Page 254 - madame-bovary
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had taken refuge at her son’s, was not the least scandalised
of the women-folk. Many other things displeased her. First,
Charles had not attended to her advice about the forbid-
ding of novels; then the ‘ways of the house’ annoyed her;
she allowed herself to make some remarks, and there were
quarrels, especially one on account of Felicite.
Madame Bovary senior, the evening before, passing
along the passage, had surprised her in company of a man—
a man with a brown collar, about forty years old, who, at the
sound of her step, had quickly escaped through the kitchen.
Then Emma began to laugh, but the good lady grew an-
gry, declaring that unless morals were to be laughed at one
ought to look after those of one’s servants.
‘Where were you brought up?’ asked the daughter-in-law,
with so impertinent a look that Madame Bovary asked her
if she were not perhaps defending her own case.
‘Leave the room!’ said the young woman, springing up
with a bound.
‘Emma! Mamma!’ cried Charles, trying to reconcile
them.
But both had fled in their exasperation. Emma was
stamping her feet as she repeated—
‘Oh! what manners! What a peasant!’
He ran to his mother; she was beside herself. She stam-
mered
‘She is an insolent, giddy-headed thing, or perhaps
worse!’
And she was for leaving at once if the other did not apol-
ogise. So Charles went back again to his wife and implored