseetheproprietoroftheestablishmentandmadehimafewcompliments。Thentheyoungman,tobealone,allegedhehadsomebusinessengagement。
“Ah!Iwillescortyou,“saidHomais。
Andallthewhilehewaswalkingthroughthestreetswithhimhetalkedofhiswife,hischildren;oftheirfuture,andofhisbusiness;toldhiminwhatadecayedconditionithadformerlybeen,andtowhatadegreeofperfectionhehadraisedit。
ArrivedinfrontoftheHoteldeBoulogne,Leonlefthimabruptly,ranupthestairs,andfoundhismistressingreatexcitement。Atmentionofthechemistsheflewintoapassion。
He,however,piledupgoodreasons;itwasn’thisfault;didn’tsheknowHomais——didshebelievethathewouldpreferhiscompany?Butsheturnedaway;hedrewherback,and,sinkingonhisknees,claspedherwaistwithhisarmsinalanguorouspose,fullofconcupiscenceandsupplication。
Shewasstanding;up,herlargeflashingeyeslookedathimseriously,almostterribly。Thentearsobscuredthem,herredeyelidswerelowered,shegavehimherhands,andLeonwaspressingthemtohislipswhenaservantappearedtotellthegentlemanthathewaswanted。
“Youwillcomeback?“shesaid。
“Yes。“
“Butwhen?“
“Immediately。“
“It’satrick,“saidthechemist,whenhesawLeon。“Iwantedtointerruptthisvisit,thatseemedtometoannoyyou。Let’sgoandhaveaglassofgarusatBridoux’。“
Leonvowedthathemustgetbacktohisoffice。Thenthedruggistjokedhimaboutquill-driversandthelaw。
“LeaveCujasandBartholealoneabit。Whothedevilpreventsyou?Beaman!Let’sgotoBridoux’。You’llseehisdog。It’sveryinteresting。“
Andastheclerkstillinsisted——
“I’llgowithyou。I’llreadapaperwhileIwaitforyou,orturnovertheleavesofa’Code。’“
Leon,bewilderedbyEmma’sanger,MonsieurHomais’chatter,and,perhaps,bytheheavinessoftheluncheon,wasundecided,and,asitwere,fascinatedbythechemist,whokeptrepeating——
“Let’sgotoBridoux’。It’sjustbyhere,intheRueMalpalu。“
Then,throughcowardice,throughstupidity,throughthatindefinablefeelingthatdragsusintothemostdistastefulacts,heallowedhimselftobeledofftoBridoux’,whomtheyfoundinhissmallyard,superintendingthreeworkmen,whopantedastheyturnedthelargewheelofamachineformakingseltzer-water。
Homaisgavethemsomegoodadvice。HeembracedBridoux;theytooksomegarus。TwentytimesLeontriedtoescape,buttheotherseizedhimbythearmsaying——
“Presently!I’mcoming!We’llgotothe’FanaldeRouen’toseethefellowsthere。I’llintroduceyoutoThornassin。“
Atlasthemanagedtogetridofhim,andrushedstraighttothehotel。Emmawasnolongerthere。Shehadjustgoneinafitofanger。Shedetestedhimnow。Thisfailingtokeeptheirrendezvousseemedtoheraninsult,andshetriedtorakeupotherreasonstoseparateherselffromhim。Hewasincapableofheroism,weak,banal,morespiritlessthanawoman,avaricioustoo,andcowardly。
Then,growingcalmer,sheatlengthdiscoveredthatshehad,nodoubt,calumniatedhim。Butthedisparagingofthosewelovealwaysalienatesusfromthemtosomeextent。Wemustnottouchouridols;thegiltstickstoourfingers。