ThepyrotechnicpiecessenttoMonsieurTuvachehad，throughanexcessofcaution，beenshutupinhiscellar，andsothedamppowderwouldnotlight，andtheprincipalsetpiece，thatwastorepresentadragonbitinghistail，failedcompletely。NowandthenameagreRoman-candlewentoff；thenthegapingcrowdsentupashoutthatmingledwiththecryofthewomen，whosewaistswerebeingsqueezedinthedarkness。EmmasilentlynestledagainstCharles’sshoulder；then，raisingherchin，shewatchedtheluminousraysoftherocketsagainstthedarksky。Rodolphegazedatherinthelightoftheburninglanterns。
Theywentoutonebyone。Thestarsshoneout。Afewcropsofrainbegantofall。Sheknottedherfichuroundherbarehead。
Atthismomentthecouncillor’scarriagecameoutfromtheinn。
Hiscoachman，whowasdrunk，suddenlydozedoff，andonecouldseefromthedistance，abovethehood，betweenthetwolanterns，themassofhisbody，thatswayedfromrighttoleftwiththegivingofthetraces。
“Truly，“saidthedruggist，“oneoughttoproceedmostrigorouslyagainstdrunkenness!Ishouldliketoseewrittenupweeklyatthedoorofthetownhallonaboardadhoc*thenamesofallthosewhoduringtheweekgotintoxicatedonalcohol。Besides，withregardtostatistics，onewouldthushave，asitwere，publicrecordsthatonecouldrefertoincaseofneed。Butexcuseme!“
*Specificallyforthat。
Andheoncemoreranofftothecaptain。Thelatterwasgoingbacktoseehislatheagain。
“Perhapsyouwouldnotdoill，“Homaissaidtohim，“tosendoneofyourmen，ortogoyourself——“
“Leavemealone!“answeredthetax-collector。“It’sallright!“
“Donotbeuneasy，“saidthedruggist，whenhereturnedtohisfriends。“MonsieurBinethasassuredmethatallprecautionshavebeentaken。Nosparkshavefallen；thepumpsarefull。Letusgotorest。“
“Mafoi!Iwantit，“saidMadameHomais，yawningatlarge。“Butnevermind；we’vehadabeautifuldayforourfete。“
Rodolpherepeatedinalowvoice，andwithatenderlook，“Oh，yes!verybeautiful!“
Andhavingbowedtooneanother，theyseparated。
Twodayslater，inthe“FinaldeRouen，“therewasalongarticleontheshow。Homaishadcomposeditwithvervetheverynextmorning。
“Whythesefestoons，theseflowers，thesegarlands？Whitherhurriesthiscrowdlikethewavesofafuriousseaunderthetorrentsofatropicalsunpouringitsheatuponourheads？“
Thenhespokeoftheconditionofthepeasants。CertainlytheGovernmentwasdoingmuch，butnotenough。“Courage!“hecriedtoit；“athousandreformsareindispensable；letusaccomplishthem!“Thentouchingontheentryofthecouncillor，hedidnotforget“themartialairofourmilitia；“nor“ourmostmerryvillagemaidens；“northe“bald-headedoldmenlikepatriarchswhowerethere，andofwhomsome，theremnantsofourphalanxes，stillfelttheirheartsbeatatthemanlysoundofthedrums。“Hecitedhimselfamongthefirstofthemembersofthejury，andheevencalledattentioninanotetothefactthatMonsieurHomais，chemist，hadsentamemoironcidertotheagriculturalsociety。
Whenhecametothedistributionoftheprizes，hepaintedthejoyoftheprize-winnersindithyrambicstrophes。“Thefatherembracedtheson，thebrotherthebrother，thehusbandhisconsort。Morethanoneshowedhishumblemedalwithpride；andnodoubtwhenhegothometohisgoodhousewife，hehungitupweepingonthemodestwallsofhiscot。
“Aboutsixo’clockabanquetpreparedinthemeadowofMonsieurLeigeardbroughttogethertheprincipalpersonagesofthefete。
Thegreatestcordialityreignedhere。Diverstoastswereproposed：MonsieurLieuvain，theKing；MonsieurTuvache，thePrefect；MonsieurDerozerays，Agriculture；MonsieurHomais，IndustryandtheFineArts，thosetwinsisters；MonsieurLeplichey，Progress。Intheeveningsomebrilliantfireworksonasuddenilluminedtheair。Onewouldhavecalleditaveritablekaleidoscope，arealoperaticscene；andforamomentourlittlelocalitymighthavethoughtitselftransportedintothemidstofadreamofthe’ThousandandOneNights。’“Letusstatethatnountowardeventdisturbedthisfamilymeeting。“Andheadded“Onlytheabsenceoftheclergywasremarked。Nodoubtthepriestsunderstandprogressinanotherfashion。Justasyouplease，messieursthefollowersofLoyola!“
