第53章

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。Invaintheclerkt