Page 111 - madame-bovary

ed Homais, bending over his plate. ‘That’s sheer modesty.
Why, my dear fellow, the other day in your room you were
singing ‘L’Ange Gardien’ ravishingly. I heard you from the
laboratory. You gave it like an actor.’
Leon, in fact, lodged at the chemist’s where he had a
small room on the second floor, overlooking the Place. He
blushed at the compliment of his landlord, who had already
turned to the doctor, and was enumerating to him, one after
the other, all the principal inhabitants of Yonville. He was
telling anecdotes, giving information; the fortune of the
notary was not known exactly, and ‘there was the Tuvache
household,’ who made a good deal of show.
Emma continued, ‘And what music do you prefer?’
‘Oh, German music; that which makes you dream.’
‘Have you been to the opera?’
‘Not yet; but I shall go next year, when I am living at Paris
to finish reading for the bar.’
‘As I had the honour of putting it to your husband,’ said
the chemist, ‘with regard to this poor Yanoda who has run
away, you will find yourself, thanks to his extravagance, in
the possession of one of the most comfortable houses of Yon-
ville. Its greatest convenience for a doctor is a door giving
on the Walk, where one can go in and out unseen. Moreover,
it contains everything that is agreeable in a household—a
laundry, kitchen with offices, sitting-room, fruit-room, and
so on. He was a gay dog, who didn’t care what he spent. At
the end of the garden, by the side of the water, he had an ar-
bour built just for the purpose of drinking beer in summer;
and if madame is fond of gardening she will be able—‘

110 Madame Bovary