Madame Bovary - Penn State University

Flaubert“Isn’t it lovely?” said Lheureux. “It is very much used now town she picked up nick-nacks secondhand, that, in defaultfor the backs of arm-chairs. It’s quite the rage.”of anyone else, Monsieur Lheureux would certainly take offAnd, more ready than a juggler, he wrapped up the guipure her hands. She bought ostrich feathers, Chinese porcelain,in some blue paper and put it in Emma’s hands.and trunks; she borrowed from Felicite, from Madame“But at least let me know—”Lefrancois, from the landlady at the Croix-Rouge, from everybody,no matter where.“Yes, another time,” he replied, turning on his heel.That same evening she urged Bovary to write to his mother, With the money she at last received from Barneville sheto ask her to send as quickly as possible the whole of the paid two bills; the other fifteen hundred francs fell due. Shebalance due from the father’s estate. The mother-in-law repliedthat she had nothing more, the winding up was over, Sometimes, it is true, she tried to make a calculation, butrenewed the bills, and thus it was continually.and there was due to them besides Barneville an income of six she discovered things so exorbitant that she could not believehundred francs, that she would pay them punctually. them possible. Then she recommenced, soon got confused,Then Madame Bovary sent in accounts to two or three patients,and she made large use of this method, which was very The house was very dreary now. Tradesmen were seen leav-gave it all up, and thought no more about it.successful. She was always careful to add a postscript: “Do ing it with angry faces. Handkerchiefs were lying about onnot mention this to my husband; you know how proud he the stoves, and little Berthe, to the great scandal of Madameis. Excuse me. Yours obediently.” There were some complaints; Homais, wore stockings with holes in them. If Charles timidlyventured a remark, she answered roughly that it wasn’tshe intercepted them.To get money she began selling her old gloves, her old hats, her fault.the old odds and ends, and she bargained rapaciously, her peasantblood standing her in good stead. Then on her journey to plained everything through her old nervous illness, andWhat was the meaning of all these fits of temper? She ex-re-245