“HerearesomeprettyEasterdaisies，“hesaid，“andenoughofthemtofurnishoraclestoalltheamorousmaidsintheplace。“
Headded，“ShallIpicksome？Whatdoyouthink？“
“Areyouinlove？“sheasked，coughingalittle。
“H’m，h’m!whoknows？“answeredRodolphe。
Themeadowbegantofill，andthehousewiveshustledyouwiththeirgreatumbrellas，theirbaskets，andtheirbabies。Onehadoftentogetoutofthewayofalongfileofcountryfolk，servant-maidswithbluestockings，flatshoes，silverrings，andwhosmeltofmilk，whenonepassedclosetothem。Theywalkedalongholdingoneanotherbythehand，andthustheyspreadoverthewholefieldfromtherowofopentreestothebanquettent。
Butthiswastheexaminationtime，andthefarmersoneaftertheotherenteredakindofenclosureformedbyalongcordsupportedonsticks。
Thebeastswerethere，theirnosestowardsthecord，andmakingaconfusedlinewiththeirunequalrumps。Drowsypigswereburrowingintheearthwiththeirsnouts，calveswerebleating，lambsbaaing；thecows，onkneesfoldedin，werestretchingtheirbelliesonthegrass，slowlychewingthecud，andblinkingtheirheavyeyelidsatthegnatsthatbuzzedroundthem。Plough-menwithbarearmswereholdingbythehalterprancingstallionsthatneighedwithdilatednostrilslookingtowardsthemares。Thesestoodquietly，stretchingouttheirheadsandflowingmanes，whiletheirfoalsrestedintheirshadow，ornowandthencameandsuckedthem。Andabovethelongundulationofthesecrowdedanimalsonesawsomewhitemanerisinginthewindlikeawave，orsomesharphornsstickingout，andtheheadsofmenrunningabout。Apart，outsidetheenclosure，ahundredpacesoff，wasalargeblackbull，muzzled，withanironringinitsnostrils，andwhomovednomorethanifhehadbeeninbronze。Achildinragswasholdinghimbyarope。
Betweenthetwolinesthecommittee-menwerewalkingwithheavysteps，examiningeachanimal，thenconsultingoneanotherinalowvoice。Onewhoseemedofmoreimportancenowandthentooknotesinabookashewalkedalong。Thiswasthepresidentofthejury，MonsieurDerozeraysdelaPanville。AssoonasherecognisedRodolphehecameforwardquickly，andsmilingamiably，said——
“What!MonsieurBoulanger，youaredesertingus？“
Rodolpheprotestedthathewasjustcoming。Butwhenthepresidenthaddisappeared——
“Mafoi!*“saidhe，“Ishallnotgo。Yourcompanyisbetterthanhis。“
*Uponmyword!
Andwhilepokingfunattheshow，Rodolphe，tomoveaboutmoreeasily，showedthegendarmehisbluecard，andevenstoppednowandtheninfrontofsomefinebeast，whichMadameBovarydidnotatalladmire。
Henoticedthis，andbeganjeeringattheYonvilleladiesandtheirdresses；thenheapologisedforthenegligenceofhisown。Hehadthatincongruityofcommonandelegantinwhichthehabituallyvulgarthinktheyseetherevelationofaneccentricexistence，oftheperturbationsofsentiment，thetyranniesofart，andalwaysacertaincontemptforsocialconventions，thatseducesorexasperatesthem。Thushiscambricshirtwithplaitedcuffswasblownoutbythewindintheopeningofhiswaistcoatofgreyticking，andhisbroad-stripedtrousersdisclosedattheanklenankeenbootswithpatentleathergaiters。
Theseweresopolishedthattheyreflectedthegrass。Hetrampledonhorses’sdungwiththem，onehandinthepocketofhisjacketandhisstrawhatononeside。
“Besides，“addedhe，“whenonelivesinthecountry——“
“It’swasteoftime，“saidEmma。
“Thatistrue，“repliedRodolphe。“Tothinkthatnotoneofthesepeopleiscapableofunderstandingeventhecutofacoat!“
Thentheytalkedaboutprovincialmediocrity，ofthelivesitcrushed，theillusionslostthere。
“AndItoo，“saidRodolphe，“amdriftingintodepression。“
“You!“shesaidinastonishment；“Ithoughtyouverylight-hearted。“
“Ah!yes。Iseemso，becauseinthemidstoftheworldIknowhowtowearthemaskofascofferuponmyface；andyet，howmanyatimeatthesightofacemeterybymoonlighthaveInotaskedmyselfwhetheritwerenotbettertojointhosesleepingthere!“
“Oh!andyourfriends？“shesaid。“Youdonotthinkofthem。“
“Myfriends!Whatfriends？HaveIany？Whocaresforme？“Andheaccompaniedthelastwordswithakindofwhistlingofthelips。
Buttheywereobligedtoseparatefromeachotherbecauseofagreatpileofchairsthatamanwascarryingbehindthem。Hewassooverladenwiththemthatonecouldonlyseethetipsofhiswoodenshoesandtheendsofhistwooutstretchedarms。ItwasLestiboudois，thegravedigger，whowascarryingthechurchchairsaboutamongstthepeople。Alivetoallthatconcernedhisinterests，hehadhituponthismeansofturningtheshowtoaccount；andhisideawassucceeding，forhenolongerknewwhichwaytoturn。Infact，thevillagers，whowerehot，quarreledfortheseseats，whosestrawsmeltofincense，andtheyleantagainstthethickbacks，stainedwiththewaxofcandles，withacertainveneration。
MadameBovaryagaintookRodolphe’sarm；hewentonasifspeakingtohimself——
“Yes，Ihavemissedsomanythings。Alwaysalone!Ah!ifIhadsomeaiminlife，ifIhadmetsomelove，ifIhadfoundsomeone!
