第15章

Unconsciously，Leon，whiletalking，hadplacedhisfootononeofthebarsofthechaironwhichMadameBovarywassitting。Sheworeasmallbluesilknecktie，thatkeptuplikearuffagaufferedcambriccollar，andwiththemovementsofherheadthelowerpartofherfacegentlysunkintothelinenorcameoutfromit。Thussidebyside，whileCharlesandthechemistchatted，theyenteredintooneofthosevagueconversationswherethehazardofallthatissaidbringsyoubacktothefixedcentreofacommonsympathy。TheParistheatres，titlesofnovels，newquadrilles，andtheworldtheydidnotknow；Tostes，whereshehadlived，andYonville，wheretheywere；theyexaminedall，talkedofeverythingtilltotheendofdinner。

WhencoffeewasservedFelicitewentawaytogetreadytheroominthenewhouse，andtheguestssoonraisedthesiege。MadameLefrancoiswasasleepnearthecinders，whilethestable-boy，lanterninhand，waswaitingtoshowMonsieurandMadameBovarythewayhome。Bitsofstrawstuckinhisredhair，andhelimpedwithhisleftleg。Whenhehadtakeninhisotherhandthecure’sumbrella，theystarted。

Thetownwasasleep；thepillarsofthemarketthrewgreatshadows；theearthwasallgreyasonasummer’snight。Butasthedoctor’shousewasonlysomefiftypacesfromtheinn，theyhadtosaygood-nightalmostimmediately，andthecompanydispersed。

Assoonassheenteredthepassage，Emmafeltthecoldoftheplasterfallabouthershoulderslikedamplinen。Thewallswerenewandthewoodenstairscreaked。Intheirbedroom，onthefirstfloor，awhitishlightpassedthroughthecurtainlesswindows。

Shecouldcatchglimpsesoftreetops，andbeyond，thefields，half-drownedinthefogthatlayreekinginthemoonlightalongthecourseoftheriver。Inthemiddleoftheroom，pell-mell，werescattereddrawers，bottles，curtain-rods，giltpoles，withmattressesonthechairsandbasinsontheground——thetwomenwhohadbroughtthefurniturehadlefteverythingaboutcarelessly。

Thiswasthefourthtimethatshehadsleptinastrangeplace。

Thefirstwasthedayofhergoingtotheconvent；thesecond，ofherarrivalatTostes；thethird，atVaubyessard；andthiswasthefourth。Andeachonehadmarked，asitwere，theinaugurationofanewphaseinherlife。Shedidnotbelievethatthingscouldpresentthemselvesinthesamewayindifferentplaces，andsincetheportionofherlifelivedhadbeenbad，nodoubtthatwhichremainedtobelivedwouldbebetter。

ChapterThreeThenextday，asshewasgettingup，shesawtheclerkonthePlace。Shehadonadressing-gown。Helookedupandbowed。Shenoddedquicklyandreclosedthewindow。

Leonwaitedalldayforsixo’clockintheeveningtocome，butongoingtotheinn，hefoundnoonebutMonsieurBinet，alreadyattable。Thedinneroftheeveningbeforehadbeenaconsiderableeventforhim；hehadnevertillthentalkedfortwohoursconsecutivelytoa“lady。“Howthenhadhebeenabletoexplain，andinsuchlanguage，thenumberofthingsthathecouldnothavesaidsowellbefore？Hewasusuallyshy，andmaintainedthatreservewhichpartakesatonceofmodestyanddissimulation。

AtYonvillehewasconsidered“well-bred。“Helistenedtotheargumentsoftheolderpeople，anddidnotseemhotaboutpolitics——aremarkablethingforayoungman。Thenhehadsomeaccomplishments；hepaintedinwater-colours，couldreadthekeyofG，andreadilytalkedliteratureafterdinnerwhenhedidnotplaycards。MonsieurHomaisrespectedhimforhiseducation；

