“Itreallygrievesme，onmyword!toseeyoudeprivingyourselfallatonceofsuchabigsumasthat。“
Thenshelookedatthebank-notes，anddreamingoftheunlimitednumberofrendezvousrepresentedbythosetwothousandfrancs，shestammered——
“What!what!“
“Oh!“hewenton，laughinggood-naturedly，“oneputsanythingonelikesonreceipts。Don’tyouthinkIknowwhathouseholdaffairsare？“Andhelookedatherfixedly，whileinhishandheheldtwolongpapersthatheslidbetweenhisnails。Atlast，openinghispocket-book，hespreadoutonthetablefourbillstoorder，eachforathousandfrancs。
“Signthese，“hesaid，“andkeepitall!“
Shecriedout，scandalised。
“ButifIgiveyouthesurplus，“repliedMonsieurLheureuximpudently，“isthatnothelpingyou？“
Andtakingapenhewroteatthebottomoftheaccount，“ReceivedofMadameBovaryfourthousandfrancs。“
“Nowwhocantroubleyou，sinceinsixmonthsyou’lldrawthearrearsforyourcottage，andIdon’tmakethelastbillduetillafteryou’vebeenpaid？“
Emmagrewratherconfusedinhercalculations，andherearstingledasifgoldpieces，burstingfromtheirbags，rangallroundheronthefloor。AtlastLheureuxexplainedthathehadaverygoodfriend，Vincart，abrokeratRouen，whowoulddiscountthesefourbills。Thenhehimselfwouldhandovertomadametheremainderaftertheactualdebtwaspaid。
Butinsteadoftwothousandfrancshebroughtonlyeighteenhundred，forthefriendVincartwhichwasonlyfairhaddeductedtwohundredfrancsforcommissionanddiscount。Thenhecarelesslyaskedforareceipt。
“Youunderstand——inbusiness——sometimes。Andwiththedate，ifyouplease，withthedate。“
AhorizonofrealisablewhimsopenedoutbeforeEmma。Shewasprudentenoughtolaybyathousandcrowns，withwhichthefirstthreebillswerepaidwhentheyfelldue；butthefourth，bychance，cametothehouseonaThursday，andCharles，quiteupset，patientlyawaitedhiswife’sreturnforanexplanation。
Ifshehadnottoldhimaboutthisbill，itwasonlytosparehimsuchdomesticworries；shesatonhisknees，caressedhim，cooedtohim，gavehimalongenumerationofalltheindispensablethingsthathadbeengotoncredit。
“Really，youmustconfess，consideringthequantity，itisn’ttoodear。“
Charles，athiswit’send，soonhadrecoursetotheeternalLheureux，whosworehewouldarrangemattersifthedoctorwouldsignhimtwobills，oneofwhichwasforsevenhundredfrancs，payableinthreemonths。Inordertoarrangeforthishewrotehismotherapatheticletter。Insteadofsendingareplyshecameherself；andwhenEmmawantedtoknowwhetherhehadgotanythingoutofher，“Yes，“hereplied；“butshewantstoseetheaccount。“ThenextmorningatdaybreakEmmarantoLheureuxtobeghimtomakeoutanotheraccountfornotmorethanathousandfrancs，fortoshowtheoneforfourthousanditwouldbenecessarytosaythatshehadpaidtwo-thirds，andconfess，consequently，thesaleoftheestate——anegotiationadmirablycarriedoutbytheshopkeeper，andwhich，infact，wasonlyactuallyknownlateron。
Despitethelowpriceofeacharticle，MadameBovarysenior，ofcourse，thoughttheexpenditureextravagant。
“Couldn’tyoudowithoutacarpet？Whyhaverecoveredthearm-chairs？Inmytimetherewasasinglearm-chairinahouse，forelderlypersons——atanyrateitwassoatmymother’s，whowasagoodwoman，Icantellyou。Everybodycan’tberich!Nofortunecanholdoutagainstwaste!Ishouldbeashamedtocoddlemyselfasyoudo!AndyetIamold。Ineedlookingafter。Andthere!there!fittingupgowns!fallals!What!silkforliningattwofrancs，whenyoucangetjaconetfortensous，orevenforeight，thatwoulddowellenough!“
Emma，lyingonalounge，repliedasquietlyaspossible——“Ah!
