Madame Bovary - Penn State University

Madame BovaryChapter Sevenattic. She kept a desk there in which Rodolphe’s letters werelocked. It had to be opened.SHE WAS STOICAL the next day when Maitre Hareng, the bailiff,with two assistants, presented himself at her house to smile. “But allow me, for I must make sure the box contains“Ah! a correspondence,” said Maitre Hareng, with a discreetdraw up the inventory for the distraint.nothing else.” And he tipped up the papers lightly, as if toThey began with Bovary’s consulting-room, and did not shake out napoleons. Then she grew angered to see this coarsewrite down the phrenological head, which was considered an hand, with fingers red and pulpy like slugs, touching these“instrument of his profession”; but in the kitchen they counted pages against which her heart had beaten.the plates; the saucepans, the chairs, the candlesticks, and in They went at last. Felicite came back. Emma had sent herthe bedroom all the nick-nacks on the whatnot. They examinedher dresses, the linen, the dressing-room; and her whole hurriedly installed the man in possession under the roof, whereout to watch for Bovary in order to keep him off, and theyexistence to its most intimate details, was, like a corpse on he swore he would remain.whom a post-mortem is made, outspread before the eyes of During the evening Charles seemed to her careworn. Emmathese three men.watched him with a look of anguish, fancying she saw anMaitre Hareng, buttoned up in his thin black coat, wearing accusation in every line of his face. Then, when her eyes wanderedover the chimney-piece ornamented with Chinesea white choker and very tight foot-straps, repeated from timeto time—”Allow me, madame. You allow me?” Often he screens, over the large curtains, the armchairs, all those things,uttered exclamations. “Charming! very pretty.” Then he beganwriting again, dipping his pen into the horn inkstand in morse seized her or rather an immense regret, that, far fromin a word, that had, softened the bitterness of her life, re-his left hand.crushing, irritated her passion. Charles placidly poked the fire,When they had done with the rooms they went up to the both his feet on the fire-dogs.252