Page 383 - madame-bovary

She presented herself at his place with an offhand air.
‘You know what has happened to me? No doubt it’s a
joke!’
‘How so?’
He turned away slowly, and, folding his arms, said to
her—
‘My good lady, did you think I should go on to all eternity
being your purveyor and banker, for the love of God? Now
be just. I must get back what I’ve laid out. Now be just.’
She cried out against the debt.
‘Ah! so much the worse. The court has admitted it. There’s
a judgment. It’s been notified to you. Besides, it isn’t my
fault. It’s Vincart’s.’
‘Could you not—?’
‘Oh, nothing whatever.’
‘But still, now talk it over.’
And she began beating about the bush; she had known
nothing about it; it was a surprise.
‘Whose fault is that?’ said Lheureux, bowing ironically.
‘While I’m slaving like a nigger, you go gallivanting about.’
‘Ah! no lecturing.’
‘It never does any harm,’ he replied.
She turned coward; she implored him; she even pressed
her pretty white and slender hand against the shopkeeper’s
knee.
‘There, that’ll do! Anyone’d think you wanted to seduce
me!’
‘You are a wretch!’ she cried.
‘Oh, oh! go it! go it!’

Madame Bovary