Madame，enough!enough!“
Theotherwentonlecturingher，predictingtheywouldendintheworkhouse。ButitwasBovary’sfault。Luckilyhehadpromisedtodestroythatpowerofattorney。
“What？“
“Ah!hesworehewould，“wentonthegoodwoman。
Emmaopenedthewindow，calledCharles，andthepoorfellowwasobligedtoconfessthepromisetornfromhimbyhismother。
Emmadisappeared，thencamebackquickly，andmajesticallyhandedherathickpieceofpaper。
“Thankyou，“saidtheoldwoman。Andshethrewthepowerofattorneyintothefire。
Emmabegantolaugh，astrident，piercing，continuouslaugh；shehadanattackofhysterics。
“Oh，myGod!“criedCharles。“Ah!youreallyarewrong!Youcomehereandmakesceneswithher!“
Hismother，shrugginghershoulders，declareditwas“allputon。“
ButCharles，rebellingforthefirsttime，tookhiswife’spart，sothatMadameBovary，senior，saidshewouldleave。Shewenttheverynextday，andonthethreshold，ashewastryingtodetainher，shereplied——
“No，no!Youloveherbetterthanme，andyouareright。Itisnatural。Fortherest，somuchtheworse!Youwillsee。Goodday——forIamnotlikelytocomesoonagain，asyousay，tomakescenes。“
CharlesneverthelesswasverycrestfallenbeforeEmma，whodidnothidetheresentmentshestillfeltathiswantofconfidence，anditneededmanyprayersbeforeshewouldconsenttohaveanotherpowerofattorney。HeevenaccompaniedhertoMonsieurGuillaumintohaveasecondone，justliketheother，drawnup。
“Iunderstand，“saidthenotary；“amanofsciencecan’tbeworriedwiththepracticaldetailsoflife。“
AndCharlesfeltrelievedbythiscomfortablereflection，whichgavehisweaknesstheflatteringappearanceofhigherpre-occupation。
AndwhatanoutburstthenextThursdayatthehotelintheirroomwithLeon!Shelaughed，cried，sang，sentforsherbets，wantedtosmokecigarettes，seemedtohimwildandextravagant，butadorable，superb。
Hedidnotknowwhatrecreationofherwholebeingdrovehermoreandmoretoplungeintothepleasuresoflife。Shewasbecomingirritable，greedy，voluptuous；andshewalkedaboutthestreetswithhimcarryingherheadhigh，withoutfear，soshesaid，ofcompromisingherself。Attimes，however，EmmashudderedatthesuddenthoughtofmeetingRodolphe，foritseemedtoherthat，althoughtheywereseparatedforever，shewasnotcompletelyfreefromhersubjugationtohim。
OnenightshedidnotreturntoYonvilleatall。Charleslosthisheadwithanxiety，andlittleBerthewouldnotgotobedwithouthermamma，andsobbedenoughtobreakherheart。Justinhadgoneoutsearchingtheroadatrandom。MonsieurHomaisevenhadlefthispharmacy。
Atlast，ateleveno’clock，abletobearitnolonger，Charlesharnessedhischaise，jumpedin，whippeduphishorse，andreachedthe“Croix-Rouge“abouttwoo’clockinthemorning。Noonethere!Hethoughtthattheclerkhadperhapsseenher；butwheredidhelive？Happily，Charlesrememberedhisemployer’saddress，andrushedoffthere。
Daywasbreaking，andhecoulddistinguishtheescutcheonsoverthedoor，andknocked。Someone，withoutopeningthedoor，shoutedouttherequiredinformation，addingafewinsultstothosewhodisturbpeopleinthemiddleofthenight。
Thehouseinhabitedbytheclerkhadneitherbell，knocker，norporter。Charlesknockedloudlyattheshutterswithhishands。A
policemanhappenedtopassby。Thenhewasfrightened，andwentaway。
“Iammad，“hesaid；“nodoubttheykepthertodinneratMonsieurLormeaux’。“ButtheLormeauxnolongerlivedatRouen。
“SheprobablystayedtolookafterMadameDubreuil。Why，MadameDubreuilhasbeendeadthesetenmonths!Wherecanshebe？“
Anideaoccurredtohim。AtacafeheaskedforaDirectory，andhurriedlylookedforthenameofMademoiselleLempereur，wholivedatNo。74RuedelaRenelle-des-Maroquiniers。
Ashewasturningintothestreet，Emmaherselfappearedattheotherendofit。Hethrewhimselfuponherratherthanembracedher，crying——
“Whatkeptyouyesterday？“
“Iwasnotwell。“
“Whatwasit？Where？How？“
Shepassedherhandoverherforeheadandanswered，“AtMademoiselleLempereur’s。“
“Iwassureofit!Iwasgoingthere。“
“Oh，itisn’tworthwhile，“saidEmma。“Shewentoutjustnow；
butforthefuturedon’tworry。Idonotfeelfree，yousee，ifI
knowthattheleastdelayupsetsyoulikethis。“
Thiswasasortofpermissionthatshegaveherself，soastogetperfectfreedominherescapades。Andsheprofitedbyitfreely，fully。WhenshewasseizedwiththedesiretoseeLeon，shesetoutuponanypretext；andashewasnotexpectingheronthatday，shewenttofetchhimathisoffice。
Itwasagreatdelightatfirst，butsoonhenolongerconcealedthetruth，whichwas，thathismastercomplainedverymuchabouttheseinterruptions。
“Pshaw!comealong，“shesaid。