登陆注册
15442100000004

第4章 Chapter One(4)

On the fine summer evenings, at the time when the close streets are empty, when the servants are playing shuttle-cock at the doors, he opened his window and leaned out. The river, that makes of this quarter of Rouen a wretched little Venice, flowed beneath him, between the bridges and the railings, yellow, violet, or blue. Working men, kneeling on the banks, washed their bare arms in the water. On poles projecting from the attics, skeins of cotton were drying in the air. Opposite, beyond the roots spread the pure heaven with the red sun setting. How pleasant it must be at home! How fresh under the beech-tree! And he expanded his nostrils to breathe in the sweet odours of the country which did not reach him.

He grew thin, his figure became taller, his face took a saddened look that made it nearly interesting. Naturally, through indifference, he abandoned all the resolutions he had made. Once he missed a lecture; the next day all the lectures; and, enjoying his idleness, little by little, he gave up work altogether. He got into the habit of going to the public-house, and had a passion for dominoes. To shut himself up every evening in the dirty public room, to push about on marble tables the small sheep bones with black dots, seemed to him a fine proof of his freedom, which raised him in his own esteem. It was beginning to see life, the sweetness of stolen pleasures; and when he entered, he put his hand on the door-handle with a joy almost sensual. Then many things hidden within him came out; he learnt couplets by heart and sang them to his boon companions, became enthusiastic about Beranger, learnt how to make punch, and, finally, how to make love.

Thanks to these preparatory labours, he failed completely in his examination for an ordinary degree. He was expected home the same night to celebrate his success. He started on foot, stopped at the beginning of the village, sent for his mother, and told her all. She excused him, threw the blame of his failure on the injustice of the examiners, encouraged him a little, and took upon herself to set matters straight. It was only five years later that Monsieur Bovary knew the truth; it was old then, and he accepted it. Moreover, he could not believe that a man born of him could be a fool.

So Charles set to work again and crammed for his examination, ceaselessly learning all the old questions by heart. He passed pretty well. What a happy day for his mother! They gave a grand dinner.

Where should he go to practice? To Tostes, where there was only one old doctor. For a long time Madame Bovary had been on the look-out for his death, and the old fellow had barely been packed off when Charles was installed, opposite his place, as his successor.

But it was not everything to have brought up a son, to have had him taught medicine, and discovered Tostes, where he could practice it; he must have a wife. She found him one--the widow of a bailiff at Dieppe--who was forty-five and had an income of twelve hundred francs. Though she was ugly, as dry as a bone, her face with as many pimples as the spring has buds, Madame Dubuc had no lack of suitors. To attain her ends Madame Bovary had to oust them all, and she even succeeded in very cleverly baffling the intrigues of a port-butcher backed up by the priests.

Charles had seen in marriage the advent of an easier life, thinking he would be more free to do as he liked with himself and his money. But his wife was master; he had to say this and not say that in company, to fast every Friday, dress as she liked, harass at her bidding those patients who did not pay. She opened his letter, watched his comings and goings, and listened at the partition-wall when women came to consult him in his surgery.

She must have her chocolate every morning, attentions without end. She constantly complained of her nerves, her chest, her liver. The noise of footsteps made her ill; when people left her, solitude became odious to her; if they came back, it was doubtless to see her die. When Charles returned in the evening, she stretched forth two long thin arms from beneath the sheets, put them round his neck, and having made him sit down on the edge of the bed, began to talk to him of her troubles: he was neglecting her, he loved another. She had been warned she would be unhappy; and she ended by asking him for a dose of medicine and a little more love.

同类推荐
  • 游城南记

    游城南记

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 大丹铅汞论

    大丹铅汞论

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 书

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 疡医大全

    疡医大全

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
  • 郴行录

    郴行录

    本书为公版书,为不受著作权法限制的作家、艺术家及其它人士发布的作品,供广大读者阅读交流。
热门推荐
  • 修仙仙王

    修仙仙王

    无知的读书郎,一朝走上修炼的道路,从此一发不可收拾......
  • 总裁的小萌宝

    总裁的小萌宝

    兮兮是新人,不喜勿喷,小虐小感人霸道总裁,各位亲们可以尽情提意见哦!
  • tfboys先结婚后恋爱

    tfboys先结婚后恋爱

    这篇小说写的和其他的不一样哦,大家想联系我也可以看我的tfboys穿越之旅,上边有QQ,QQ群,微博。
  • 仙剑客栈之白狐

    仙剑客栈之白狐

    这本来就是无聊写的一篇文,内容不多,写的不好,多多包涵。。。
  • 极武魂帝

    极武魂帝

    三尺青锋魂剑,撕天动地、引动九天雷劫!远古黑龙传承,吼破苍穹、唯我霸者无双!剑已出鞘,恩和怨,怎可一笔勾销!且看少年叶澈携带上古神秘铭文,以血染红衣,以骨开生路,搅乱轮回,终要踏上那通天诸神之路!
  • 暮海晴玦

    暮海晴玦

    他,是西方神话中骑士的后裔,也是东方世家的年轻少主,他,曾经无限风光,如今却又是萧索虚廖,东方的奇侠触碰西方的神话,古老的琴心剑魄合上如今的车水马龙,这是一个不一样的现代世界,这是一个机遇与危险并存的时代,看主人公如何在都市的铁林剑起云涌,看异术奇行又怎样纵横隐匿的江湖,年轻十岁的奇迹,惊世骇俗的阴谋,重拾绝美的情感,东西神话的瑰宝,且看今朝一剑出鞘!
  • 武道沧桑:宋代军事训练研究

    武道沧桑:宋代军事训练研究

    本书研究了宋代之前军事训练发展概况、宋代军事训练的时代特征、宋代步兵训练、宋代骑兵训练、宋代水军训练、宋代协同作战训练等内容。
  • 玄鹿

    玄鹿

    在命运的大门前徘徊,在光与暗的夹缝中求索,年少的人们胸中饱含着热血,当整个世界染上了赤色的云霞,少年在银装素裹的世界里并不孤单......
  • 终极养殖

    终极养殖

    二笔大学生刘超发,撞见女友劈腿导致情绪失控,在大雨中狂奔,结果又悲催地被从天而降的冰雹砸晕,醒来后得到一枚空间戒指。戒指内有一个神奇的池塘,里面游动着许多地球上绝对没有的水族,不但外形酷炫萌,拥有极高的观赏价值,而且肉质鲜美,是令顶级大厨都眼红的食材。你说这还不发,老天能答应吗?
  • 欢乐仙途

    欢乐仙途

    别道修仙太艰难,只是他人悟不穿。仙途不知愁何物,一饮一酌乐齐天。懵懂少年步入仙途,携萌宠战英豪。怎使得仙途沉闷寂寞,与知己、美酒相伴寻求成生之道,何其乐哉!