TheywereinbedwhenMonsieurHomais，inspiteoftheservant，suddenlyenteredtheroom，holdinginhishandasheetofpaperjustwritten。Itwastheparagraphheintendedforthe“FanaldeRouen。“Hebroughtitforthemtoread。
“Readityourself，“saidBovary。
Heread——
“’DespitetheprejudicesthatstillinvestapartofthefaceofEuropelikeanet，thelightneverthelessbeginstopenetrateourcountryplaces。ThusonTuesdayourlittletownofYonvillefounditselfthesceneofasurgicaloperationwhichisatthesametimean，actofloftiestphilanthropy。MonsieurBovary，oneofour，mostdistinguishedpractitioners——’“
“Oh，thatistoomuch!toomuch!“saidCharles，chokingwithemotion。
“No，no!notatall!Whatnext!“
“’——Performedanoperationonaclub-footedman。’Ihavenotusedthescientificterm，becauseyouknowinanewspapereveryonewouldnotperhapsunderstand。Themassesmust——’“
“Nodoubt，“saidBovary；“goon!“
“Iproceed，“saidthechemist。“’MonsieurBovary，oneofourmostdistinguishedpractitioners，performedanoperationonaclub-footedmancalledHippolyteTautain，stablemanforthelasttwenty-fiveyearsatthehotelofthe“Liond’Or，“keptbyWidowLefrancois，atthePlaced’Armes。Thenoveltyoftheattempt，andtheinterestincidenttothesubject，hadattractedsuchaconcourseofpersonsthattherewasaveritableobstructiononthethresholdoftheestablishment。Theoperation，moreover，wasperformedasifbymagic，andbarelyafewdropsofbloodappearedontheskin，asthoughtosaythattherebellioustendonhadatlastgivenwaybeneaththeeffortsofart。Thepatient，strangelyenough——weaffirmitasaneye-witness——complainedofnopain。Hisconditionuptothepresenttimeleavesnothingtobedesired。Everythingtendstoshowthathisconvelescencewillbebrief；andwhoknowsevenifatournextvillagefestivityweshallnotseeourgoodHippolytefiguringinthebacchicdanceinthemidstofachorusofjoyousboon-companions，andthusprovingtoalleyesbyhisverveandhiscapershiscompletecure？
Honour，then，tothegeneroussavants!Honourtothoseindefatigablespiritswhoconsecratetheirvigilstotheameliorationortothealleviationoftheirkind!Honour，thricehonour!Isitnottimetocrythattheblindshallsee，thedeafhear，thelamewalk？Butthatwhichfanaticismformerlypromisedtoitselect，sciencenowaccomplishesforallmen。Weshallkeepourreadersinformedastothesuccessivephasesofthisremarkablecure。’“
ThisdidnotpreventMereLefrancois，fromcomingfivedaysafter，scared，andcryingout——
“Help!heisdying!Iamgoingcrazy!“
Charlesrushedtothe“Liond’Or，“andthechemist，whocaughtsightofhimpassingalongthePlacehatless，abandonedhisshop。
Heappearedhimselfbreathless，red，anxious，andaskingeveryonewhowasgoingupthestairs——
“Why，what’sthematterwithourinterestingstrephopode？“
Thestrephopodewaswrithinginhideousconvulsions，sothatthemachineinwhichhislegwasenclosedwasknockedagainstthewallenoughtobreakit。
Withmanyprecautions，inordernottodisturbthepositionofthelimb，theboxwasremoved，andanawfulsightpresenteditself。Theoutlinesofthefootdisappearedinsuchaswellingthattheentireskinseemedabouttoburst，anditwascoveredwithecchymosis，causedbythefamousmachine。Hippolytehadalreadycomplainedofsufferingfromit。Noattentionhadbeenpaidtohim；theyhadtoacknowledgethathehadnotbeenaltogetherwrong，andhewasfreedforafewhours。But，hardlyhadtheoedemagonedowntosomeextent，thanthetwosavantsthoughtfittoputbackthelimbintheapparatus，strappingittightertohastenmatters。Atlast，threedaysafter，Hippolytebeingunabletoendureitanylonger，theyoncemoreremovedthemachine，andweremuchsurprisedattheresulttheysaw。Thelividtumefactionspreadovertheleg，withblistershereandthere，whencethereoozedablackliquid。Mattersweretakingaseriousturn。Hippolytebegantoworryhimself，andMereLefrancois，hadhiminstalledinthelittleroomnearthekitchen，sothathemightatleasthavesomedistraction。
Butthetax-collector，whodinedthereeveryday，complainedbitterlyofsuchcompanionship。ThenHippolytewasremovedtothebilliard-room。Helaytheremoaningunderhisheavycoverings，palewithlongbeard，sunkeneyes，andfromtimetotimeturninghisperspiringheadonthedirtypillow，wherethefliesalighted。MadameBovarywenttoseehim。Shebroughthimlinenforhispoultices；shecomforted，andencouragedhim。Besides，hedidnotwantforcompany，especiallyonmarket-days，whenthepeasantswereknockingaboutthebilliard-ballsroundhim，fencedwiththecues，smoked，drank，sang，andbrawled。
“Howareyou？“theysaid，clappinghimontheshoulder。“Ah!
you’renotuptomuch，itseems，butit’syourownfault。Youshoulddothis!dothat!“Andthentheytoldhimstoriesofpeoplewhohadallbeencuredbyotherremediesthanhis。Thenbywayofconsolationtheyadded——
“Yougivewaytoomuch!Getup!Youcoddleyourselflikeaking!
