第46章

“Truly，“hesaidwithagroan，“itadornedthetombofRichardCoeurdeLion，KingofEnglandandDukeofNormandy。ItwastheCalvinists，sir，whoreducedittothiscondition。Theyhadburieditforspiteintheearth，undertheepiscopalseatofMonsignor。See!thisisthedoorbywhichMonsignorpassestohishouse。Letuspassonquicklytoseethegargoylewindows。“

ButLeonhastilytooksomesilverfromhispocketandseizedEmma’sarm。Thebeadlestooddumfounded，notabletounderstandthisuntimelymunificencewhentherewerestillsomanythingsforthestrangertosee。Socallinghimback，hecried——

“Sir!sir!Thesteeple!thesteeple!“

“No，thankyou!“saidLeon。

“Youarewrong，sir!Itisfourhundredandfortyfeethigh，ninelessthanthegreatpyramidofEgypt。Itisallcast；it——“

Leonwasfleeing，foritseemedtohimthathislove，thatfornearlytwohoursnowhadbecomepetrifiedinthechurchlikethestones，wouldvanishlikeavapourthroughthatsortoftruncatedfunnel，ofoblongcage，ofopenchimneythatrisessogrotesquelyfromthecathedralliketheextravagantattemptofsomefantasticbrazier。

“Butwherearewegoing？“shesaid。

Makingnoanswer，hewalkedonwitharapidstep；andMadameBovarywasalready，dippingherfingerintheholywaterwhenbehindthemtheyheardapantingbreathinterruptedbytheregularsoundofacane。Leonturnedback。

“Sir!“

“Whatisit？“

Andherecognisedthebeadle，holdingunderhisarmsandbalancingagainsthisstomachsometwentylargesewnvolumes。

Theywereworks“whichtreatedofthecathedral。“

“Idiot!“growledLeon，rushingoutofthechurch。

Aladwasplayingabouttheclose。

“Goandgetmeacab!“

ThechildboundedofflikeaballbytheRueQuatre-Vents；thentheywerealoneafewminutes，facetoface，andalittleembarrassed。

“Ah!Leon!Really——Idon’tknow——ifIought，“shewhispered。Thenwithamoreseriousair，“Doyouknow，itisveryimproper——“

“Howso？“repliedtheclerk。“ItisdoneatParis。“

Andthat，asanirresistibleargument，decidedher。

Stillthecabdidnotcome。Leonwasafraidshemightgobackintothechurch。Atlastthecabappeared。

“Atallevents，gooutbythenorthporch，“criedthebeadle，whowasleftaloneonthethreshold，“soastoseetheResurrection，theLastJudgment，Paradise，KingDavid，andtheCondemnedinHell-flames。“

“Whereto，sir？“askedthecoachman。

“Whereyoulike，“saidLeon，forcingEmmaintothecab。

Andthelumberingmachinesetout。ItwentdowntheRueGrand-Pont，crossedthePlacedesArts，theQuaiNapoleon，thePontNeuf，andstoppedshortbeforethestatueofPierreCorneille。

“Goon，“criedavoicethatcamefromwithin。

Thecabwentonagain，andassoonasitreachedtheCarrefourLafayette，setoffdown-hill，andenteredthestationatagallop。

“No，straighton!“criedthesamevoice。

Thecabcameoutbythegate，andsoonhavingreachedtheCours，trottedquietlyben