Thenafaintnesscameoverher；sherecalledtheViscountwhohadwaltzedwithheratVaubyessard，andhisbeardexhaledlikethisairanodourofvanillaandcitron，andmechanicallyshehalf-closedhereyesthebettertobreatheitin。Butinmakingthismovement，assheleantbackinherchair，shesawinthedistance，rightonthelineofthehorizon，theolddiligence，the“Hirondelle，“thatwasslowlydescendingthehillofLeux，draggingafteritalongtrailofdust。ItwasinthisyellowcarriagethatLeonhadsooftencomebacktoher，andbythisroutedowntherethathehadgoneforever。Shefanciedshesawhimoppositeathiswindows；thenallgrewconfused；cloudsgathered；itseemedtoherthatshewasagainturninginthewaltzunderthelightofthelustresonthearmoftheViscount，andthatLeonwasnotfaraway，thathewascoming；andyetallthetimeshewasconsciousofthescentofRodolphe’sheadbyherside。Thissweetnessofsensationpiercedthroughherolddesires，andthese，likegrainsofsandunderagustofwind，eddiedtoandfrointhesubtlebreathoftheperfumewhichsuffusedhersoul。Sheopenedwidehernostrilsseveraltimestodrinkinthefreshnessoftheivyroundthecapitals。Shetookoffhergloves，shewipedherhands，thenfannedherfacewithherhandkerchief，whileathwartthethrobbingofhertemplessheheardthemurmurofthecrowdandthevoiceofthecouncillorintoninghisphrases。Hesaid——“Continue，persevere；listenneithertothesuggestionsofroutine，nortotheover-hastycouncilsofarashempiricism。
Applyyourselves，aboveall，totheameliorationofthesoil，togoodmanures，tothedevelopmentoftheequine，bovine，ovine，andporcineraces。Lettheseshowsbetoyoupacificarenas，wherethevictorinleavingitwillholdforthahandtothevanquished，andwillfraternisewithhiminthehopeofbettersuccess。Andyou，agedservants，humbledomestics，whosehardlabournoGovernmentuptothisdayhastakenintoconsideration，comehithertoreceivetherewardofyoursilentvirtues，andbeassuredthatthestatehenceforwardhasitseyeuponyou；thatitencouragesyou，protectsyou；thatitwillaccedetoyourjustdemands，andalleviateasmuchasinitliestheburdenofyourpainfulsacrifices。“
MonsieurLieuvainthensatdown；MonsieurDerozeraysgotup，beginninganotherspeech。Hiswasnotperhapssofloridasthatofthecouncillor，butitrecommendeditselfbyamoredirectstyle，thatistosay，bymorespecialknowledgeandmoreelevatedconsiderations。ThusthepraiseoftheGovernmenttookuplessspaceinit；religionandagriculturemore。Heshowedinittherelationsofthesetwo，andhowtheyhadalwayscontributedtocivilisation。RodolphewithMadameBovarywastalkingdreams，presentiments，magnetism。Goingbacktothecradleofsociety，theoratorpaintedthosefiercetimeswhenmenlivedonacornsintheheartofwoods。Thentheyhadleftofftheskinsofbeasts，hadputoncloth，tilledthesoil，plantedthevine。Wasthisagood，andinthisdiscoverywastherenotmoreofinjurythanofgain？MonsieurDerozerayssethimselfthisproblem。FrommagnetismlittlebylittleRodolphehadcometoaffinities，andwhilethepresidentwascitingCincinnatusandhisplough，Diocletian，plantinghiscabbages，andtheEmperorsofChinainauguratingtheyearbythesowingofseed，theyoungmanwasexplainingtotheyoungwomanthattheseirresistibleattractionsfindtheircauseinsomepreviousstateofexistence。
“Thuswe，“hesaid，“whydidwecometoknowoneanother？Whatchancewilledit？Itwasbecauseacrosstheinfinite，liketwostreamsthatflowbuttounite；ourspecialbentsofmindhaddrivenustowardseachother。“
Andheseizedherhand；shedidnotwithdrawit。
“Forgoodfarminggenerally!“criedthepresident。
“Justnow，forexample，whenIwenttoyourhouse。“
“ToMonsieurBizatofQuincampoix。“
“DidIknowIshouldaccompanyyou？“
“Seventyfrancs。“
“AhundredtimesIwishedtogo；andIfollowedyou——Iremained。“
“Manures!“
“AndIshallremainto-night，to-morrow，allotherdays，allmylife!“
“ToMonsieurCaronofArgueil，agoldmedal!“
“ForIhaveneverinthesocietyofanyotherpersonfoundsocompleteacharm。“
“ToMonsieurBainofGivry-Saint-Martin。“
“AndIshallcarryawaywithmetheremembranceofyou。“
“Foramerinoram!“
“Butyouwillforgetme；Ishallpassawaylikeashadow。“
“ToMonsieurBelotofNotre-Dame。“
“Oh，no!Ishallbesomethinginyourthought，inyourlife，shallInot？“
“Porcinerace；prizes——equal，toMessrs。LeherisseandCullembourg，sixtyfrancs!“
Rodolphewaspressingherhand，andhefeltitallwarmandquiveringlikeacaptivedovethatwantstoflyaway；but，whethershewastryingtotakeitawayorwhethershewasansweringhispressure；shemadeamovementwithherfingers。Heexclaimed——
