andthatIshallperhapsneveruse!Everythingisofimportanceinthedelicateoperationsofourart!But，deviltakeit!onemustmakedistinctions，andnotemployforalmostdomesticpurposesthatwhichismeantforpharmaceutical!Itisasifoneweretocarveafowlwithascalpel；asifamagistrate——“
“Nowbecalm，“saidMadameHomais。
AndAthalie，pullingathiscoat，cried“Papa!papa!“
“No，letmealone，“wentonthedruggist“letmealone，hangit!
Myword!Onemightaswellsetupforagrocer。That’sit!goit!
respectnothing!break，smash，letloosetheleeches，burnthemallow-paste，picklethegherkinsinthewindowjars，tearupthebandages!“
“Ithoughtyouhad——“saidEmma。
“Presently!Doyouknowtowhatyouexposedyourself？Didn’tyouseeanythinginthecorner，ontheleft，onthethirdshelf？
Speak，answer，articulatesomething。“
“I——don’t——know，“stammeredtheyoungfellow。
“Ah!youdon’tknow!Well，then，Idoknow!Yousawabottleofblueglass，sealedwithyellowwax，thatcontainsawhitepowder，onwhichIhaveevenwritten’Dangerous!’Anddoyouknowwhatisinit？Arsenic!Andyougoandtouchit!Youtakeapanthatwasnexttoit!“
“Nexttoit!“criedMadameHoinais，claspingherhands。“Arsenic!
Youmighthavepoisonedusall。“
Andthechildrenbeganhowlingasiftheyalreadyhadfrightfulpainsintheirentrails。
“Orpoisonapatient!“continuedthedruggist。“Doyouwanttoseemeintheprisoner’sdockwithcriminals，inacourtofjustice？Toseemedraggedtothescaffold？Don’tyouknowwhatcareItakeinmanagingthings，althoughIamsothoroughlyusedtoit？OftenIamhorrifiedmyselfwhenIthinkofmyresponsibility；fortheGovernmentpersecutesus，andtheabsurdlegislationthatrulesusisaveritableDamocles’swordoverourheads。“
Emmanolongerdreamedofaskingwhattheywantedherfor，andthedruggistwentoninbreathlessphrases——
“Thatisyourreturnforallthekindnesswehaveshownyou!ThatishowyourecompensemeforthereallypaternalcarethatI
lavishonyou!Forwithoutmewherewouldyoube？Whatwouldyoubedoing？Whoprovidesyouwithfood，education，clothes，andallthemeansoffiguringonedaywithhonourintheranksofsociety？Butyoumustpullhardattheoarifyou’retodothat，andget，as，peoplesay，callositiesuponyourhands。Fabricandofitfaber，agequodagis。*
*Theworkerlivesbyworking，dowhathewill。
HewassoexasperatedhequotedLatin。HewouldhavequotedChineseorGreenlandishhadheknownthosetwolanguages，forhewasinoneofthosecrisesinwhichthewholesoulshowsindistinctlywhatitcontains，liketheocean，which，inthestorm，opensitselffromtheseaweedsonitsshoresdowntothesandsofitsabysses。
Andhewenton——
“Iambeginningtorepentterriblyofhavingtakenyouup!I
shouldcertainlyhavedonebettertohaveleftyoutorotinyourpovertyandthedirtinwhichyouwereborn。Oh，you’llneverbefitforanythingbuttoherdanimalswithhorns!Youhavenoaptitudeforscience!Youhardlyknowhowtostickonalabel!
Andthereyouare，dwellingwithmesnugasaparson，livinginclover，takingyourease!“
ButEmma，turningtoMadameHomais，“Iwastoldtocomehere——“
“Oh，dearme!“interruptedthegoodwoman，withasadair，“howamItotellyou？Itisamisfortune!“
Shecouldnotfinish，thedruggistwasthundering——“Emptyit!
