ChapterEightAtlastitcame，thefamousagriculturalshow。Onthemorningofthesolemnityalltheinhabitantsattheirdoorswerechattingoverthepreparations。Thepedimentofthetownhallhadbeenhungwithgarlandsofivy；atenthadbeenerectedinameadowforthebanquet；andinthemiddleofthePlace，infrontofthechurch，akindofbombardewastoannouncethearrivaloftheprefectandthenamesofthesuccessfulfarmerswhohadobtainedprizes。TheNationalGuardofBuchytherewasnoneatYonville
hadcometojointhecorpsoffiremen，ofwhomBinetwascaptain。
Onthatdayheworeacollarevenhigherthanusual；and，tightlybuttonedinhistunic，hisfigurewassostiffandmotionlessthatthewholevitalportionofhispersonseemedtohavedescendedintohislegs，whichroseinacadenceofsetstepswithasinglemovement。Astherewassomerivalrybetweenthetax-collectorandthecolonel，both，toshowofftheirtalents，drilledtheirmenseparately。Onesawtheredepaulettesandtheblackbreastplatespassandre-passalternately；therewasnoendtoit，anditconstantlybeganagain。Therehadneverbeensuchadisplayofpomp。Severalcitizenshadscouredtheirhousestheeveningbefore；tri-colouredflagshungfromhalf-openwindows；
allthepublic-houseswerefull；andinthelovelyweatherthestarchedcaps，thegoldencrosses，andthecolouredneckerchiefsseemedwhiterthansnow，shoneinthesun，andrelievedwiththemotleycoloursthesombremonotonyofthefrock-coatsandbluesmocks。Theneighbouringfarmers’wives，whentheygotofftheirhorses，pulledoutthelongpinsthatfastenedaroundthemtheirdresses，turnedupforfearofmud；andthehusbands，fortheirpart，inordertosavetheirhats，kepttheirhandkerchiefsaroundthem，holdingonecornerbetweentheirteeth。
Thecrowdcameintothemainstreetfrombothendsofthevillage。Peoplepouredinfromthelanes，thealleys，thehouses；
andfromtimetotimeoneheardknockersbangingagainstdoorsclosingbehindwomenwiththeirgloves，whoweregoingouttoseethefete。Whatwasmostadmiredweretwolonglamp-standscoveredwithlanterns，thatflankedaplatformonwhichtheauthoritiesweretosit。Besidesthistherewereagainstthefourcolumnsofthetownhallfourkindsofpoles，eachbearingasmallstandardofgreenishcloth，embellishedwithinscriptionsingoldletters。
Ononewaswritten，“ToCommerce“；ontheother，“ToAgriculture“；onthethird，“ToIndustry“；andonthefourth，“TotheFineArts。“
ButthejubilationthatbrightenedallfacesseemedtodarkenthatofMadameLefrancois，theinnkeeper。Standingonherkitchen-stepsshemutteredtoherself，“Whatrubbish!whatrubbish!Withtheircanvasbooth!Dotheythinktheprefectwillbegladtodinedownthereunderatentlikeagipsy？Theycallallthisfussingdoinggoodtotheplace!Thenitwasn’tworthwhilesendingtoNeufchatelforthekeeperofacookshop!Andforwhom？Forcowherds!tatterdemalions!“
Thedruggistwaspassing。Hehadonafrock-coat，nankeentrousers，beavershoes，and，forawonder，ahatwithalowcrown。
“Yourservant!Excuseme，Iaminahurry。“Andasthefatwidowaskedwherehewasgoing——
“Itseemsoddtoyou，doesn’tit，Iwhoamalwaysmorecoopedupinmylaboratorythantheman’sratinhischeese。“
“Whatcheese？“askedthelandlady。
“Oh，nothing!nothing!“Homaiscontinued。“Imerelywishedtoconveytoyou，MadameLefrancois，thatIusuallyliveathomelikearecluse。To-day，however，consideringthecircumstances，itisnecessary——“
“Oh，you’regoingdownthere!“shesaidcontemptuously。
“Yes，Iamgoing，“repliedthedruggist，astonished。“AmInotamemberoftheconsultingcommission？“
MereLefrancoislookedathimforafewmoments，andendedbysayingwithasmile——
“That’sanotherpairofshoes!Butwhatdoesagriculturemattertoyou？Doyouunderstandanythingaboutit？“
“CertainlyIunderstandit，sinceIamadruggist——thatistosay，achemist。Andtheobjectofchemistry，MadameLefrancois，beingtheknowledgeofthereciprocalandmolecularactionofallnaturalbodies，itfollowsthatagricultureiscomprisedwithinitsdomain。And，infact，thecompositionofthemanure，thefermentationofliquids，theanalysesofgases，andtheinfluenceofmiasmata，what，Iaskyou，isallthis，ifitisn’tchemistry，pureandsimple？“
Thelandladydidnotanswer。Homaiswenton——
