madame bovary-第17部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


suddenly　came　into　the　kitchen。　By　the　last　gleam　of　the　twilight
one　could　see　that　his　face　was　rubicund　and　his　form　athletic。

〃What　can　I　do　for　you；　Monsieur　le　Curie？〃　asked　the　landlady；
as　she　reached　down　from　the　chimney　one　of　the　copper
candlesticks　placed　with　their　candles　in　a　row。　〃Will　you　take
something？　A　thimbleful　of　Cassis*？　A　glass　of　wine？〃

*Black　currant　liqueur。

The　priest　declined　very　politely。　He　had　come　for　his　umbrella；
that　he　had　forgotten　the　other　day　at　the　Ernemont　convent；　and
after　asking　Madame　Lefrancois　to　have　it　sent　to　him　at　the
presbytery　in　the　evening；　he　left　for　the　church；　from　which　the
Angelus　was　ringing。

When　the　chemist　no　longer　heard　the　noise　of　his　boots　along　the
square；　he　thought　the　priest's　behaviour　just　now　very
unbecoming。　This　refusal　to　take　any　refreshment　seemed　to　him
the　most　odious　hypocrisy；　all　priests　tippled　on　the　sly；　and
were　trying　to　bring　back　the　days　of　the　tithe。

The　landlady　took　up　the　defence　of　her　curie。

〃Besides；　he　could　double　up　four　men　like　you　over　his　knee。

Last　year　he　helped　our　people　to　bring　in　the　straw；　he　carried
as　many　as　six　trusses　at　once；　he　is　so　strong。〃

〃Bravo！〃　said　the　chemist。　〃Now　just　send　your　daughters　to
confess　to　fellows　which　such　a　temperament！　I；　if　I　were　the
Government；　I'd　have　the　priests　bled　once　a　month。　Yes；　Madame
Lefrancois；　every　montha　good　phlebotomy；　in　the　interests　of
the　police　and　morals。〃

〃Be　quiet；　Monsieur　Homais。　You　are　an　infidel；　you've　no
religion。〃

The　chemist　answered：　〃I　have　a　religion；　my　religion；　and　I　even
have　more　than　all　these　others　with　their　mummeries　and　their
juggling。　I　adore　God；　on　the　contrary。　I　believe　in　the　Supreme
Being；　in　a　Creator；　whatever　he　may　be。　I　care　little　who　has
placed　us　here　below　to　fulfil　our　duties　as　citizens　and　fathers
of　families；　but　I　don't　need　to　go　to　church　to　kiss　silver
plates；　and　fatten；　out　of　my　pocket；　a　lot　of　good…for…nothings
who　live　better　than　we　do。　For　one　can　know　Him　as　well　in　a
wood；　in　a　field；　or　even　contemplating　the　eternal　vault　like
the　ancients。　My　God！　Mine　is　the　God　of　Socrates；　of　Franklin；
of　Voltaire；　and　of　Beranger！　I　am　for　the　profession　of　faith　of
the　'Savoyard　Vicar；'　and　the　immortal　principles　of　'89！　And　I
can't　admit　of　an　old　boy　of　a　God　who　takes　walks　in　his　garden
with　a　cane　in　his　hand；　who　lodges　his　friends　in　the　belly　of
whales；　dies　uttering　a　cry；　and　rises　again　at　the　end　of　three
days；　things　absurd　in　themselves；　and　completely　opposed；
moreover；　to　all　physical　laws；　which　prove　to　us；　by　the　way；
that　priests　have　always　wallowed　in　turpid　ignorance；　in　which
they　would　fain　engulf　the　people　with　them。〃

He　ceased；　looking　round　for　an　audience；　for　in　his　bubbling
over　the　chemist　had　for　a　moment　fancied　himself　in　the　midst　of
the　town　council。　But　the　landlady　no　longer　heeded　him；　she　was
listening　to　a　distant　rolling。　One　could　distinguish　the　noise
of　a　carriage　mingled　with　the　clattering　of　loose　horseshoes
that　beat　against　the　ground；　and　at　last　the　〃Hirondelle〃
stopped　at　the　door。

