“Andsincewhen？“
“Turnthemout!turnthemout!“Peoplewerelookingatthem。Theyweresilent。
Butfromthatmomentshelistenednomore；andthechorusoftheguests，thescenebetweenAshtonandhisservant，thegrandduetinDmajor，allwereforherasfaroffasiftheinstrumentshadgrownlesssonorousandthecharactersmoreremote。Sherememberedthegamesatcardsatthedruggist’s，andthewalktothenurse’s，thereadinginthearbour，thetete-a-tetebythefireside——allthatpoorlove，socalmandsoprotracted，sodiscreet，sotender，andthatshehadneverthelessforgotten。Andwhyhadhecomeback？Whatcombinationofcircumstanceshadbroughthimbackintoherlife？Hewasstandingbehindher，leaningwithhisshoulderagainstthewallofthebox；nowandagainshefeltherselfshudderingbeneaththehotbreathfromhisnostrilsfallinguponherhair。
“Doesthisamuseyou？“saidhe，bendingoverhersocloselythattheendofhismoustachebrushedhercheek。Sherepliedcarelessly——
“Oh，dearme，no，notmuch。“
Thenheproposedthattheyshouldleavethetheatreandgoandtakeanicesomewhere。
“Oh，notyet；letusstay，“saidBovary。“Herhair’sundone；thisisgoingtobetragic。“
ButthemadscenedidnotatallinterestEmma，andtheactingofthesingerseemedtoherexaggerated。
“Shescreamstooloud，“saidshe，turningtoCharles，whowaslistening。
“Yes——alittle，“hereplied，undecidedbetweenthefranknessofhispleasureandhisrespectforhiswife’sopinion。
ThenwithasighLeonsaid——
“Theheatis——“
“Unbearable!Yes!“
“Doyoufeelunwell？“askedBovary。
“Yes，Iamstifling；letusgo。“
MonsieurLeonputherlonglaceshawlcarefullyabouthershoulders，andallthreewentofftositdownintheharbour，intheopenair，outsidethewindowsofacafe。
Firsttheyspokeofherillness，althoughEmmainterruptedCharlesfromtimetotime，forfear，shesaid，ofboringMonsieurLeon；andthelattertoldthemthathehadcometospendtwoyearsatRoueninalargeoffice，inordertogetpracticeinhisprofession，whichwasdifferentinNormandyandParis。ThenheinquiredafterBerthe，theHomais，MereLefrancois，andastheyhad，inthehusband’spresence，nothingmoretosaytooneanother，theconversationsooncametoanend。
Peoplecomingoutofthetheatrepassedalongthepavement，hummingorshoutingatthetopoftheirvoices，“Obelange，maLucie!*“ThenLeon，playingthedilettante，begantotalkmusic。
HehadseenTambourini，Rubini，Persiani，Grisi，and，comparedwiththem，Lagardy，despitehisgrandoutbursts，wasnowhere。
*Ohbeautifulangel，myLucie。
“Yet，“interruptedCharles，whowasslowlysippinghisrum-sherbet，“theysaythatheisquiteadmirableinthelastact。Iregretleavingbeforetheend，becauseitwasbeginningtoamuseme。“
“Why，“saidtheclerk，“hewillsoongiveanotherperformance。“
ButCharlesrepliedthattheyweregoingbacknextday。“Unless，“
headded，turningtohiswife，“youwouldliketostayalone，kitten？“
Andchanginghistacticsatthisunexpectedopportunitythatpresenteditselftohishopes，theyoungmansangthepraisesofLagardyinthelastnumber。Itwasreallysuperb，sublime。ThenCharlesinsisted——
“YouwouldgetbackonSunday。Come，makeupyourmind。Youarewrongifyoufeelthatthisisdoingyoutheleastgood。“
Thetablesroundthem，however，wereemptying；awaitercameandstooddiscreetlynearthem。Charles，whounderstood，tookouthispurse；theclerkheldbackhisarm，anddidnotforgettoleavetwomorepiecesofsilverthathemadechinkonthemarble。
“Iamreallysorry，“saidBovary，“aboutthemoneywhichyouare——“
Theothermadeacarelessgesturefullofcordiality，andtakinghishatsaid——
“Itissettled，isn’tit？To-morrowatsixo’clock？“
Charlesexplainedoncemorethathecouldnotabsenthimselflonger，butthatnothingpreventedEmma——
“But，“shestammered，withastrangesmile，“Iamnotsure——“
“Well，youmustthinkitover。We’llsee。Nightbringscounsel。“
ThentoLeon，whowaswalkingalongwiththem，“Nowthatyouareinourpartoftheworld，Ihopeyou’llcomeandaskusforsomedinnernowandthen。“
Theclerkdeclaredhewouldnotfailtodoso，beingobliged，moreover，togotoYonvilleonsomebusinessforhisoffice。AndtheypartedbeforetheSaint-HerblandPassagejustastheclockinthecathedralstruckhalf-pasteleven。
PartIII
