第16章

AtlastEmmarememberedthatatthechateauofVaubyessardshehadheardtheMarchionesscallayoungladyBerthe；fromthatmomentthisnamewaschosen；andasoldRouaultcouldnotcome，MonsieurHomaiswasrequestedtostandgodfather。Hisgiftswereallproductsfromhisestablishment，towit：sixboxesofjujubes，awholejarofracahout，threecakesofmarshmallowpaste，andsixsticksofsugar-candyintothebargainthathehadcomeacrossinacupboard。Ontheeveningoftheceremonytherewasagranddinner；thecurewaspresent；therewasmuchexcitement。MonsieurHomaistowardsliqueur-timebegansinging“LeDieudesbonnesgens。“MonsieurLeonsangabarcarolle，andMadameBovary，senior，whowasgodmother，aromanceofthetimeoftheEmpire；finally，M。Bovary，senior，insistedonhavingthechildbroughtdown，andbeganbaptizingitwithaglassofchampagnethathepouredoveritshead。ThismockeryofthefirstofthesacramentsmadetheAbbeBournisienangry；oldBovaryrepliedbyaquotationfrom“LaGuerredesDieux“；thecurewantedtoleave；theladiesimplored，Homaisinterfered；andtheysucceededinmakingthepriestsitdownagain，andhequietlywentonwiththehalf-finishedcoffeeinhissaucer。

MonsieurBovary，senior，stayedatYonvilleamonth，dazzlingthenativebyasuperbpoliceman’scapwithsilvertasselsthatheworeinthemorningwhenhesmokedhispipeinthesquare。Beingalsointhehabitofdrinkingagooddealofbrandy，heoftensenttheservanttotheLiond’Ortobuyhimabottle，whichwasputdowntohisson’saccount，andtoperfumehishandkerchiefsheuseduphisdaughter-in-law’swholesupplyofeau-de-cologne。

Thelatterdidnotatalldislikehiscompany。Hehadknockedabouttheworld，hetalkedaboutBerlin，Vienna，andStrasbourg，ofhissoldiertimes，ofthemistresseshehadhad，thegrandluncheonsofwhichhehadpartaken；thenhewasamiable，andsometimeseven，eitheronthestairs，orinthegarden，wouldseizeholdofherwaist，crying，“Charles，lookoutforyourself。“

ThenMadameBovary，senior，becamealarmedforherson’shappiness，andfearingthatherhusbandmightinthelong-runhaveanimmoralinfluenceupontheideasoftheyoungwoman，tookcaretohurrytheirdeparture。Perhapsshehadmoreseriousreasonsforuneasiness。MonsieurBovarywasnotthemantorespectanything。

OnedayEmmawassuddenlyseizedwiththedesiretoseeherlittlegirl，whohadbeenputtonursewiththecarpenter’swife，and，withoutlookingatthecalendartoseewhetherthesixweeksoftheVirginwereyetpassed，shesetoutfortheRollets’

house，situatedattheextremeendofthevillage，betweenthehighroadandthefields。

Itwasmid-day，theshuttersofthehouseswereclosedandtheslateroofsthatglitteredbeneaththefiercelightoftheblueskyseemedtostrikesparksfromthecrestofthegables。Aheavywindwasblowing；Emmafeltweakasshewalked；thestonesofthepavementhurther；shewasdoubtfulwhethershewouldnotgohomeagain，orgoinsomewheretorest。

AtthismomentMonsieurLeoncameoutfromaneighbouringdoorwithabundleofpapersunderhisarm。Hecametogreether，andstoodintheshadeinfrontoftheLheureux’sshopundertheprojectinggreyawning。

MadameBovarysaidshewasgoingtoseeherbaby，butthatshewasbeginningtogrowtired。

“If——“saidLeon，notdaringtogoon。

“Haveyouanybusinesstoattendto？“sheasked。

Andontheclerk’sanswer，shebeggedhimtoaccompanyher。ThatsameeveningthiswasknowninYonville，andMadameTuvache，themayor’swife，declaredinthepresenceofherservantthat“MadameBovarywascompromisingherself。“

Togettothenurse’sitwasnecessarytoturntotheleftonleavingthestreet，asifmakingforthecemetery，andtofollowbetweenlittlehousesandyardsasmallpathborderedwithprivethedges。Theywereinbloom，andsowerethespeedwells，eglantines，thistles，andthesweetbriarthatsprangupfromthethickets。Throughopeningsinthehedgesonecouldseeintothehuts，somepigsonadung-heap，ortetheredcowsrubbingtheirhornsagainstthetrunkoftrees。Thetwo，sidebysidewalkedslowly，sheleaninguponhim，andherestraininghispace，whichheregulatedbyhers；infrontofthemaswarmofmidgesfluttered，buzzinginthewarmair。

Therecognizedthehousebyanoldwalnut-treewhichshadedit。

Lowandcoveredwithbrowntiles，therehungoutsideit，beneaththedormer-windowofthegarret，astringofonions。Faggotsuprightagainstathornfencesurroundedabedoflettuce，afewsquarefeetoflavender，andsweetpeasstungonsticks。Dirtywaterwasrunninghereandthereonthegrass，andallroundwereseveralindefiniterags，knittedstockings，aredcalicojacket，andalargesheetofcoarselinenspreadoverthehedge。Atthenoiseofthegatethenurseappearedwithababyshewassucklingononearm。Withherotherhandshewaspullingalongapoorpunylittlefellow，hisfacecoveredwithscrofula，thesonofaRouenhosier，whomhisparents，tootakenupwiththeirbusiness，leftinthecountry。