ChapterNineSixweekspassed。Rodolphedidnotcomeagain。Atlastoneeveningheappeared。
Thedayaftertheshowhehadsaidtohimself——“Wemustn’tgobacktoosoon；thatwouldbeamistake。“
Andattheendofaweekhehadgoneoffhunting。Afterthehuntinghehadthoughtitwastoolate，andthenhereasonedthus——
“Iffromthefirstdayshelovedme，shemustfromimpatiencetoseemeagainlovememore。Let’sgoonwithit!“
Andheknewthathiscalculationhadbeenrightwhen，onenteringtheroom，hesawEmmaturnpale。
Shewasalone。Thedaywasdrawingin。Thesmallmuslincurtainalongthewindowsdeepenedthetwilight，andthegildingofthebarometer，onwhichtheraysofthesunfell，shoneinthelooking-glassbetweenthemeshesofthecoral。
Rodolpheremainedstanding，andEmmahardlyansweredhisfirstconventionalphrases。
“I，“hesaid，“havebeenbusy。Ihavebeenill。“
“Seriously？“shecried。
“Well，“saidRodolphe，sittingdownathersideonafootstool，“no；itwasbecauseIdidnotwanttocomeback。“
“Why？“
“Canyounotguess？“
Helookedatheragain，butsohardthatsheloweredherhead，blushing。Hewenton——
“Emma!“
“Sir，“shesaid，drawingbackalittle。
“Ah!yousee，“repliedheinamelancholyvoice，“thatIwasrightnottocomeback；forthisname，thisnamethatfillsmywholesoul，andthatescapedme，youforbidmetouse!MadameBovary!whyalltheworldcallsyouthus!Besides，itisnotyourname；itisthenameofanother!“
Herepeated，“ofanother!“Andhehidhisfaceinhishands。
“Yes，Ithinkofyouconstantly。Thememoryofyoudrivesmetodespair。Ah!forgiveme!Iwillleaveyou!Farewell!Iwillgofaraway，sofarthatyouwillneverhearofmeagain；andyet——
to-day——Iknownotwhatforceimpelledmetowardsyou。ForonedoesnotstruggleagainstHeaven；onecannotresistthesmileofangels；oneiscarriedawaybythatwhichisbeautiful，charming，adorable。“
ItwasthefirsttimethatEmmahadheardsuchwordsspokentoherself，andherpride，likeonewhoreposesbathedinwarmth，expandedsoftlyandfullyatthisglowinglanguage。
“ButifIdidnotcome，“hecontinued，“ifIcouldnotseeyou，atleastIhavegazedlongonallthatsurroundsyou。Atnight-everynight-Iarose；Icamehither；Iwatchedyourhouse，itsglimmeringinthemoon，thetreesinthegardenswayingbeforeyourwindow，andthelittlelamp，agleamshiningthroughthewindow-panesinthedarkness。Ah!youneverknewthatthere，sonearyou，sofarfromyou，wasapoorwretch!“
Sheturnedtowardshimwithasob。
“Oh，youaregood!“shesaid。
“No，Iloveyou，thatisall!Youdonotdoubtthat!Tellme——oneword——onlyoneword!“
AndRodolpheimperceptiblyglidedfromthefootstooltotheground；butasoundofwoodenshoeswasheardinthekitchen，andhenoticedthedooroftheroomwasnotclosed。
“Howkinditwouldbeofyou，“hewenton，rising，“ifyouwouldhumourawhimofmine。“Itwastogooverherhouse；hewantedtoknowit；andMadameBovaryseeingnoobjectiontothis，theybothrose，whenCharlescamein。
“Goodmorning，doctor，“Rodolphesaidtohim。
Thedoctor，flatteredatthisunexpectedtitle，launchedoutintoobsequiousphrases。Ofthistheothertookadvantagetopullhimselftogetheralittle。
“Madamewasspeakingtome，“hethensaid，“aboutherhealth。“
Charlesinterruptedhim；hehadindeedathousandanxieties；hiswife’spalpitationsoftheheartwerebeginningagain。ThenRodolpheaskedifridingwouldnotbegood。
“Certainly!excellent!justthething!There’sanidea!Yououghttofollowitup。“
Andassheobjectedthatshehadnohorse，MonsieurRodolpheofferedone。Sherefusedhisoffer；hedidnotinsist。Thentoexplainhisvisithesaidthathisploughman，themanoftheblood-letting，stillsufferedfromgiddiness。
“I’llcallaround，“saidBovary。
“No，no!I’llsendhimtoyou；we’llcome；thatwillbemoreconvenientforyou。“