WhenMadameBovarywasinthekitchenshewentuptothechimney。
Withthetipsofherfingersshecaughtherdressattheknee，andhavingthuspulledituptoherankle，heldoutherfootinitsblackboottothefireabovetherevolvinglegofmutton。Theflamelitupthewholeofher，penetratingwithacrudelightthewoofofhergowns，thefineporesofherfairskin，andevenhereyelids，whichsheblinkednowandagain。Agreatredglowpassedoverherwiththeblowingofthewindthroughthehalf-opendoor。
Ontheothersideofthechimneyayoungmanwithfairhairwatchedhersilently。
AshewasagooddealboredatYonville，wherehewasaclerkatthenotary’s，MonsieurGuillaumin，MonsieurLeonDupuisitwashewhowasthesecondhabitueofthe“Liond’Or“frequentlyputbackhisdinner-hourinhopethatsometravelermightcometotheinn，withwhomhecouldchatintheevening。Onthedayswhenhisworkwasdoneearly，hehad，forwantofsomethingelsetodo，tocomepunctually，andendurefromsouptocheeseatete-a-tetewithBinet。Itwasthereforewithdelightthatheacceptedthelandlady’ssuggestionthatheshoulddineincompanywiththenewcomers，andtheypassedintothelargeparlourwhereMadameLefrancois，forthepurposeofshowingoff，hadhadthetablelaidforfour。
Homaisaskedtobeallowedtokeeponhisskull-cap，forfearofcoryza；then，turningtohisneighbour——
“Madameisnodoubtalittlefatigued；onegetsjoltedsoabominablyinour’Hirondelle。’“
“Thatistrue，“repliedEmma；“butmovingaboutalwaysamusesme。
Ilikechangeofplace。“
“Itissotedious，“sighedtheclerk，“tobealwaysrivetedtothesameplaces。“
“Ifyouwerelikeme，“saidCharles，“constantlyobligedtobeinthesaddle“——
“But，“Leonwenton，addressinghimselftoMadameBovary，“nothing，itseemstome，ismorepleasant——whenonecan，“headded。
“Moreover，“saidthedruggist，“thepracticeofmedicineisnotveryhardworkinourpartoftheworld，forthestateofourroadsallowsustheuseofgigs，andgenerally，asthefarmersareprosperous，theypayprettywell。Wehave，medicallyspeaking，besidestheordinarycasesofenteritis，bronchitis，biliousaffections，etc。，nowandthenafewintermittentfeversatharvest-time；butonthewhole，littleofaseriousnature，nothingspecialtonote，unlessitbeagreatdealofscrofula，due，nodoubt，tothedeplorablehygienicconditionsofourpeasantdwellings。Ah!youwillfindmanyprejudicestocombat，MonsieurBovary，muchobstinacyofroutine，withwhichalltheeffortsofyoursciencewilldailycomeintocollision；forpeoplestillhaverecoursetonovenas，torelics，tothepriest，ratherthancomestraighttothedoctorofthechemist。Theclimate，however，isnot，truthtotell，bad，andweevenhaveafewnonagenariansinourparish。ThethermometerIhavemadesomeobservationsfallsinwinterto4degreesCentigradeattheoutside，whichgivesus24degreesReaumurasthemaximum，orotherwise54degreesFahrenheitEnglishscale，notmore。And，asamatteroffact，weareshelteredfromthenorthwindsbytheforestofArgueilontheoneside，fromthewestwindsbytheSt。
Jeanrangeontheother；andthisheat，moreover，which，onaccountoftheaqueousvapoursgivenoffbytheriverandtheconsiderablenumberofcattleinthefields，which，asyouknow，exhalemuchammonia，thatistosay，nitrogen，hydrogenandoxygenno，nitrogenandhydrogenalone，andwhichsuckingupintoitselfthehumusfromtheground，mixingtogetherallthosedifferentemanations，unitesthemintoastack，sotosay，andcombiningwiththeelectricitydiffusedthroughtheatmosphere，whenthereisany，mightinthelongrun，asintropicalcountries，engenderinsalubriousmiasmata——thisheat，Isay，findsitselfperfectlytemperedonthesidewhenceitcomes，orratherwhenceitshouldcome——thatistosay，thesouthernside——
bythesouth-easternwinds，which，havingcooledthemselvespassingovertheSeine，reachussometimesallatoncelikebreezesfromRussia。“
“Atanyrate，youhavesomewalksintheneighbourhood？“
continuedMadameBovary，speakingtotheyoungman。
“Oh，veryfew，“heanswered。“ThereisaplacetheycallLaPature，onthetopofthehill，ontheedgeoftheforest。
Sometimes，onSundays，Igoandstaytherewithabook，watchingthesunset。“
“Ithinkthereisnothingsoadmirableassunsets，“sheresumed；
“butespeciallybythesideofthesea。“
“Oh，Iadorethesea!“saidMonsieurLeon。
“Andthen，doesitnotseemtoyou，“continuedMadameBovary，“thatthemindtravelsmorefreelyonthislimitlessexpanse，thecontemplationofwhichelevatesthesoul，givesideasoftheinfinite，theideal？“
“Itisthesamewithmountainouslandscapes，“continuedLeon。“A