MadameHomaislikedhimforhisgood-nature，forheoftentookthelittleHomaisintothegarden——littlebratswhowerealwaysdirty，verymuchspoilt，andsomewhatlymphatic，liketheirmother。Besidestheservanttolookafterthem，theyhadJustin，thechemist’sapprentice，asecondcousinofMonsieurHomais，whohadbeentakenintothehousefromcharity，andwhowasusefulatthesametimeasaservant。

Thedruggistprovedthebestofneighbours。HegaveMadameBovaryinformationastothetrades-people，sentexpresslyforhisowncidermerchant，tastedthedrinkhimself，andsawthatthecaskswereproperlyplacedinthecellar；heexplainedhowtosetaboutgettinginasupplyofbuttercheap，andmadeanarrangementwithLestiboudois，thesacristan，who，besideshissacerdotalandfuneralfunctions，lookedaftertheprincipalgardensatYonvillebythehourortheyear，accordingtothetasteofthecustomers。

Theneedoflookingafterotherswasnottheonlythingthaturgedthechemisttosuchobsequiouscordiality；therewasaplanunderneathitall。

Hehadinfringedthelawofthe19thVentose，yearxi。，articleI，whichforbadeallpersonsnothavingadiplomatopractisemedicine；sothat，aftercertainanonymousdenunciations，HomaishadbeensummonedtoRouentoseetheprocurerofthekinginhisownprivateroom；themagistratereceivinghimstandingup，ermineonshoulderandcaponhead。Itwasinthemorning，beforethecourtopened。Inthecorridorsoneheardtheheavybootsofthegendarmeswalkingpast，andlikeafar-offnoisegreatlocksthatwereshut。Thedruggist’searstingledasifhewereabouttohaveanapoplecticstroke；hesawthedepthsofdungeons，hisfamilyintears，hisshopsold，allthejarsdispersed；andhewasobligedtoenteracafeandtakeaglassofrumandseltzertorecoverhisspirits。

Littlebylittlethememoryofthisreprimandgrewfainter，andhecontinued，asheretofore，togiveanodyneconsultationsinhisback-parlour。Butthemayorresentedit，hiscolleagueswerejealous，everythingwastobefeared；gainingoverMonsieurBovarybyhisattentionswastoearnhisgratitude，andpreventhisspeakingoutlateron，shouldhenoticeanything。SoeverymorningHomaisbroughthim“thepaper，“andoftenintheafternoonlefthisshopforafewmomentstohaveachatwiththeDoctor。

Charleswasdull：patientsdidnotcome。Heremainedseatedforhourswithoutspeaking，wentintohisconsultingroomtosleep，orwatchedhiswifesewing。Thenfordiversionheemployedhimselfathomeasaworkman；heeventriedtodouptheatticwithsomepaintwhichhadbeenleftbehindbythepainters。Butmoneymattersworriedhim。HehadspentsomuchforrepairsatTostes，formadame’stoilette，andforthemoving，thatthewholedowry，overthreethousandcrowns，hadslippedawayintwoyears。

ThenhowmanythingshadbeenspoiltorlostduringtheircarriagefromTostestoYonville，withoutcountingtheplastercure，whofallingoutofthecoachatanover-severejolt，hadbeendashedintoathousandfragmentsonthepavementsofQuincampoix!Apleasantertroublecametodistracthim，namely，thepregnancyofhiswife。Asthetimeofherconfinementapproachedhecherishedherthemore。Itwasanotherbondofthefleshestablishingitself，and，asitwere，acontinuedsentimentofamorecomplexunion。Whenfromafarhesawherlanguidwalk，andherfigurewithoutstaysturningsoftlyonherhips；whenoppositeoneanotherhelookedatherathisease，whileshetooktiredposesinherarmchair，thenhishappinessknewnobounds；

hegotup，embracedher，passedhishandsoverherface，calledherlittlemamma，wantedtomakeherdance，andhalf-laughing，half-crying，utteredallkindsofcaressingpleasantriesthatcameintohishead。Theideaofhavingbegottenachilddelightedhim。Nowhewantednothing。Heknewhumanlifefromendtoend，andhesatdowntoitwithserenity。