Allthesame，oldchap，youdon’tsmellnice!“
Gangrene，infact，wasspreadingmoreandmore。Bovaryhimselfturnedsickatit。Hecameeveryhour，everymoment。Hippolytelookedathimwitheyesfullofterror，sobbing——
“WhenshallIgetwell？Oh，saveme!HowunfortunateIam!HowunfortunateIam!“
Andthedoctorleft，alwaysrecommendinghimtodiethimself。
“Don’tlistentohim，mylad，“saidMereLefrancois，“Haven’ttheytorturedyouenoughalready？You’llgrowstillweaker。Here!
swallowthis。“
Andshegavehimsomegoodbeef-tea，asliceofmutton，apieceofbacon，andsometimessmallglassesofbrandy，thathehadnotthestrengthtoputtohislips。
AbbeBournisien，hearingthathewasgrowingworse，askedtoseehim。Hebeganbypityinghissufferings，declaringatthesametimethatheoughttorejoiceatthemsinceitwasthewilloftheLord，andtakeadvantageoftheoccasiontoreconcilehimselftoHeaven。
“For，“saidtheecclesiasticinapaternaltone，“youratherneglectedyourduties；youwererarelyseenatdivineworship。
Howmanyyearsisitsinceyouapproachedtheholytable？I
understandthatyourwork，thatthewhirloftheworldmayhavekeptyoufromcareforyoursalvation。Butnowisthetimetoreflect。Yetdon’tdespair。Ihaveknowngreatsinners，who，abouttoappearbeforeGodyouarenotyetatthispointI
know，hadimploredHismercy，andwhocertainlydiedinthebestframeofmind。Letushopethat，likethem，youwillsetusagoodexample。Thus，asaprecaution，whatistopreventyoufromsayingmorningandeveninga’HailMary，fullofgrace，’and’OurFatherwhichartinheaven’？Yes，dothat，formysake，toobligeme。Thatwon’tcostyouanything。Willyoupromiseme？“
Thepoordevilpromised。Thecurecamebackdayafterday。Hechattedwiththelandlady；andeventoldanecdotesinterspersedwithjokesandpunsthatHippolytedidnotunderstand。Then，assoonashecould，hefellbackuponmattersofreligion，puttingonanappropriateexpressionofface。
Hiszealseemedsuccessful，fortheclub-footsoonmanifestedadesiretogoonapilgrimagetoBon-Secoursifhewerecured；towhichMonsieurBournisienrepliedthathesawnoobjection；twoprecautionswerebetterthanone；itwasnoriskanyhow。
Thedruggistwasindignantatwhathecalledthemanoeuvresofthepriest；theywereprejudicial，hesaid，toHippolyte’sconvalescence，andhekeptrepeatingtoMadameLefrancois，“Leavehimalone!leavehimalone!Youperturbhismoralswithyourmysticism。“Butthegoodwomanwouldnolongerlistentohim；hewasthecauseofitall。Fromaspiritofcontradictionshehungupnearthebedsideofthepatientabasinfilledwithholy-waterandabranchofbox。
Religion，however，seemednomoreabletosuccourhimthansurgery，andtheinvinciblegangrenestillspreadfromtheextremitiestowardsthestomach。Itwasallverywelltovarythepotionsandchangethepoultices；themuscleseachdayrottedmoreandmore；andatlastCharlesrepliedbyanaffirmativenodoftheheadwhenMereLefrancois，askedhimifshecouldnot，asaforlornhope，sendforMonsieurCanivetofNeufchatel，whowasacelebrity。
Adoctorofmedicine，fiftyyearsofage，enjoyingagoodpositionandself-possessed，Charles’scolleaguedidnotrefrainfromlaughingdisdainfullywhenhehaduncoveredtheleg，mortifiedtotheknee。Thenhavingflatlydeclaredthatitmustbeamputated，hewentofftothechemist’storailattheasseswhocouldhavereducedapoormantosuchastate。ShakingMonsieurHomaisbythebuttonofhiscoat，heshoutedoutintheshop——
“ThesearetheinventionsofParis!Thesearetheideasofthosegentryofthecapital!Itislikestrabismus，chloroform，lithotrity，aheapofmonstrositiesthattheGovernmentoughttoprohibit。Buttheywanttodotheclever，andtheycramyouwithremedieswithout，troublingabouttheconsequences。Wearenotsoclever，notwe!Wearenotsavants，coxcombs，fops!Wearepractitioners；wecurepeople，andweshouldnotdreamofoperatingonanyonewhoisinperfecthealth。Straightenclub-
feet!Asifonecouldstraightenclub-feet!Itisasifonewished，forexample，tomakeahunchbackstraight!“
Homaissufferedashelistenedtothisdiscourse，andheconcealedhisdiscomfortbeneathacourtier’ssmile；forheneededtohumourMonsierCanivet，whoseprescriptionssometimescameasfarasYonville。SohedidnottakeupthedefenceofBovary；hedidnotevenmakeasingleremark，and，renouncinghisprinciples，hesacrificedhisdignitytothemoreseriousinterestsofhisbusiness。