Madame Bovary - Penn State University

Madame Bovarynot put Monsieur Leon out, since he went to town almost of the same kind of life, when no interest inspires and noevery week.hope sustains it. He was so bored with Yonville and its inhabitants,that the sight of certain persons, of certain houses, irri-Why? Monsieur Homais suspected some “young man’s affair”at the bottom of it, an intrigue. But he was mistaken. tated him beyond endurance; and the chemist, good fellowLeon was after no love-making. He was sadder than ever, as though he was, was becoming absolutely unbearable to him.Madame Lefrancois saw from the amount of food he left on Yet the prospect of a new condition of life frightened as muchhis plate. To find out more about it she questioned the taxcollector.Binet answered roughly that he “wasn’t paid by the This apprehension soon changed into impatience, and thenas it seduced him.police.”Paris from afar sounded its fanfare of masked balls with theAll the same, his companion seemed very strange to him, laugh of grisettes. As he was to finish reading there, why notfor Leon often threw himself back in his chair, and stretching set out at once? What prevented him? And he began makingout his arms. Complained vaguely of life.home-preparations; he arranged his occupations beforehand.“It’s because you don’t take enough recreation,” said the collector.artist’s life there! He would take lessons on the guitar! HeHe furnished in his head an apartment. He would lead an“What recreation?”would have a dressing-gown, a Basque cap, blue velvet slippers!He even already was admiring two crossed foils over his“If I were you I’d have a lathe.”“But I don’t know how to turn,” answered the clerk. chimney-piece, with a death’s head on the guitar above them.“Ah! that’s true,” said the other, rubbing his chin with an air The difficulty was the consent of his mother; nothing, however,seemed more reasonable. Even his employer advised himof mingled contempt and satisfaction.Leon was weary of loving without any result; moreover he to go to some other chambers where he could advance morewas beginning to feel that depression caused by the repetition rapidly. Taking a middle course, then, Leon looked for some102