Emmaatfirstfeltagreatastonishment；thenwasanxioustobedeliveredthatshemightknowwhatitwastobeamother。Butnotbeingabletospendasmuchasshewouldhaveliked，tohaveaswing-bassinettewithrosesilkcurtains，andembroideredcaps，inafitofbitternessshegaveuplookingafterthetrousseau，andorderedthewholeofitfromavillageneedlewoman，withoutchoosingordiscussinganything。Thusshedidnotamuseherselfwiththosepreparationsthatstimulatethetendernessofmothers，andsoheraffectionwasfromtheveryoutset，perhaps，tosomeextentattenuated。

AsCharles，however，spokeoftheboyateverymeal，shesoonbegantothinkofhimmoreconsecutively。

Shehopedforason；hewouldbestronganddark；shewouldcallhimGeorge；andthisideaofhavingamalechildwaslikeanexpectedrevengeforallherimpotenceinthepast。Aman，atleast，isfree；hemaytraveloverpassionsandovercountries，overcomeobstacles，tasteofthemostfar-awaypleasures。Butawomanisalwayshampered。Atonceinertandflexible，shehasagainsthertheweaknessofthefleshandlegaldependence。Herwill，liketheveilofherbonnet，heldbyastring，fluttersineverywind；thereisalwayssomedesirethatdrawsher，someconventionalitythatrestrains。

ShewasconfinedonaSundayataboutsixo’clock，asthesunwasrising。

“Itisagirl!“saidCharles。

Sheturnedherheadawayandfainted。

MadameHomais，aswellasMadameLefrancoisoftheLiond’Or，almostimmediatelycamerunningintoembraceher。Thechemist，asmanofdiscretion，onlyofferedafewprovincialfelicitationsthroughthehalf-openeddoor。Hewishedtoseethechildandthoughtitwellmade。

Whilstshewasgettingwellsheoccupiedherselfmuchinseekinganameforherdaughter。FirstshewentoverallthosethathaveItalianendings，suchasClara，Louisa，Amanda，Atala；shelikedGalsuindeprettywell，andYseultorLeocadiestillbetter。

Charleswantedthechildtobecalledafterhermother；Emmaopposedthis。Theyranoverthecalendarfromendtoend，andthenconsultedoutsiders。

“MonsieurLeon，“saidthechemist，“withwhomIwastalkingaboutittheotherday，wondersyoudonotchoseMadeleine。Itisverymuchinfashionjustnow。“

ButMadameBovary，senior，criedoutloudlyagainstthisnameofasinner。AstoMonsieurHomais，hehadapreferenceforallthosethatrecalledsomegreatman，anillustriousfact，oragenerousidea，anditwasonthissystemthathehadbaptizedhisfourchildren。ThusNapoleonrepresentedgloryandFranklinliberty；Irmawasperhapsaconcessiontoromanticism，butAthaliewasahomagetothegreatestmasterpieceoftheFrenchstage。Forhisphilosophicalconvictionsdidnotinterferewithhisartistictastes；inhimthethinkerdidnotstiflethemanofsentiment；hecouldmakedistinctions，makeallowancesforimaginationandfanaticism。Inthistragedy，forexample，hefoundfaultwiththeideas，butadmiredthestyle；hedetestedtheconception，butapplaudedallthedetails，andloathedthecharacterswhilehegrewenthusiasticovertheirdialogue。Whenhereadthefinepassageshewastransported，butwhenhethoughtthatmummerswouldgetsomethingoutofthemfortheirshow，hewasdisconsolate；andinthisconfusionofsentimentsinwhichhewasinvolvedhewouldhavelikeatoncetocrownRacinewithbothhishandsanddiscusswithhimforagoodquarterofanhour。