Chapter 9

Often when Charles was out, she took the green silk cigar case from the kitchen cupboard. She looked at it, opened it, and even smelled the odour of tobacco.Whose was it? Perhaps it was a present for the Viscount from his mistress. It had been embroidered, a pretty little thing, hidden from all eyes, that had occupied many hours,and over which had fallen the soft curls of the thoughtful worker. A breath of love had passed over the stitches on the material; each prick of the needle had fixed there a hope or a memory, and all those interwoven threads of silk were but the continuity of the same silent passion. And then, one morning,the Viscount had taken it away with him.

He was in Paris now, far away! What was Paris like?What a vague name! She repeated it in a low voice, for the mere pleasure of it. She bought a plan of Paris, and with the tip of her finger on the map, she walked about the capital.She went up the streets, stopping at every turn between the lines of the streets and in front of the white squares that represented the houses. At last, she would close the lids of her weary eyes, and see the steps of the carriages lowered with much noise before the elegant theatres of Paris.

She bought magazines, reading every word. She read all the accounts of the many races and dances; she took interest in the debut of a singer and in the opening of a new shop. She knew the latest fashions, the addresses of the best tailors, the days of the Opera.

Her thoughts turned away from her own life. All her immediate surroundings , the wearisome country, the middleclass fools, seemed to her exceptional , a peculiar chance that had caught hold of her, while beyond stretched, as far as eye could see, an immense land of joys and passions. She confused her desire for luxury with the delights of the heart, elegance of manners with delicacy of sentiment . Did not love, like Indian plants, need a special soil, a particular temperature?

To replace Natasie (who left Tostes shedding many tears) Emma took into her service a young girl of fourteen, Felicite, an orphan with a sweet face. She forbade her to wear cotton caps,taught her to address her in the third person, to bring a glass of water on a silver plate, to knock before coming into a room,to iron, starch, and to dress her. Emma wished to make a lady's maid of her. The new servant girl obeyed without a murmur , so as not to be sent away.

Emma had bought herself a book of writing paper, a writing case, penholder , and envelopes, although she had no one to write to. She longed to travel or to go back to her convent.She wished at the same time to die and to live in Paris.

Charles, in snow and rain, trotted across country. He ate on farmhouse tables, poked his arm into damp beds,examined basins, turned over a good deal of dirty linen; but every evening, he found a blazing fire, his dinner ready, and a well-dressed woman waiting.

She charmed him by numerous attentions; now it was some new way of arranging the table or an extraordinary name for some very simple dish that the servant had spoiled. The less Charles understood of these refinements, the more they seduced him. They added something to the pleasure of the senses and to the comfort of his fireside . He was well, looked well; his reputation was firmly established .

The country people loved him because he was not proud.He petted the children, never went to pubs, and, moreover, his morals inspired confidence . He was especially successful with chest complaints. Being much afraid of killing his patients,Charles, in fact only prescribed calming medicines. He was not afraid of surgery , however; he bled people, and for the taking out of teeth he had the “ devil 's own wrist.”

Finally, to keep up with the times, he took in a new medical journal . He read it a little after dinner, but in about five minutes, the warmth of the room added to the effect of his dinner, and sent him to sleep. Emma looked at him and shrugged her shoulders. Why, at least, was not her husband one of those men of silent passions, who work at their books all night? She could have wished this name of Bovary, which was hers, to be well-known, to see it displayed at the booksellers', repeated in the newspapers, known to all of France. But Charles had no ambition .

“What a man! What a man!” she said in a low voice,biting her lips. Besides, she was becoming more irritated with him. As he grew older, his manner grew heavier. After eating, he cleaned his teeth with his tongue; in eating soup,he made loud noises with every spoonful; and, as he was getting fatter, his puffed out cheeks seemed to push his eyes,always small, up toward the temples.

Emma, at the bottom of her heart, was waiting for something to happen in her life. Like shipwrecked sailors, she turned despairing eyes upon the solitude of her life, seeking a white sail in the mists of the horizon far off. But each morning,as she awoke, she hoped it would come that day; she listened to every sound, sprang up with a start, wondered why it had not come; then at sunset, always more saddened, she longed for the next day.

Spring came round. With the first warm weather, when the pear trees began to blossom , she suffered from a chest cold. From the beginning of July she counted how many weeks there were to October, thinking that perhaps the Marquis d'Andervilliers would give another ball at Vaubyessard. But all September passed without letters or visits.

After the boredom of this disappointment, her heart once more remained empty, and then, the same series of days recommenced . The future was a dark corridor , with its door at the end shut fast.

She gave up music. What was the good of playing? Who would hear her? It was not worthwhile to bore herself with practicing. Her drawing cardboard and her needlework she left in the cupboard. What was the good? Sewing irritated her, as did reading. “I have read everything,” she said to herself.

The winter was severe . The light shining through the windows was dim , and sometimes did not change the whole day.At four o'clock the lamp had to be lit. On fine days she went down into the garden. No birds were to be heard; everything seemed asleep. She would have liked to go down and talk to the servant, but a sense of shame restrained her. But it was,above all, the mealtimes that were most unbearable to her. All the bitterness in life seemed served up on her plate. Charles was a slow eater; she played with a few nuts, or, leaning on her elbows, amused herself with drawing lines along the table cover with the point of her knife.

She now let everything in her household take care of itself,and Madame Bovary senior, when she came to spend holidays at Tostes, was much surprised at the change. Emma, who was formerly so careful, so ladylike, now passed whole days without dressing. She kept saying they must be economical since they were not rich, adding that she was very contented, very happy,and that Tostes pleased her very much. Besides, Emma no longer seemed inclined to follow her mother-in-law's advice, as she pretended to in the past. Once even, Madame Bovary senior declared that mistresses ought to keep an eye on the religion of their servants, but Emma, instead of respectfully agreeing,answered with so angry a look and so cold a smile that the good old woman did not interfere again.

