第14章

WhenMadameBovarywasinthekitchenshewentuptothechimney。

Withthetipsofherfingersshecaughtherdressattheknee，andhavingthuspulledituptoherankle，heldoutherfootinitsblackboottothefireabovetherevolvinglegofmutton。Theflamelitupthewholeofher，penetratingwithacrudelightthewoofofhergowns，thefineporesofherfairskin，andevenhereyelids，whichsheblinkednowandagain。Agreatredglowpassedoverherwiththeblowingofthewindthroughthehalf-opendoor。

Ontheothersideofthechimneyayoungmanwithfairhairwatchedhersilently。

AshewasagooddealboredatYonville，wherehewasaclerkatthenotary’s，MonsieurGuillaumin，MonsieurLeonDupuis(itwashewhowasthesecondhabitueofthe“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。Thethermometer(Ihavemadesomeobservations)fallsinwinterto4degreesCentigradeattheoutside，whichgivesus24degreesReaumurasthemaximum，orotherwise54degreesFahrenheit(Englishscale)，notmore。And，asamatteroffact，weareshelteredfromthenorthwindsbytheforestofArgueilontheoneside，fromthewestwindsbytheSt。

Jeanrangeontheother；andthisheat，moreover，which，onaccountoftheaqueousvapoursgivenoffbytheriverandtheconsiderablenumberofcattleinthefields，which，asyouknow，exhalemuchammonia，thatistosay，nitrogen，hydrogenandoxygen(no，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。