cousinofminewhotravelledinSwitzerlandlastyeartoldmethatonecouldnotpicturetooneselfthepoetryofthelakes，thecharmofthewaterfalls，thegiganticeffectoftheglaciers。
Oneseespinesofincrediblesizeacrosstorrents，cottagessuspendedoverprecipices，and，athousandfeetbelowone，wholevalleyswhenthecloudsopen。Suchspectaclesmuststirtoenthusiasm，inclinetoprayer，toecstasy；andInolongermarvelatthatcelebratedmusicianwho，thebettertoinspirehisimagination，wasinthehabitofplayingthepianobeforesomeimposingsite。“
“Youplay？“sheasked。
“No，butIamveryfondofmusic，“hereplied。
“Ah!don’tyoulistentohim，MadameBovary，“interruptedHomais，bendingoverhisplate。“That’ssheermodesty。Why，mydearfellow，theotherdayinyourroomyouweresinging’L’AngeGardien’ravishingly。Iheardyoufromthelaboratory。Yougaveitlikeanactor。“
Leon，infact，lodgedatthechemist’swherehehadasmallroomonthesecondfloor，overlookingthePlace。Heblushedatthecomplimentofhislandlord，whohadalreadyturnedtothedoctor，andwasenumeratingtohim，oneaftertheother，alltheprincipalinhabitantsofYonville。Hewastellinganecdotes，givinginformation；thefortuneofthenotarywasnotknownexactly，and“therewastheTuvachehousehold，“whomadeagooddealofshow。
Emmacontinued，“Andwhatmusicdoyouprefer？“
“Oh，Germanmusic；thatwhichmakesyoudream。“
“Haveyoubeentotheopera？“
“Notyet；butIshallgonextyear，whenIamlivingatParistofinishreadingforthebar。“
“AsIhadthehonourofputtingittoyourhusband，“saidthechemist，“withregardtothispoorYanodawhohasrunaway，youwillfindyourself，thankstohisextravagance，inthepossessionofoneofthemostcomfortablehousesofYonville。ItsgreatestconvenienceforadoctorisadoorgivingontheWalk，whereonecangoinandoutunseen。Moreover，itcontainseverythingthatisagreeableinahousehold——alaundry，kitchenwithoffices，sitting-room，fruit-room，andsoon。Hewasagaydog，whodidn’tcarewhathespent。Attheendofthegarden，bythesideofthewater，hehadanarbourbuiltjustforthepurposeofdrinkingbeerinsummer；andifmadameisfondofgardeningshewillbeable——“
“Mywifedoesn’tcareaboutit，“saidCharles；“althoughshehasbeenadvisedtotakeexercise，sheprefersalwayssittinginherroomreading。“
“Likeme，“repliedLeon。“Andindeed，whatisbetterthantositbyone’sfiresideintheeveningwithabook，whilethewindbeatsagainstthewindowandthelampisburning？“
“What，indeed？“shesaid，fixingherlargeblackeyeswideopenuponhim。
“Onethinksofnothing，“hecontinued；“thehoursslipby。
Motionlesswetraversecountrieswefancywesee，andyourthought，blindingwiththefiction，playingwiththedetails，followstheoutlineoftheadventures。Itmingleswiththecharacters，anditseemsasifitwereyourselfpalpitatingbeneaththeircostumes。“
“Thatistrue!Thatistrue？“shesaid。
“Hasiteverhappenedtoyou，“Leonwenton，“tocomeacrosssomevagueideaofone’sowninabook，somedimimagethatcomesbacktoyoufromafar，andasthecompletestexpressionofyourownslightestsentiment？“
“Ihaveexperiencedit，“shereplied。
“Thatiswhy，“hesaid，“Iespeciallylovethepoets。Ithinkversemoretenderthanprose，andthatitmovesfarmoreeasilytotears。“
“Stillinthelongrunitistiring，“continuedEmma。NowI，onthecontrary，adorestoriesthatrushbreathlesslyalong，thatfrightenone。Idetestcommonplaceheroesandmoderatesentiments，suchasthereareinnature。“
“Infact，“observedtheclerk，“theseworks，nottouchingtheheart，miss，itseemstome，thetrueendofart。Itissosweet，amidallthedisenchantmentsoflife，tobeabletodwellinthoughtuponnoblecharacters，pureaffections，andpicturesofhappiness。Formyself，livingherefarfromtheworld，thisismyonedistraction；butYonvilleaffordssofewresources。“
“LikeTostes，nodoubt，“repliedEmma；“andsoIalwayssubscribedtoalendinglibrary。“
“Ifmadamewilldomethehonourofmakinguseofit“，saidthechemist，whohadjustcaughtthelastwords，“Ihaveatherdisposalalibrarycomposedofthebestauthors，Voltaire，Rousseau，Delille，WalterScott，the’EchodesFeuilletons’；andinadditionIreceivevariousperiodicals，amongthemthe’FanaldeRouen’daily，havingtheadvantagetobeitscorrespondentforthedistrictsofBuchy，Forges，Neufchatel，Yonville，andvicinity。“
Fortwohoursandahalftheyhadbeenattable；fortheservantArtemis，carelesslydraggingheroldlistslippersovertheflags，broughtoneplateaftertheother，forgoteverything，andconstantlyleftthedoorofthebilliard-roomhalfopen，sothatitbeatagainstthewallwithitshooks。