Page 341 - madame-bovary

winter, that she seemed seized with great musical fervour.
One evening when Charles was listening to her, she be-
gan the same piece four times over, each time with much
vexation, while he, not noticing any difference, cried—
‘Bravo! very goodl You are wrong to stop. Go on!’
‘Oh, no; it is execrable! My fingers are quite rusty.’
The next day he begged her to play him something
again.
‘Very well; to please you!’
And Charles confessed she had gone off a little. She
played wrong notes and blundered; then, stopping short—
‘Ah! it is no use. I ought to take some lessons; but—‘ She
bit her lips and added, ‘Twenty francs a lesson, that’s too
dear!’
‘Yes, so it is—rather,’ said Charles, giggling stupidly. ‘But
it seems to me that one might be able to do it for less; for
there are artists of no reputation, and who are often better
than the celebrities.’
‘Find them!’ said Emma.
The next day when he came home he looked at her shyly,
and at last could no longer keep back the words.
‘How obstinate you are sometimes! I went to Barfucheres
to-day. Well, Madame Liegard assured me that her three
young ladies who are at La Misericorde have lessons at fifty
sous apiece, and that from an excellent mistress!’
She shrugged her shoulders and did not open her piano
again. But when she passed by it (if Bovary were there), she
sighed—
‘Ah! my poor piano!’

0 Madame Bovary