ChapterOneMonsieurLeon，whilestudyinglaw，hadgoneprettyoftentothedancing-rooms，wherehewasevenagreatsuccessamongstthegrisettes，whothoughthehadadistinguishedair。Hewasthebest-manneredofthestudents；heworehishairneithertoolongnortooshort，didn’tspendallhisquarter’smoneyonthefirstdayofthemonth，andkeptongoodtermswithhisprofessors。Asforexcesses，hehadalwaysabstainedfromthem，asmuchfromcowardiceasfromrefinement。
Oftenwhenhestayedinhisroomtoread，orelsewhensittingofaneveningunderthelime-treesoftheLuxembourg，helethisCodefalltotheground，andthememoryofEmmacamebacktohim。
Butgraduallythisfeelinggrewweaker，andotherdesiresgatheredoverit，althoughitstillpersistedthroughthemall。
ForLeondidnotloseallhope；therewasforhim，asitwere，avaguepromisefloatinginthefuture，likeagoldenfruitsuspendedfromsomefantastictree。
Then，seeingheragainafterthreeyearsofabsencehispassionreawakened。Hemust，hethought，atlastmakeuphismindtopossessher。Moreover，histimidityhadwornoffbycontactwithhisgaycompanions，andhereturnedtotheprovincesdespisingeveryonewhohadnotwithvarnishedshoestroddentheasphaltoftheboulevards。BythesideofaParisienneinherlaces，inthedrawing-roomofsomeillustriousphysician，apersondrivinghiscarriageandwearingmanyorders，thepoorclerkwouldnodoubthavetrembledlikeachild；buthere，atRouen，ontheharbour，withthewifeofthissmalldoctorhefeltathisease，surebeforehandhewouldshine。Self-possessiondependsonitsenvironment。Wedon’tspeakonthefirstfloorasonthefourth；
andthewealthywomanseemstohave，abouther，toguardhervirtue，allherbanknotes，likeacuirassintheliningofhercorset。
OnleavingtheBovarysthenightbefore，Leonhadfollowedthemthroughthestreetsatadistance；thenhavingseenthemstopatthe“Croix-Rouge，“heturnedonhisheel，andspentthenightmeditatingaplan。
Sothenextdayaboutfiveo’clockhewalkedintothekitchenoftheinn，withachokingsensationinhisthroat，palecheeks，andthatresolutionofcowardsthatstopsatnothing。
“Thegentlemanisn’tin，“answeredaservant。
Thisseemedtohimagoodomen。Hewentupstairs。
Shewasnotdisturbedathisapproach；onthecontrary，sheapologisedforhavingneglectedtotellhimwheretheywerestaying。
“Oh，Idivinedit!“saidLeon。
Hepretendedhehadbeenguidedtowardsherbychance，by，instinct。Shebegantosmile；andatonce，torepairhisfolly，Leontoldherthathehadspenthismorninginlookingforherinallthehotelsinthetownoneaftertheother。
“Soyouhavemadeupyourmindtostay？“headded。
“Yes，“shesaid，“andIamwrong。Oneoughtnottoaccustomoneselftoimpossiblepleasureswhenthereareathousanddemandsuponone。“
“Oh，Icanimagine!“
“Ah!no；foryou，youareaman!“
Butmentoohadhadtheirtrials，andtheconversationwentoffintocertainphilosophicalreflections。Emmaexpatiatedmuchonthemiseryofearthlyaffections，andtheeternalisolationinwhichtheheartremainsentombed。
Toshowoff，orfromanaiveimitationofthismelancholywhichcalledforthhis，theyoungmandeclaredthathehadbeenawfullyboredduringthewholecourseofhisstudies。Thelawirritatedhim，othervocationsattractedhim，andhismotherneverceasedworryinghimineveryoneofherletters。Astheytalkedtheyexplainedmoreandmorefullythemotivesoftheirsadness，workingthemselvesupintheirprogressiveconfidence。Buttheysometimesstoppedshortofthecompleteexpositionoftheirthought，andthensoughttoinventaphrasethatmightexpressitallthesame。Shedidnotconfessherpassionforanother；hedidnotsaythathehadforgottenher。
Perhapshenolongerrememberedhissupperswithgirlsaftermaskedballs；andnodoubtshedidnotrecollecttherendezvousofoldwhensheranacrossthefieldsinthemorningtoherlover’shouse。Thenoisesofthetownhardlyreachedthem，andtheroomseemedsmall，asifonpurposetohemintheirsolitudemoreclosely。Emma，inadimitydressing-gown，leantherheadagainstthebackoftheoldarm-chair；theyellowwall-paperformed，asitwere，agoldenbackgroundbehindher，andherbareheadwasmirroredintheglasswiththewhitepartinginthemiddle，andthetipofherearspeepingoutfromthefoldsofherhair。