Page 220 - madame-bovary

for the laws, was infringing them, and so he every moment
expected to see the rural guard turn up. But this anxiety
whetted his pleasure, and, all alone in his tub, he congratu-
lated himself on his luck and on his cuteness. At sight of
Emma he seemed relieved from a great weight, and at once
entered upon a conversation.
‘It isn’t warm; it’s nipping.’
Emma answered nothing. He went on—
‘And you’re out so early?’
‘Yes,’ she said stammering; ‘I am just coming from the
nurse where my child is.’
‘Ah! very good! very good! For myself, I am here, just as
you see me, since break of day; but the weather is so muggy,
that unless one had the bird at the mouth of the gun—‘
‘Good evening, Monsieur Binet,’ she interrupted him,
turning on her heel.
‘Your servant, madame,’ he replied drily; and he went
back into his tub.
Emma regretted having left the tax-collector so abrupt-
ly. No doubt he would form unfavourable conjectures. The
story about the nurse was the worst possible excuse, every-
one at Yonville knowing that the little Bovary had been at
home with her parents for a year. Besides, no one was living
in this direction; this path led only to La Huchette. Binet,
then, would guess whence she came, and he would not keep
silence; he would talk, that was certain. She remained un-
til evening racking her brain with every conceivable lying
project, and had constantly before her eyes that imbecile
with the game-bag.

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