Binetwasthere；thatistosay，alittlelowerdownagainsttheterracewall，fishingforcrayfish。Bovaryinvitedhimtohaveadrink，andhethoroughlyunderstoodtheuncorkingofthestonebottles。
“Youmust，“hesaid，throwingasatisfiedglanceallroundhim，eventotheveryextremityofthelandscape，“holdthebottleperpendicularlyonthetable，andafterthestringsarecut，pressupthecorkwithlittlethrusts，gently，gently，asindeedtheydoseltzer-wateratrestaurants。“
Butduringhisdemonstrationthecideroftenspurtedrightintotheirfaces，andthentheecclesiastic，withathicklaugh，nevermissedthisjoke——
“Itsgoodnessstrikestheeye!“
Hewas，infact，agoodfellowandonedayhewasnotevenscandalisedatthechemist，whoadvisedCharlestogivemadamesomedistractionbytakinghertothetheatreatRouentoheartheillustrioustenor，Lagardy。Homais，surprisedatthissilence，wantedtoknowhisopinion，andthepriestdeclaredthatheconsideredmusiclessdangerousformoralsthanliterature。
Butthechemisttookupthedefenceofletters。Thetheatre，hecontended，servedforrailingatprejudices，and，beneathamaskofpleasure，taughtvirtue。
“’Castigatridendomores，’*MonsieurBournisien!ThusconsiderthegreaterpartofVoltaire’stragedies；theyarecleverlystrewnwithphilosophicalreflections，thatmadethemavastschoolofmoralsanddiplomacyforthepeople。“
*Itcorrectscustomsthroughlaughter。
“I，“saidBinet，“oncesawapiececalledthe’GamindeParis，’
inwhichtherewasthecharacterofanoldgeneralthatisreallyhitofftoaT。Hesetsdownayoungswellwhohadseducedaworkinggirl，whoattheending——“
“Certainly，“continuedHomais，“thereisbadliteratureasthereisbadpharmacy，buttocondemninalumpthemostimportantofthefineartsseemstomeastupidity，aGothicidea，worthyoftheabominabletimesthatimprisonedGalileo。“
“Iknowverywell，“objectedthecure，“thattherearegoodworks，goodauthors。However，ifitwereonlythosepersonsofdifferentsexesunitedinabewitchingapartment，decoratedrouge，thoselights，thoseeffeminatevoices，allthismust，inthelong-run，engenderacertainmentallibertinage，giverisetoimmodestthoughtsandimpuretemptations。Such，atanyrate，istheopinionofalltheFathers。Finally，“headded，suddenlyassumingamystictoneofvoicewhileherolledapinchofsnuffbetweenhisfingers，“iftheChurchhascondemnedthetheatre，shemustberight；wemustsubmittoherdecrees。“
“Why，“askedthedruggist，“shouldsheexcommunicateactors？Forformerlytheyopenlytookpartinreligiousceremonies。Yes，inthemiddleofthechanceltheyacted；theyperformedakindoffarcecalled’Mysteries，’whichoftenoffendedagainstthelawsofdecency。“
Theecclesiasticcontentedhimselfwithutteringagroan，andthechemistwenton——
“It’slikeitisintheBible；therethereare，youknow，morethanonepiquantdetail，mattersreallylibidinous!“
AndonagestureofirritationfromMonsieurBournisien——
“Ah!you’lladmitthatitisnotabooktoplaceinthehandsofayounggirl，andIshouldbesorryifAthalie——“
“ButitistheProtestants，andnotwe，“criedtheotherimpatiently，“whorecommendtheBible。“
“Nomatter，“saidHomais。“Iamsurprisedthatinourdays，inthiscenturyofenlightenment，anyoneshouldstillpersistinproscribinganintellectualrelaxationthatisinoffensive，moralising，andsometimesevenhygienic；isitnot，doctor？“
“Nodoubt，“repliedthedoctorcarelessly，eitherbecause，sharingthesameideas，hewishedtooffendnoone，orelsebecausehehadnotanyideas。
TheconversationseemedatanendwhenthechemistthoughtfittoshootaParthianarrow。
“I’veknownpriestswhoputonordinaryclothestogoandseedancerskickingabout。“
“Come，come!“saidthecure。
“Ah!I’veknownsome!“Andseparatingthewordsofhissentence，Homaisrepeated，“I——have——known——some!“
“Well，theywerewrong，“saidBournisien，resignedtoanything。
“ByJove!theygoinformorethanthat，“exclaimedthedruggist。
“Sir!“repliedtheecclesiastic，withsuchangryeyesthatthedruggistwasintimidatedbythem。
“Ionlymeantosay，“herepliedinlessbrutalatone，“thattolerationisthesurestwaytodrawpeopletoreligion。“
“Thatistrue!thatistrue!“agreedthegoodfellow，sittingdownagainonhischair。Buthestayedonlyafewmoments。
