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One morning, old Rouault brought Charles seventy five francs and a turkey for setting his leg.
“I know what it is to lose someone you love,” said he, clapping Charles on the shoulder; “I've been through it. When I lost my dear wife, I went into the fields to be quite alone. I fell at the foot of a tree; I cried; I called on God; I talked nonsense to him. And when I thought that there were others at that very moment with their nice little wives holding them in their embrace , I wished only for death. Well, quite softly, one day following another, a spring after a winter, and an autumn after a summer, this pain will go away, though there will always be a weight in your heart. You must pull yourself together, Mr. Bovary. It will pass. Come see us;my daughter thinks of you now and again, and she says you are forgetting her.”
Charles followed his advice. He went back to the Bertaux.He found all as he had left it, that is to say, as it was five months ago. Farmer Rouault was on his legs again, and came and went,making the farm full of life.
Thinking it his duty to heap the greatest attention upon the doctor because of his sad position, he told stories and was quite jolly . Charles found himself laughing, but the remembrance of his wife suddenly came to him, which depressed him. Coffee was brought in; he thought no more about her.
He thought less of her as he grew accustomed to living alone. The new delight of independence soon made his loneliness bearable. The death of his wife had not served him ill in his business, since for a month, people had been saying,“The poor young man! What a loss!” His name had been talked about, his practice had increased; and moreover, he could go to the Bertaux just as he liked.
While Mr. Rouault was in the fields, Charles sat in the kitchen with his daughter. She began talking of her schooling,Charles of his; words came to them. She showed him her old music books and the little prizes she had won.
Going home at night, Charles went over her words one by one, trying to recall them. Then he wondered what would become of her, if she would be married, and to whom! Alas, old Rouault was rich, and she, so beautiful!
“What if you should marry after all? What if you should marry her?” he found himself thinking at last. Thinking that,after all, he should lose nothing, Charles promised himself to ask her to marry him as soon as the occasion offered itself; but each time, fear filled him, and he was silent.
Old Rouault would not have been sorry to be rid of his daughter, who was of no use to him in the house. In his heart he excused her, thinking her too clever for farming. When, therefore, he perceived that Charles's cheeks grew red if near his daughter, he waited for the young man to speak of the matter. The old man certainly thought him a little weak, and not quite the son-in-law he would have liked, but he was said to be economical and very learned. “If he asks for her,” he said to himself, “I'll give her to him.”
During a short holiday, Charles went to spend three days at the Bertaux. On the last day, old Rouault was seeing him off when Charles, at last, decided to speak about the matter.
“Mr. Rouault,” he murmured , “I should like to say something to you.”
They stopped. Charles was silent.
“Well, tell me your story,” said old Rouault, laughing softly.
“Mr. Rouault... Mr. Rouault,” stammered Charles.
“I ask nothing better than to have you as my son,” the farmer went on. “No doubt, the little one must agree, but she'd best be asked. So, I'll go back home to ask her opinion. If it is'yes,' you needn't return because it might upset her. But, I'll open the window if she accepts.”
And he went off.
Charles fastened his horse to a tree and waited. Half an hour passed, then he counted nineteen minutes by his watch.Suddenly a noise was heard, and Charles saw the window open.
The next day by nine o'clock he was at the farm. Emma blushed as he entered, and she gave a little laugh. It was agreed that the young couple would be married about the spring of next year. The winter passed waiting for this event. When Charles visited the farm, the preparations for the wedding were always talked over.
nonsense /ˈnɒnsəns/ n. 胡说，废话
embrace /ɪmˈbreɪs/ n. 拥抱
jolly /ˈdʒɒlɪ/ adj. 欢乐的，高兴的
depress /dɪˈpres/ vt. 使沮丧
perceive /pəˈsi:v/ vt. 察觉
economical /ˌi:kəˈnɒmɪkəl/ adj. 节约的
murmur /ˈmɜ:mə/ vt. 低声说，低语
blush /blʌʃ/ vi. 脸红