Page 188 - madame-bovary

downstairs, all the guns were lowered. Then was seen step-
ping down from the carriage a gentleman in a short coat
with silver braiding, with bald brow, and wearing a tuft of
hair at the back of his head, of a sallow complexion and the
most benign appearance. His eyes, very large and covered
by heavy lids, were half-closed to look at the crowd, while at
the same time he raised his sharp nose, and forced a smile
upon his sunken mouth. He recognised the mayor by his
scarf, and explained to him that the prefect was not able to
come. He himself was a councillor at the prefecture; then he
added a few apologies. Monsieur Tuvache answered them
with compliments; the other confessed himself nervous;
and they remained thus, face to face, their foreheads almost
touching, with the members of the jury all round, the mu-
nicipal council, the notable personages, the National Guard
and the crowd. The councillor pressing his little cocked hat
to his breast repeated his bows, while Tuvache, bent like a
bow, also smiled, stammered, tried to say something, pro-
tested his devotion to the monarchy and the honour that
was being done to Yonville.
Hippolyte, the groom from the inn, took the head of the
horses from the coachman, and, limping along with his
club-foot, led them to the door of the ‘Lion d’Or’, where a
number of peasants collected to look at the carriage. The
drum beat, the howitzer thundered, and the gentlemen one
by one mounted the platform, where they sat down in red
utrecht velvet arm-chairs that had been lent by Madame
Tuvache.
All these people looked alike. Their fair flabby faces,

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