Madame Bovary - Penn State University

FlaubertBathing”; she had the long waist of feudal chatelaines, and Suddenly she seized his head between her hands, kissed himshe resembled the “Pale Woman of Barcelona.” But above all hurriedly on the forehead, crying, “Adieu!” and rushed downshe was the Angel!the stairs.Often looking at her, it seemed to him that his soul, escaping She went to a hairdresser’s in the Rue de la Comedie totowards her, spread like a wave about the outline of her head, have her hair arranged. Night fell; the gas was lighted in theand descended drawn down into the whiteness of her breast. shop. She heard the bell at the theatre calling the mummersHe knelt on the ground before her, and with both elbows on to the performance, and she saw, passing opposite, men withher knees looked at her with a smile, his face upturned. white faces and women in faded gowns going in at the stagedoor.She bent over him, and murmured, as if choking with intoxication—It was hot in the room, small, and too low where the stove“Oh, do not move! do not speak! look at me! Something was hissing in the midst of wigs and pomades. The smell ofso sweet comes from your eyes that helps me so much!” the tongs, together with the greasy hands that handled herShe called him “child.” “Child, do you love me?” head, soon stunned her, and she dozed a little in her wrapper.And she did not listen for his answer in the haste of her lips Often, as he did her hair, the man offered her tickets for athat fastened to his mouth.masked ball.On the clock there was a bronze cupid, who smirked as he Then she went away. She went up the streets; reached thebent his arm beneath a golden garland. They had laughed at it Croix-Rouge, put on her overshoes, that she had hidden inmany a time, but when they had to part everything seemed the morning under the seat, and sank into her place amongserious to them.the impatient passengers. Some got out at the foot of the hill.Motionless in front of each other, they kept repeating, “Till She remained alone in the carriage. At every turning all theThursday, till Thursday.”lights of the town were seen more and more completely, mak-227