Cleanit!Takeitback!Bequick!“
AndseizingJustinbythecollarofhisblouse，heshookabookoutofhispocket。Theladstooped，butHomaiswasthequicker，and，havingpickedupthevolume，contemplateditwithstaringeyesandopenmouth。
“CONJUGAL——LOVE!“hesaid，slowlyseparatingthetwowords。“Ah!
verygood!verygood!verypretty!Andillustrations!Oh，thisistoomuch!“
MadameHomaiscameforward。
“No，donottouchit!“
Thechildrenwantedtolookatthepictures。
“Leavetheroom，“hesaidimperiously；andtheywentout。
Firsthewalkedupanddownwiththeopenvolumeinhishand，rollinghiseyes，choking，tumid，apoplectic。Thenhecamestraighttohispupil，and，plantinghimselfinfrontofhimwithcrossedarms——
“Haveyoueveryvice，then，littlewretch？Takecare!youareonadownwardpath。Didnotyoureflectthatthisinfamousbookmightfallinthehandsofmychildren，kindleasparkintheirminds，tarnishthepurityofAthalie，corruptNapoleon。Heisalreadyformedlikeaman。Areyouquitesure，anyhow，thattheyhavenotreadit？Canyoucertifytome——“
“Butreally，sir，“saidEmma，“youwishedtotellme——“
“Ah，yes!madame。Yourfather-in-lawisdead。“
Infact，MonsieurBovaryseniorhadexpiredtheeveningbeforesuddenlyfromanattackofapoplexyashegotupfromtable，andbywayofgreaterprecaution，onaccountofEmma’ssensibility，CharleshadbeggedHomaistobreakthehorriblenewstohergradually。Homaishadthoughtoverhisspeech；hehadrounded，polishedit，madeitrhythmical；itwasamasterpieceofprudenceandtransitions，ofsubtleturnsanddelicacy；butangerhadgotthebetterofrhetoric。
Emma，givingupallchanceofhearinganydetails，leftthepharmacy；forMonsieurHomaishadtakenupthethreadofhisvituperations。However，hewasgrowingcalmer，andwasnowgrumblinginapaternaltonewhilsthefannedhimselfwithhisskull-cap。
“ItisnotthatIentirelydisapproveofthework。Itsauthorwasadoctor!Therearecertainscientificpointsinitthatitisnotillamanshouldknow，andIwouldevenventuretosaythatamanmustknow。Butlater——later!Atanyrate，nottillyouaremanyourselfandyourtemperamentisformed。“
WhenEmmaknockedatthedoor。Charles，whowaswaitingforher，cameforwardwithopenarmsandsaidtoherwithtearsinhisvoice——
“Ah!mydear!“
Andhebentoverhergentlytokissher。Butatthecontactofhislipsthememoryoftheotherseizedher，andshepassedherhandoverherfaceshuddering。
Butshemadeanswer，“Yes，Iknow，Iknow!“
Heshowedhertheletterinwhichhismothertoldtheeventwithoutanysentimentalhypocrisy。Sheonlyregrettedherhusbandhadnotreceivedtheconsolationsofreligion，ashehaddiedatDaudeville，inthestreet，atthedoorofacafeafterapatrioticdinnerwithsomeex-officers。
Emmagavehimbacktheletter；thenatdinner，forappearance’ssake，sheaffectedacertainrepugnance。Butasheurgedhertotry，sheresolutelybeganeating，whileCharlesoppositehersatmotionlessinadejectedattitude。
Nowandthenheraisedhisheadandgaveheralonglookfullofdistress。Oncehesighed，“Ishouldhavelikedtoseehimagain!“
Shewassilent。Atlast，understandingthatshemustsaysomething，“Howoldwasyourfather？“sheasked。
“Fifty-eight。“
“Ah!“
Andthatwasall。
Aquarterofanhourafterheadded，“Mypoormother!whatwillbecomeofhernow？“
Shemadeagesturethatsignifiedshedidnotknow。Seeinghersotaciturn，Charlesimaginedhermuchaffected，andforcedhimselftosaynothing，nottoreawakenthissorrowwhichmovedhim。And，shakingoffhisown——
“Didyouenjoyyourselfyesterday？“heasked。
“Yes。“
Whentheclothwasremoved，Bovarydidnotrise，nordidEmma；
andasshelookedathim，themonotonyofthespectacledrovelittlebylittleallpityfromherheart。Heseemedtoherpaltry，weak，acipher——inaword，apoorthingineveryway。Howtogetridofhim？Whataninterminableevening!Somethingstupefyinglikethefumesofopiumseizedher。
Theyheardinthepassagethesharpnoiseofawoodenlegontheboards。ItwasHippolytebringingbackEmma’sluggage。Inordertoputitdownhedescribedpainfullyaquarterofacirclewithhisstump。
“Hedoesn’tevenrememberanymoreaboutit，“shethought，lookingatthepoordevil，whosecoarseredhairwaswetwithperspiration。