Madame Bovary - Penn State University

Madame Bovaryfather-in-law, the old Duke de Laverdiere, once on a time Charles’s trousers were tight across the belly.favourite of the Count d’Artois, in the days of the Vaudreuil “My trouser-straps will be rather awkward for dancing,” hehunting-parties at the Marquis de Conflans’, and had been, it said.was said, the lover of Queen Marie Antoinette, between “Dancing?” repeated Emma.Monsieur de Coigny and Monsieur de Lauzun. He had lived “Yes!”a life of noisy debauch, full of duels, bets, elopements; he had “Why, you must be mad! They would make fun of you;squandered his fortune and frightened all his family. A servantbehind his chair named aloud to him in his ear the dishes she added.keep your place. Besides, it is more becoming for a doctor,”that he pointed to stammering, and constantly Emma’s eyes Charles was silent. He walked up and down waiting forturned involuntarily to this old man with hanging lips, as to Emma to finish dressing.something extraordinary. He had lived at court and slept in He saw her from behind in the glass between two lights.the bed of queens! Iced champagne was poured out. Emma Her black eyes seemed blacker than ever. Her hair, undulatingshivered all over as she felt it cold in her mouth. She had towards the ears, shone with a blue lustre; a rose in her chignontrembled on its mobile stalk, with artificial dewdropsnever seen pomegranates nor tasted pineapples. The powderedsugar even seemed to her whiter and finer than elsewhere. on the tip of the leaves. She wore a gown of pale saffronThe ladies afterwards went to their rooms to prepare for trimmed with three bouquets of pompon roses mixed withthe ball.green.Emma made her toilet with the fastidious care of an actress Charles came and kissed her on her shoulder.on her debut. She did her hair according to the directions of “Let me alone!” she said; “you are tumbling me.”the hairdresser, and put on the barege dress spread out upon One could hear the flourish of the violin and the notes of athe bed.horn. She went downstairs restraining herself from running.44