It　was　a　yellow　box　on　two　large　wheels；　that；　reaching　to　the
tilt；　prevented　travelers　from　seeing　the　road　and　dirtied　their
shoulders。　The　small　panes　of　the　narrow　windows　rattled　in　their
sashes　when　the　coach　was　closed；　and　retained　here　and　there
patches　of　mud　amid　the　old　layers　of　dust；　that　not　even　storms
of　rain　had　altogether　washed　away。　It　was　drawn　by　three　horses；
the　first　a　leader；　and　when　it　came　down…hill　its　bottom　jolted
against　the　ground。

Some　of　the　inhabitants　of　Yonville　came　out　into　the　square；
they　all　spoke　at　once；　asking　for　news；　for　explanations；　for
hampers。　Hivert　did　not　know　whom　to　answer。　It　was　he　who　did
the　errands　of　the　place　in　town。　He　went　to　the　shops　and
brought　back　rolls　of　leather　for　the　shoemaker；　old　iron　for　the
farrier；　a　barrel　of　herrings　for　his　mistress；　caps　from　the
milliner's；l　locks　from　the　hair…dresser's　and　all　along　the　road
on　his　return　journey　he　distributed　his　parcels；　which　he　threw；
standing　upright　on　his　seat　and　shouting　at　the　top　of　his
voice；　over　the　enclosures　of　the　yards。

An　accident　had　delayed　him。　Madame　Bovary's　greyhound　had　run
across　the　field。　They　had　whistled　for　him　a　quarter　of　an　hour；
Hivert　had　even　gone　back　a　mile　and　a　half　expecting　every
moment　to　catch　sight　of　her；　but　it　had　been　necessary　to　go　on。

Emma　had　wept；　grown　angry；　she　had　accused　Charles　of　this
misfortune。　Monsieur　Lheureux；　a　draper；　who　happened　to　be　in
the　coach　with　her；　had　tried　to　console　her　by　a　number　of
examples　of　lost　dogs　recognizing　their　masters　at　the　end　of
long　years。　One；　he　said　had　been　told　of；　who　had　come　back　to
Paris　from　Constantinople。　Another　had　gone　one　hundred　and　fifty
miles　in　a　straight　line；　and　swum　four　rivers；　and　his　own
father　had　possessed　a　poodle；　which；　after　twelve　years　of
absence；　had　all　of　a　sudden　jumped　on　his　back　in　the　street　as
he　was　going　to　dine　in　town。



Chapter　Two

Emma　got　out　first；　then　Felicite；　Monsieur　Lheureux；　and　a
nurse；　and　they　had　to　wake　up　Charles　in　his　corner；　where　he
had　slept　soundly　since　night　set　in。

Homais　introduced　himself；　he　offered　his　homages　to　madame　and
his　respects　to　monsieur；　said　he　was　charmed　to　have　been　able
to　render　them　some　slight　service；　and　added　with　a　cordial　air
that　he　had　ventured　to　invite　himself；　his　wife　being　away。

When　Madame　Bovary　was　in　the　kitchen　she　went　up　to　the　chimney。

With　the　tips　of　her　fingers　she　caught　her　dress　at　the　knee；
and　having　thus　pulled　it　up　to　her　ankle；　held　out　her　foot　in
its　black　boot　to　the　fire　above　the　revolving　leg　of　mutton。　The
flame　lit　up　the　whole　of　her；　penetrating　with　a　crude　light　the
woof　of　her　gowns；　the　fine　pores　of　her　fair　skin；　and　even　her
eyelids；　which　she　blinked　now　and　again。　A　great　red　glow　passed
over　her　with　the　blowing　of　the　wind　through　the　half…open　door。

On　the　other　side　of　the　chimney　a　young　man　with　fair　hair
watched　her　silently。