“Goin，“shesaid；“yourlittleoneisthereasleep。“

Theroomontheground-floor，theonlyoneinthedwelling，hadatitsfartherend，againstthewall，alargebedwithoutcurtains，whileakneading-troughtookupthesidebythewindow，onepaneofwhichwasmendedwithapieceofbluepaper。Inthecornerbehindthedoor，shininghob-nailedshoesstoodinarowundertheslabofthewashstand，nearabottleofoilwithafeatherstuckinitsmouth；aMatthieuLaensberglayonthedustymantelpieceamidgunflints，candle-ends，andbitsofamadou。

Finally，thelastluxuryintheapartmentwasa“Fame“blowinghertrumpets，apicturecutout，nodoubt，fromsomeperfumer’sprospectusandnailedtothewallwithsixwoodenshoe-pegs。

Emma’schildwasasleepinawicker-cradle。Shetookitupinthewrappingthatenvelopeditandbegansingingsoftlyassherockedherselftoandfro。

Leonwalkedupanddowntheroom；itseemedstrangetohimtoseethisbeautifulwomaninhernankeendressinthemidstofallthispoverty。MadamBovaryreddened；heturnedaway，thinkingperhapstherehadbeenanimpertinentlookinhiseyes。Thensheputbackthelittlegirl，whohadjustbeensickoverhercollar。

Thenurseatoncecametodryher，protestingthatitwouldn’tshow。

“Shegivesmeotherdoses，“shesaid：“Iamalwaysa-washingofher。IfyouwouldhavethegoodnesstoorderCamus，thegrocer，toletmehavealittlesoap，itwouldreallybemoreconvenientforyou，asIneedn’ttroubleyouthen。“

“Verywell!verywell!“saidEmma。“Goodmorning，MadameRollet，“

andshewentout，wipinghershoesatthedoor。

Thegoodwomanaccompaniedhertotheendofthegarden，talkingallthetimeofthetroubleshehadgettingupofnights。

“I’mthatwornoutsometimesasIdropasleeponmychair。I’msureyoumightatleastgivemejustapoundofgroundcoffee；

that’dlastmeamonth，andI’dtakeitofamorningwithsomemilk。“

Afterhavingsubmittedtoherthanks，MadamBovaryleft。Shehadgonealittlewaydownthepathwhen，atthesoundofwoodenshoes，sheturnedround。Itwasthenurse。

“Whatisit？“

Thenthepeasantwoman，takingherasidebehindanelmtree，begantalkingtoherofherhusband，whowithhistradeandsixfrancsayearthatthecaptain——

“Oh，bequick!“saidEmma。

“Well，“thenursewenton，heavingsighsbetweeneachword，“I’mafraidhe’llbeputoutseeingmehavecoffeealong，youknowmen——“

“Butyouaretohavesome，“Emmarepeated；“Iwillgiveyousome。

Youbotherme!“

“Oh，dear!mypoor，dearlady!youseeinconsequenceofhiswoundshehasterriblecrampsinthechest。Heevensaysthatciderweakenshim。“

“Domakehaste，MereRollet!“

“Well，“thelattercontinued，makingacurtsey，“ifitweren’taskingtoomuch，“andshecurtsiedoncemore，“ifyouwould“——andhereyesbegged——“ajarofbrandy，“shesaidatlast，“andI’drubyourlittleone’sfeetwithit；they’reastenderasone’stongue。“

Onceridofthenurse，EmmaagaintookMonsieurLeon’sarm。Shewalkedfastforsometime，thenmoreslowly，andlookingstraightinfrontofher，hereyesrestedontheshoulderoftheyoungman，whosefrock-coathadablack-velvetycollar。Hisbrownhairfelloverit，straightandcarefullyarranged。ShenoticedhisnailswhichwerelongerthanoneworethematYonville。Itwasoneoftheclerk’schiefoccupationstotrimthem，andforthispurposehekeptaspecialknifeinhiswritingdesk。

TheyreturnedtoYonvillebythewater-side。Inthewarmseasonthebank，widerthanatothertimes，showedtotheirfootthegardenwallswhenceafewstepsledtotheriver。Itflowednoiselessly，swift，andcoldtotheeye；long，thingrasseshuddledtogetherinitasthecurrentdrovethem，andspreadthemselvesuponthelimpidwaterlikestreaminghair；sometimesatthetipofthereedsorontheleafofawater-lilyaninsectwithfinelegscrawledorrested。Thesunpiercedwitharaythesmallbluebubblesofthewavesthat，breaking，followedeachother；branchlessoldwillowsmirroredtheirgreybacksinthewater；beyond，allaround，themeadowsseemedempty。Itwasthedinner-houratthefarms，andtheyoungwomanandhercompanionheardnothingastheywalkedbutthefalloftheirstepsontheearthofthepath，thewordstheyspoke，andthesoundofEmma’sdressrustlingroundher。

Thewallsofthegardenswithpiecesofbottleontheircopingwerehotastheglasswindowsofaconservatory。Wallflowershadsprungupbetweenthebricks，andwiththetipofheropensunshadeMadameBovary，asshepassed，madesomeoftheirfadedflowerscrumbleintoayellowdust，orasprayofoverhanginghoneysuckleandclematiscaughtinitsfringeanddangledforamomentoverthesilk。

TheyweretalkingofatroupeofSpanishdancerswhowereexpectedshortlyattheRouentheatre。

“Areyougoing？“sheasked。

“IfIcan，“heanswered。