第67章

“Yesterday，bytheBois-Guillaumehill，askittishhorse——“Andthenfollowedthestoryofanaccidentcausedbythepresenceoftheblindman。

Hemanagedsowellthatthefellowwaslockedup。Buthewasreleased。Hebeganagain，andHomaisbeganagain。Itwasastruggle。Homaiswonit，forhisfoewascondemnedtolife-longconfinementinanasylum。

Thissuccessemboldenedhim，andhenceforththerewasnolongeradogrunover，abarnburntdown，awomanbeatenintheparish，ofwhichhedidnotimmediatelyinformthepublic，guidedalwaysbytheloveofprogressandthehateofpriests。Heinstitutedcomparisonsbetweentheelementaryandclericalschoolstothedetrimentofthelatter；calledtomindthemassacreofSt。

Bartholomewaproposofagrantofonehundredfrancstothechurch，anddenouncedabuses，airednewviews。Thatwashisphrase。Homaiswasdigginganddelving；hewasbecomingdangerous。

However，hewasstiflinginthenarrowlimitsofjournalism，andsoonabook，aworkwasnecessarytohim。Thenhecomposed“GeneralStatisticsoftheCantonofYonville，followedbyClimatologicalRemarks。“Thestatisticsdrovehimtophilosophy。

Hebusiedhimselfwithgreatquestions：thesocialproblem：

moralisationofthepoorerclasses，pisciculture，caoutchouc，railways，etc。Heevenbegantoblushatbeingabourgeois。Heaffectedtheartisticstyle，hesmoked。HeboughttwochicPompadourstatuettestoadornhisdrawing-room。

Hebynomeansgaveuphisshop。Onthecontrary，hekeptwellabreastofnewdiscoveries。Hefollowedthegreatmovementofchocolates；hewasthefirsttointroduce“cocoa“and“revalenta“

intotheSeine-Inferieure。Hewasenthusiasticaboutthehydro-electricPulvermacherchains；heworeonehimself，andwhenatnighthetookoffhisflannelvest，MadameHomaisstoodquitedazzledbeforethegoldenspiralbeneathwhichhewashidden，andfeltherardourredoubleforthismanmorebandagedthanaScythian，andsplendidasoneoftheMagi。

HehadfineideasaboutEmma’stomb。Firstheproposedabrokencolumnwithsomedrapery，nextapyramid，thenaTempleofVesta，asortofrotunda，orelsea“massofruins。“AndinallhisplansHomaisalwaysstucktotheweepingwillow，whichhelookeduponastheindispensablesymbolofsorrow。

CharlesandhemadeajourneytoRouentogethertolookatsometombsatafuneralfurnisher’s，accompaniedbyanartist，oneVaufrylard，afriendofBridoux’s，whomadepunsallthetime。Atlast，afterhavingexaminedsomehundreddesigns，havingorderedanestimateandmadeanotherjourneytoRouen，Charlesdecidedinfavourofamausoleum，whichonthetwoprincipalsideswastohavea“spiritbearinganextinguishedtorch。“

Astotheinscription，HomaiscouldthinkofnothingsofineasStaviator*，andhegotnofurther；herackedhisbrain，heconstantlyrepeatedStaviator。AtlasthehituponAmabilenconjugemcalcas**，whichwasadopted。

*Resttraveler。

**Treaduponalovingwife。

AstrangethingwasthatBovary，whilecontinuallythinkingofEmma，wasforgettingher。Hegrewdesperateashefeltthisimagefadingfromhismemoryinspiteofalleffortstoretainit。Yeteverynighthedreamtofher；itwasalwaysthesamedream。Hedrewnearher，butwhenhewasabouttoclasphershefellintodecayinhisarms。

Foraweekhewasseengoingtochurchintheevening。MonsieurBournisienevenpaidhimtwoorthreevisits，thengavehimup。

Moreover，theoldfellowwasgrowingintolerant，fanatic，saidHomais。Hethunderedagainstthespiritoftheage，andneverfailed，everyotherweek，inhissermon，torecountthedeathagonyofVoltaire，whodied