“Oh，Ithankyou!Youdonotrepulseme!Youaregood!YouunderstandthatIamyours!Letmelookatyou；letmecontemplateyou!“
Agustofwindthatblewinatthewindowruffledtheclothonthetable，andinthesquarebelowallthegreatcapsofthepeasantwomenwereupliftedbyitlikethewingsofwhitebutterfliesfluttering。
“Useofoil-cakes，“continuedthepresident。Hewashurryingon：
“Flemishmanure-flax-growing-drainage-longleases-domesticservice。“
Rodolphewasnolongerspeaking。Theylookedatoneanother。A
supremedesiremadetheirdrylipstremble，andwearily，withoutaneffort，theirfingersintertwined。
“CatherineNicaiseElizabethLeroux，ofSassetot-la-Guerriere，forfifty-fouryearsofserviceatthesamefarm，asilvermedal——value，twenty-fivefrancs!“
“WhereisCatherineLeroux？“repeatedthecouncillor。
Shedidnotpresentherself，andonecouldhearvoiceswhispering——
“Goup!“
“Don’tbeafraid!“
“Oh，howstupidsheis!“
“Well，isshethere？“criedTuvache。
“Yes；heresheis。“
“Thenlethercomeup!“
Thentherecameforwardontheplatformalittleoldwomanwithtimidbearing，whoseemedtoshrinkwithinherpoorclothes。Onherfeetsheworeheavywoodenclogs，andfromherhipshungalargeblueapron。Herpalefaceframedinaborderlesscapwasmorewrinkledthanawitheredrussetapple。Andfromthesleevesofherredjacketlookedouttwolargehandswithknottyjoints，thedustofbarns，thepotashofwashingthegreaseofwoolshadsoencrusted，roughened，hardenedthesethattheyseemeddirty，althoughtheyhadbeenrinsedinclearwater；andbydintoflongservicetheyremainedhalfopen，asiftobearhumblewitnessforthemselvesofsomuchsufferingendured。Somethingofmonasticrigiditydignifiedherface。Nothingofsadnessorofemotionweakenedthatpalelook。Inherconstantlivingwithanimalsshehadcaughttheirdumbnessandtheircalm。Itwasthefirsttimethatshefoundherselfinthemidstofsolargeacompany，andinwardlyscaredbytheflags，thedrums，thegentlemeninfrock-coats，andtheorderofthecouncillor，shestoodmotionless，notknowingwhethertoadvanceorrunaway，norwhythecrowdwaspushingherandthejuryweresmilingather。
Thusstoodbeforetheseradiantbourgeoisthishalf-centuryofservitude。
“Approach，venerableCatherineNicaiseElizabethLeroux!“saidthecouncillor，whohadtakenthelistofprize-winnersfromthepresident；and，lookingatthepieceofpaperandtheoldwomanbyturns，herepeatedinafatherlytone——“Approach!approach!“
“Areyoudeaf？“saidTuvache，fidgetinginhisarmchair；andhebeganshoutinginherear，“Fifty-fouryearsofservice。Asilvermedal!Twenty-fivefrancs!Foryou!“
Then，whenshehadhermedal，shelookedatit，andasmileofbeatitudespreadoverherface；andasshewalkedawaytheycouldhearhermuttering“I’llgiveittoourcureuphome，tosaysomemassesforme!“
“Whatfanaticism!“exclaimedthechemist，leaningacrosstothenotary。
Themeetingwasover，thecrowddispersed，andnowthatthespeecheshadbeenread，eachonefellbackintohisplaceagain，andeverythingintotheoldgrooves；themastersbulliedtheservants，andthesestrucktheanimals，indolentvictors，goingbacktothestalls，agreen-crownontheirhorns。
TheNationalGuards，however，hadgoneuptothefirstfloorofthetownhallwithbunsspittedontheirbayonets，andthedrummerofthebattalioncarriedabasketwithbottles。MadameBovarytookRodolphe’sarm；hesawherhome；theyseparatedatherdoor；thenhewalkedaboutaloneinthemeadowwhilehewaitedforthetimeofthebanquet。
Thefeastwaslong，noisy，illserved；theguestsweresocrowdedthattheycouldhardlymovetheirelbows；andthenarrowplanksusedforformsalmostbrokedownundertheirweight。Theyatehugely。Eachonestuffedhimselfonhisownaccount。Sweatstoodoneverybrow，andawhitishsteam，likethevapourofastreamonanautumnmorning，floatedabovethetablebetweenthehanginglamps。Rodolphe，leaningagainstthecalicoofthetentwasthinkingsoearnestlyofEmmathatheheardnothing。Behindhimonthegrasstheservantswerepilingupthedirtyplates，hisneighboursweretalking；hedidnotanswerthem；theyfilledhisglass，andtherewassilenceinhisthoughtsinspiteofthegrowingnoise。Hewasdreamingofwhatshehadsaid，ofthelineofherlips；herface，asinamagicmirror，shoneontheplatesoftheshakos，thefoldsofhergownfellalongthewalls，anddaysofloveunrolledtoallinfinitybeforehiminthevistasofthefuture。
Hesawheragainintheeveningduringthefireworks，butshewaswithherhusband，MadameHomais，andthedruggist，whowasworryingaboutthedangerofstrayrockets，andeverymomentheleftthecompanytogoandgivesomeadvicetoBinet。