Page 100 - madame-bovary

‘Artemise!’ shouted the landlady, ‘chop some wood, fill
the water bottles, bring some brandy, look sharp! If only
I knew what dessert to offer the guests you are expecting!
Good heavens! Those furniture-movers are beginning their
racket in the billiard-room again; and their van has been
left before the front door! The ‘Hirondelle’ might run into it
when it draws up. Call Polyte and tell him to put it up. Only
think, Monsieur Homais, that since morning they have had
about fifteen games, and drunk eight jars of cider! Why,
they’ll tear my cloth for me,’ she went on, looking at them
from a distance, her strainer in her hand.
‘That wouldn’t be much of a loss,’ replied Monsieur
Homais. ‘You would buy another.’
‘Another billiard-table!’ exclaimed the widow.
‘Since that one is coming to pieces, Madame Lefrancois.
I tell you again you are doing yourself harm, much harm!
And besides, players now want narrow pockets and heavy
cues. Hazards aren’t played now; everything is changed!
One must keep pace with the times! Just look at Tellier!’
The hostess reddened with vexation. The chemist went
on—
‘You may say what you like; his table is better than yours;
and if one were to think, for example, of getting up a patriot-
ic pool for Poland or the sufferers from the Lyons floods—‘
‘It isn’t beggars like him that’ll frighten us,’ interrupt-
ed the landlady, shrugging her fat shoulders. ‘Come, come,
Monsieur Homais; as long as the ‘Lion d’Or’ exists people
will come to it. We’ve feathered our nest; while one of these
days you’ll find the ‘Cafe Francais’ closed with a big plac-