Oh，howIwouldhavespentalltheenergyofwhichIamcapable，surmountedeverything，overcomeeverything!“
“Yetitseemstome，“saidEmma，“thatyouarenottobepitied。“
“Ah!youthinkso？“saidRodolphe。
“For，afterall，“shewenton，“youarefree——“shehesitated，“rich——“
“Donotmockme，“hereplied。
Andsheprotestedthatshewasnotmockinghim，whenthereportofacannonresounded。Immediatelyallbeganhustlingoneanotherpell-melltowardsthevillage。
Itwasafalsealarm。Theprefectseemednottobecoming，andthemembersofthejuryfeltmuchembarrassed，notknowingiftheyoughttobeginthemeetingorstillwait。
AtlastattheendofthePlacealargehiredlandauappeared，drawnbytwothinhorses，whichacoachmaninawhitehatwaswhippinglustily。Binethadonlyjusttimetoshout，“Presentarms!“andthecoloneltoimitatehim。Allrantowardstheenclosure；everyonepushedforward。Afewevenforgottheircollars；buttheequipageoftheprefectseemedtoanticipatethecrowd，andthetwoyokedjades，trapesingintheirharness，cameupatalittletrotinfrontoftheperistyleofthetownhallattheverymomentwhentheNationalGuardandfiremendeployed，beatingdrumsandmarkingtime。
“Present!“shoutedBinet。
“Halt!“shoutedthecolonel。“Leftabout，march。“
Andafterpresentingarms，duringwhichtheclangoftheband，lettingloose，rangoutlikeabrasskettlerollingdownstairs，allthegunswerelowered。Thenwasseensteppingdownfromthecarriageagentlemaninashortcoatwithsilverbraiding，withbaldbrow，andwearingatuftofhairatthebackofhishead，ofasallowcomplexionandthemostbenignappearance。Hiseyes，verylargeandcoveredbyheavylids，werehalf-closedtolookatthecrowd，whileatthesametimeheraisedhissharpnose，andforcedasmileuponhissunkenmouth。Herecognisedthemayorbyhisscarf，andexplainedtohimthattheprefectwasnotabletocome。Hehimselfwasacouncillorattheprefecture；thenheaddedafewapologies。MonsieurTuvacheansweredthemwithcompliments；theotherconfessedhimselfnervous；andtheyremainedthus，facetoface，theirforeheadsalmosttouching，withthemembersofthejuryallround，themunicipalcouncil，thenotablepersonages，theNationalGuardandthecrowd。Thecouncillorpressinghislittlecockedhattohisbreastrepeatedhisbows，whileTuvache，bentlikeabow，alsosmiled，stammered，triedtosaysomething，protestedhisdevotiontothemonarchyandthehonourthatwasbeingdonetoYonville。
Hippolyte，thegroomfromtheinn，tooktheheadofthehorsesfromthecoachman，and，limpingalongwithhisclub-foot，ledthemtothedoorofthe“Liond’Or“，whereanumberofpeasantscollectedtolookatthecarriage。Thedrumbeat，thehowitzerthundered，andthegentlemenonebyonemountedtheplatform，wheretheysatdowninredutrechtvelvetarm-chairsthathadbeenlentbyMadameTuvache。
Allthesepeoplelookedalike。Theirfairflabbyfaces，somewhattannedbythesun，werethecolourofsweetcider，andtheirpuffywhiskersemergedfromstiffcollars，keptupbywhitecravatswithbroadbows。Allthewaist-coatswereofvelvet，double-breasted；allthewatcheshad，attheendofalongribbon，anovalcornelianseal；everyonerestedhistwohandsonhisthighs，carefullystretchingthestrideoftheirtrousers，whoseunspongedglossyclothshonemorebrilliantlythantheleatheroftheirheavyboots。
Theladiesofthecompanystoodatthebackunderthevestibulebetweenthepillarswhilethecommonherdwasopposite，standinguporsittingonchairs。Asamatteroffact，Lestiboudoishadbroughtthitherallthosethathehadmovedfromthefield，andheevenkeptrunningbackeveryminutetofetchothersfromthechurch。Hecausedsuchconfusionwiththispieceofbusinessthatonehadgreatdifficultyingettingtothesmallstepsoftheplatform。
“Ithink，“saidMonsieurLheureuxtothechemist，whowaspassingtohisplace，“thattheyoughttohaveputuptwoVenetianmastswithsomethingrathersevereandrichforornaments；itwouldhavebeenaveryprettyeffect。“
“Tobesure，“repliedHomais；“butwhatcanyouexpect？Themayortookeverythingonhisownshoulders。Hehasn’tmuchtaste。PoorTuvache!andheisevencompletelydestituteofwhatiscalledthegeniusofart。“
Rodolphe，meanwhile，withMadameBovary，hadgoneuptothefirstfloorofthetownhall，tothe“council-room，“and，asitwasempty，hedeclaredthattheycouldenjoythesighttheremorecomfortably。Hefetchedthreestoolsfromtheroundtableunderthebustofthemonarch，andhavingcarriedthemtooneofthewindows，theysatdownbyeachother。