Page 332 - madame-bovary

speak either; near them Berthe, in a little white pinafore,
was raking sand in the walks with her spade. Suddenly she
saw Monsieur Lheureux, the linendraper, come in through
the gate.
He came to offer his services ‘under the sad circumstanc-
es.’ Emma answered that she thought she could do without.
The shopkeeper was not to be beaten.
‘I beg your pardon,’ he said, ‘but I should like to have a
private talk with you.’ Then in a low voice, ‘It’s about that
affair—you know.’
Charles crimsoned to his ears. ‘Oh, yes! certainly.’ And
in his confusion, turning to his wife, ‘Couldn’t you, my dar-
ling?’
She seemed to understand him, for she rose; and Charles
said to his mother, ‘It is nothing particular. No doubt, some
household trifle.’ He did not want her to know the story of
the bill, fearing her reproaches.
As soon as they were alone, Monsieur Lheureux in suf-
ficiently clear terms began to congratulate Emma on the
inheritance, then to talk of indifferent matters, of the espal-
iers, of the harvest, and of his own health, which was always
so-so, always having ups and downs. In fact, he had to work
devilish hard, although he didn’t make enough, in spite of
all people said, to find butter for his bread.
Emma let him talk on. She had bored herself so prodi-
giously the last two days.
‘And so you’re quite well again?’ he went on. ‘Ma foi! I saw
your husband in a sad state. He’s a good fellow, though we
did have a little misunderstanding.’

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