“Doyouthinkthattobeanagriculturistitisnecessarytohavetilledtheearthorfattenedfowlsoneself？Itisnecessaryrathertoknowthecompositionofthesubstancesinquestion——thegeologicalstrata，theatmosphericactions，thequalityofthesoil，theminerals，thewaters，thedensityofthedifferentbodies，theircapillarity，andwhatnot。Andonemustbemasterofalltheprinciplesofhygieneinordertodirect，criticizetheconstructionofbuildings，thefeedingofanimals，thedietofdomestics。And，moreover，MadameLefrancois，onemustknowbotany，beabletodistinguishbetweenplants，youunderstand，whicharethewholesomeandthosethataredeleterious，whichareunproductiveandwhichnutritive，ifitiswelltopullthemuphereandre-sowthemthere，topropagatesome，destroyothers；inbrief，onemustkeeppacewithsciencebymeansofpamphletsandpublicpapers，bealwaysonthealerttofindoutimprovements。“
Thelandladynevertookhereyesoffthe“CafeFrancois“andthechemistwenton——
“WouldtoGodouragriculturistswerechemists，orthatatleasttheywouldpaymoreattentiontothecounselsofscience。ThuslatelyImyselfwroteaconsiderabletract，amemoirofoverseventy-twopages，entitled，’Cider，itsManufactureanditsEffects，togetherwithsomeNewReflectionsontheSubject，’thatIsenttotheAgriculturalSocietyofRouen，andwhichevenprocuredmethehonourofbeingreceivedamongitsmembers——Section，Agriculture；Class，Pomological。
Well，ifmyworkhadbeengiventothepublic——“Butthedruggiststopped，MadameLefrancoisseemedsopreoccupied。
“Justlookatthem!“shesaid。“It’spastcomprehension!Suchacookshopasthat!“Andwithashrugoftheshouldersthatstretchedoutoverherbreastthestitchesofherknittedbodice，shepointedwithbothhandsatherrival’sinn，whencesongswereheardissuing。“Well，itwon’tlastlong，“sheadded。“It’llbeoverbeforeaweek。“
Homaisdrewbackwithstupefaction。Shecamedownthreestepsandwhisperedinhisear——
“What!youdidn’tknowit？Thereistobeanexecutioninnextweek。It’sLheureuxwhoissellinghimout；hehaskilledhimwithbills。“
“Whataterriblecatastrophe!“criedthedruggist，whoalwaysfoundexpressionsinharmonywithallimaginablecircumstances。
ThenthelandladybegantellinghimthestorythatshehadheardfromTheodore，MonsieurGuillaumin’sservant，andalthoughshedetestedTellier，sheblamedLheureux。Hewas“awheedler，asneak。“
“There!“shesaid。“Lookathim!heisinthemarket；heisbowingtoMadameBovary，who’sgotonagreenbonnet。Why，she’stakingMonsieurBoulanger’sarm。“
“MadameBovary!“exclaimedHomais。“Imustgoatonceandpayhermyrespects。Perhapsshe’llbeverygladtohaveaseatintheenclosureundertheperistyle。“And，withoutheedingMadameLefrancois，whowascallinghimbacktotellhimmoreaboutit，thedruggistwalkedoffrapidlywithasmileonhislips，withstraightknees，bowingcopiouslytorightandleft，andtakingupmuchroomwiththelargetailsofhisfrock-coatthatflutteredbehindhiminthewind。
Rodolphe，havingcaughtsightofhimfromafar，hurriedon，butMadameBovarylostherbreath；sohewalkedmoreslowly，and，smilingather，saidinaroughtone——
“It’sonlytogetawayfromthatfatfellow，youknow，thedruggist。“Shepressedhiselbow。
“What’sthemeaningofthat？“heaskedhimself。Andhelookedatheroutofthecornerofhiseyes。
Herprofilewassocalmthatonecouldguessnothingfromit。Itstoodoutinthelightfromtheovalofherbonnet，withpaleribbonsonitliketheleavesofweeds。Hereyeswiththeirlongcurvedlasheslookedstraightbeforeher，andthoughwideopen，theyseemedslightlypuckeredbythecheek-bones，becauseofthebloodpulsinggentlyunderthedelicateskin。Apinklineranalongthepartitionbetweenhernostrils。Herheadwasbentuponhershoulder，andthepearltipsofherwhiteteethwereseenbetweenherlips。
“Isshemakingfunofme？“thoughtRodolphe。
Emma’sgesture，however，hadonlybeenmeantforawarning；forMonsieurLheureuxwasaccompanyingthem，andspokenowandagainasiftoenterintotheconversation。
“Whatasuperbday!Everybodyisout!Thewindiseast!“
AndneitherMadameBovarynorRodolpheansweredhim，whilstattheslightestmovementmadebythemhedrewnear，saying，“Ibegyourpardon!“andraisedhishat。
Whentheyreachedthefarrier’shouse，insteadoffollowingtheroaduptothefence，Rodolphesuddenlyturneddownapath，drawingwithhimMadameBovary。Hecalledout——
“Goodevening，MonsieurLheureux!Seeyouagainpresently。“
“Howyougotridofhim!“shesaid，laughing。
“Why，“hewenton，“allowoneselftobeintrudeduponbyothers？
Andasto-dayIhavethehappinessofbeingwithyou——“
Emmablushed。Hedidnotfinishhissentence。Thenhetalkedofthefineweatherandofthepleasureofwalkingonthegrass。A
fewdaisieshadsprungupagain。