Page 355 - madame-bovary

One morning, when she had gone, as usual, rather light-
ly clothed, it suddenly began to snow, and as Charles was
watching the weather from the window, he caught sight of
Monsieur Bournisien in the chaise of Monsieur Tuvache,
who was driving him to Rouen. Then he went down to give
the priesta thick shawl that he was to hand over to Emma
as soon as he reached the ‘Croix-Rouge.’ When he got to
the inn, Monsieur Bournisien asked for the wife of the Yon-
ville doctor. The landlady replied that she very rarely came
to her establishment. So that evening, when he recognised
Madame Bovary in the ‘Hirondelle,’ the cure told her his
dilemma, without, however, appearing to attach much im-
portance to it, for he began praising a preacher who was
doing wonders at the Cathedral, and whom all the ladies
were rushing to hear.
Still, if he did not ask for any explanation, others, later on,
might prove less discreet. So she thought well to get down
each time at the ‘Croix-Rouge,’ so that the good folk of her
village who saw her on the stairs should suspect nothing.
One day, however, Monsieur Lheureux met her coming
out of the Hotel de Boulogne on Leon’s arm; and she was
frightened, thinking he would gossip. He was not such a
fool. But three days after he came to her room, shut the door,
and said, ‘I must have some money.’
She declared she could not give him any. Lheureux burst
into lamentations and reminded her of all the kindnesses
he had shown her.
In fact, of the two bills signed by Charles, Emma up to the
present had paid only one. As to the second, the shopkeeper,

Madame Bovary