Emma was growing difficult and impulsive . She ordered dishes for herself, then she did not touch them; one day drank only pure milk, the next, cups of tea by the dozen. Often she persisted in not going out, then, stifling, threw open the windows and put on light dresses. After she had well scolded her servant for some small matter, she repented , giving the girl presents or sending her out to see neighbours. Emma sometimes threw beggars all the silver in her purse, although she was by no means tenderhearted or attentive to the feelings of others.

Towards the end of February, old Rouault, in memory of his cure, brought his son-in-law a superb turkey, and stayed three days at Tostes. Emma no longer concealed her contempt for anything or anybody, including her father. At times, she expressed strange opinions, finding fault with that which others approved, and approving things immoral, all of which made her husband open his eyes wide in shock.

Would this misery last forever? Would she never issue from it? Yet she was as good as all the women who were living happily. She leaned her head against the walls to weep; she longed for masked balls, for violent pleasures, with all the wildness that she did not know, but that these must surely yield.

She grew pale and weak. Charles prescribed calming medicines. Everything that was tried only seemed to irritate her more. As she was constantly complaining about Tostes, Charles fancied that her illness was no doubt due to some local cause,and fixing on this idea, began to think seriously of setting up elsewhere.

Soon enough, she drank pure vinegar, contracted a sharp little cough, and completely lost her appetite . He then decided they must go somewhere else. It cost Charles much to give up Tostes after living there four years and when he was beginning to get on there. Yet, it must be! He took her to Rouen to see his old teacher, who proclaimed Emma needed a change of air.

After looking about him on this side and on that, Charles learned there was a considerable market town called Yonville in need of a doctor. He made up his mind to move towards the spring, if Emma's health did not improve.

When they left Tostes during the month of March, Madame Bovary was pregnant .

odour /ˈəʊdə/ n. 气味

stitch /stɪtʃ/ n. 一针，针脚

prick /prɪk/ n. 扎，刺

interweave /ˌɪntəˈwi:v/ vt. 交织，织进

continuity /ˌkɒntɪˈnju:ɪtɪ/ n. 连续性，连贯性

vague /veɪɡ/ adj .含糊的，不清楚的

mere /mɪə/ adj. 仅仅的

elegant /ˈelɪɡənt/ adj. 文雅的，雅致的

surrounding /səˈraʊndɪŋ/ n. 环境

middleclass /ˈmɪdlˈklɑ:s/ n. 中产阶级

exceptional /ɪkˈsepʃənəl/ adj. 例外的，异常的

elegance /ˈelɪɡəns/ n. 高雅，雅致

sentiment /ˈsentɪmənt/ n. 感情，情感

orphan /ˈɔ:fən/ n. 孤儿

murmur /ˈmɜ:mə/ n. 怨言，牢骚

penholder /ˈpenˌhəʊldə/ n. 笔插，笔架

poke /pəʊk/ vt. 刺，戳，伸

numerous /ˈnju:mərəs/ adj. 无数的，许多的

fireside /ˈfaɪəsaɪd/ n. 家庭

reputation /ˌrepjʊˈteɪʃən/ n. 名誉，名声

establish /ɪˈstæblɪʃ/ vt. 建立

confidence /ˈkɒnfɪdəns/ n. 信心

prescribe /prɪˈskraɪb/ vt. 处（方），开（药）

surgery /ˈsɜ:dʒərɪ/ n. 外科，外科学

devil /ˈdevəl/ n. 魔鬼

journal /ˈdʒɜ:nəl/ n. 刊物，杂志

shrug /ʃrʌɡ/ vt. 耸肩

display /dɪsˈpleɪ/ vt. 陈列，展览

ambition /æmˈbɪʃən/ n. 野心，雄心

puf /pʌf/ vt. 肿大，膨胀

shipwreck /ˈʃɪprek/ vt. 使船只失事，使船下沉

despair /dɪˈspeə/ vi. 绝望

horizon /həˈraɪzən/ n. 地平线

blossom /ˈblɒsəm/ vi. 开花

recommence /ˈri:kəˈmens/ vi. 重新开始

corridor /ˈkɒrɪdɔ:/ n. 走廊

severe /sɪˈvɪə/ adj. 严重的，难熬的

dim /dɪm/ adj. 暗淡的，昏暗的

household /ˈhaʊshəʊld/ n. 家庭

incline /ɪnˈklaɪn/ vt. 使倾向于

interfere /ˌɪntəˈfɪə/ vi. 干涉，妨碍

impulsive /ɪmˈpʌlsɪv/ adj. 冲动的

persist /pəˈsɪst/ vi. 坚持

repent /rɪˈpent/ vi. 后悔，忏悔

beggar /ˈbeɡə/ n. 乞丐

superb /su:pɜ:b/ adj. 极好的

contempt /kənˈtempt/ n. 轻视，轻蔑

irritate /ˈɪrɪteɪt/ vt. 激怒，使急躁

complain /kəmˈpleɪn/ vi. 抱怨

contract /ˈkɒntrækt/ vt. 感染

appetite /ˈæpɪtaɪt/ n. 胃口

proclaim /prəʊˈkleɪm/ vt. 宣布，表明

pregnant /ˈpreɡnənt/ adj. 怀孕的 WPdWWIwHUGdRQGI9SRilKLhuLw/t7PlHLrjVCpXARoUQtnmtWOQdpezmI1JhoI5F