As　he　was　a　good　deal　bored　at　Yonville；　where　he　was　a　clerk　at
the　notary's；　Monsieur　Guillaumin；　Monsieur　Leon　Dupuis　（it　was
he　who　was　the　second　habitue　of　the　〃Lion　d'Or〃）　frequently　put
back　his　dinner…hour　in　hope　that　some　traveler　might　come　to　the
inn；　with　whom　he　could　chat　in　the　evening。　On　the　days　when　his
work　was　done　early；　he　had；　for　want　of　something　else　to　do；　to
come　punctually；　and　endure　from　soup　to　cheese　a　tete…a…tete
with　Binet。　It　was　therefore　with　delight　that　he　accepted　the
landlady's　suggestion　that　he　should　dine　in　company　with　the
newcomers；　and　they　passed　into　the　large　parlour　where　Madame
Lefrancois；　for　the　purpose　of　showing　off；　had　had　the　table
laid　for　four。

Homais　asked　to　be　allowed　to　keep　on　his　skull…cap；　for　fear　of
coryza；　then；　turning　to　his　neighbour

〃Madame　is　no　doubt　a　little　fatigued；　one　gets　jolted　so
abominably　in　our　'Hirondelle。'〃

〃That　is　true；〃　replied　Emma；　〃but　moving　about　always　amuses　me。
I　like　change　of　place。〃

〃It　is　so　tedious；〃　sighed　the　clerk；　〃to　be　always　riveted　to
the　same　places。〃

〃If　you　were　like　me；〃　said　Charles；　〃constantly　obliged　to　be　in
the　saddle〃

〃But；〃　Leon　went　on；　addressing　himself　to　Madame　Bovary；
〃nothing；　it　seems　to　me；　is　more　pleasantwhen　one　can；〃　he
added。

〃Moreover；〃　said　the　druggist；　〃the　practice　of　medicine　is　not
very　hard　work　in　our　part　of　the　world；　for　the　state　of　our
roads　allows　us　the　use　of　gigs；　and　generally；　as　the　farmers
are　prosperous；　they　pay　pretty　well。　We　have；　medically
speaking；　besides　the　ordinary　cases　of　enteritis；　bronchitis；
bilious　affections；　etc。；　now　and　then　a　few　intermittent　fevers
at　harvest…time；　but　on　the　whole；　little　of　a　serious　nature；
nothing　special　to　note；　unless　it　be　a　great　deal　of　scrofula；
due；　no　doubt；　to　the　deplorable　hygienic　conditions　of　our
peasant　dwellings。　Ah！　you　will　find　many　prejudices　to　combat；
Monsieur　Bovary；　much　obstinacy　of　routine；　with　which　all　the
efforts　of　your　science　will　daily　come　into　collision；　for
people　still　have　recourse　to　novenas；　to　relics；　to　the　priest；
rather　than　come　straight　to　the　doctor　of　the　chemist。　The
climate；　however；　is　not；　truth　to　tell；　bad；　and　we　even　have　a
few　nonagenarians　in　our　parish。　The　thermometer　（I　have　made
some　observations）　falls　in　winter　to　4　degrees　Centigrade　at　the
outside；　which　gives　us　24　degrees　Reaumur　as　the　maximum；　or
otherwise　54　degrees　Fahrenheit　（English　scale）；　not　more。　And；
as　a　matter　of　fact；　we　are　sheltered　from　the　north　winds　by　the
forest　of　Argueil　on　the　one　side；　from　the　west　winds　by　the　St。
Jean　range　on　the　other；　and　this　heat；　moreover；　which；　on
account　of　the　aqueous　vapours　given　off　by　the　river　and　the
considerable　number　of　cattle　in　the　fields；　which；　as　you　know；
exhale　much　ammonia；　that　is　to　say；　nitrogen；　hydrogen　and
oxygen　（no；　nitrogen　and　hydrogen　alone）；　and　which　sucking　up
into　itself　the　humus　from　the　ground；　mixing　together　all　those
different　emanations；　unites　t