Madame Bovary - Penn State University

Madame BovaryDubreuil, Madame Tuvache, and regularly from two to five who had asked to go out, and stammered as she tried to findo’clock the excellent Madame Homais, who, for her part, some pretext. Then suddenly—had never believed any of the tittle-tattle about her neighbour. “So you love him?” she said.The little Homais also came to see her; Justin accompanied And without waiting for any answer from Felicite, whothem. He went up with them to her bedroom, and remained was blushing, she added, “There! run along; enjoy yourself!”standing near the door, motionless and mute. Often even In the beginning of spring she had the garden turned upMadame Bovary; taking no heed of him, began her toilette. from end to end, despite Bovary’s remonstrances. However,She began by taking out her comb, shaking her head with a he was glad to see her at last manifest a wish of any kind. Asquick movement, and when he for the first time saw all this she grew stronger she displayed more wilfulness. First, shemass of hair that fell to her knees unrolling in black ringlets, found occasion to expel Mere Rollet, the nurse, who duringit was to him, poor child! like a sudden entrance into somethingnew and strange, whose splendour terrified him. to the kitchen with her two nurslings and her boarder, betterher convalescence had contracted the habit of coming too oftenEmma, no doubt, did not notice his silent attentions or his off for teeth than a cannibal. Then she got rid of the Homaistimidity. She had no suspicion that the love vanished from family, successively dismissed all the other visitors, and evenher life was there, palpitating by her side, beneath that coarse frequented church less assiduously, to the great approval ofholland shirt, in that youthful heart open to the emanations the druggist, who said to her in a friendly way—of her beauty. Besides, she now enveloped all things with such “You were going in a bit for the cassock!”indifference, she had words so affectionate with looks so As formerly, Monsieur Bournisien dropped in every dayhaughty, such contradictory ways, that one could no longer when he came out after catechism class. He preferred stayingdistinguish egotism from charity, or corruption from virtue. out of doors to taking the air “in the grove,” as he called theOne evening, for example, she was angry with the servant, arbour. This was the time when Charles came home. They186