Then，assoonashehadgone，MonsieurHomaissaidtothedoctor——
“That’swhatIcallacock-fight。Ibeathim，didyousee，inaway!——Nowtakemyadvice。Takemadametothetheatre，ifitwereonlyforonceinyourlife，toenrageoneoftheseravens，hangit!Ifanyonecouldtakemyplace，Iwouldaccompanyyoumyself。
Bequickaboutit。Lagardyisonlygoingtogiveoneperformance；
he’sengagedtogotoEnglandatahighsalary。FromwhatIhear，he’saregulardog；he’srollinginmoney；he’stakingthreemistressesandacookalongwithhim。Allthesegreatartistsburnthecandleatbothends；theyrequireadissolutelife，thatsuitstheimaginationtosomeextent。Buttheydieatthehospital，becausetheyhaven’tthesensewhenyoungtolayby。
Well，apleasantdinner!Goodbyetillto-morrow。“
TheideaofthetheatrequicklygerminatedinBovary’shead，forheatoncecommunicatedittohiswife，whoatfirstrefused，allegingthefatigue，theworry，theexpense；but，forawonder，Charlesdidnotgivein，sosurewashethatthisrecreationwouldbegoodforher。Hesawnothingtopreventit：hismotherhadsentthemthreehundredfrancswhichhehadnolongerexpected；thecurrentdebtswerenotverylarge，andthefallinginofLheureux’sbillswasstillsofaroffthattherewasnoneedtothinkaboutthem。Besides，imaginingthatshewasrefusingfromdelicacy，heinsistedthemore；sothatbydintofworryinghersheatlastmadeuphermind，andthenextdayateighto’clocktheysetoutinthe“Hirondelle。“
Thedruggist，whomnothingwhateverkeptatYonville，butwhothoughthimselfboundnottobudgefromit，sighedashesawthemgo。
“Well，apleasantjourney!“hesaidtothem；“happymortalsthatyouare!“
ThenaddressinghimselftoEmma，whowaswearingabluesilkgownwithfourflounces——
“YouareaslovelyasaVenus。You’llcutafigureatRouen。“
Thediligencestoppedatthe“Croix-Rouge“inthePlaceBeauvoisine。Itwastheinnthatisineveryprovincialfaubourg，withlargestablesandsmallbedrooms，whereoneseesinthemiddleofthecourtchickenspilferingtheoatsunderthemuddygigsofthecommercialtravellers——agoodoldhouse，withworm-eatenbalconiesthatcreakinthewindonwinternights，alwaysfullofpeople，noise，andfeeding，whoseblacktablesarestickywithcoffeeandbrandy，thethickwindowsmadeyellowbytheflies，thedampnapkinsstainedwithcheapwine，andthatalwayssmellsofthevillage，likeploughboysdressedinSundayclothes，hasacafeonthestreet，andtowardsthecountrysideakitchen-garden。Charlesatoncesetout。Hemuddledupthestage-boxeswiththegallery，thepitwiththeboxes；
askedforexplanations，didnotunderstandthem；wassentfromthebox-officetotheacting-manager；camebacktotheinn，returnedtothetheatre，andthusseveraltimestraversedthewholelengthofthetownfromthetheatretotheboulevard。
MadameBovaryboughtabonnet，gloves，andabouquet。Thedoctorwasmuchafraidofmissingthebeginning，and，withouthavinghadtimetoswallowaplateofsoup，theypresentedthemselvesatthedoorsofthetheatre，whichwerestillclosed。
ChapterFifteenThecrowdwaswaitingagainstthewall，symmetricallyenclosedbetweenthebalustrades。Atthecorneroftheneighbouringstreetshugebillsrepeatedinquaintletters“LuciedeLammermoor-Lagardy-Opera-etc。“Theweatherwasfine，thepeoplewerehot，perspirationtrickledamidthecurls，andhandkerchiefstakenfrompocketsweremoppingredforeheads；andnowandthenawarmwindthatblewfromtherivergentlystirredtheborderofthetickawningshangingfromthedoorsofthepublic-houses。A
littlelowerdown，however，onewasrefreshedbyacurrentoficyairthatsmeltoftallow，leather，andoil。ThiswasanexhalationfromtheRuedesCharrettes，fulloflargeblackwarehouseswheretheymadecasks。
Forfearofseemingridiculous，Emmabeforegoinginwishedtohavealittlestrollintheharbour，andBovaryprudentlykepthisticketsinhishand，inthepocketofhistrousers，whichhepressedagainsthisstomach。
Herheartbegantobeatassoonasshereachedthevestibule。Sheinvoluntarilysmiledwithvanityonseeingthecrowdrushingtotherightbytheothercorridorwhileshewentupthestaircasetothereservedseats。Shewasaspleasedasachildtopushwithherfingerthelargetapestrieddoor。Shebreathedinwithallhermightthedustysmellofthelobbies，andwhenshewasseatedinherboxshebentforwardwiththeairofaduchess。