Page 42 - madame-bovary

went to bed early. Her husband, instead of following her,
sent to Saint-Victor for some cigars, and smoked till day-
break, drinking kirsch-punch, a mixture unknown to the
company. This added greatly to the consideration in which
he was held.
Charles, who was not of a facetious turn, did not shine
at the wedding. He answered feebly to the puns, doubles en-
tendres*, compliments, and chaff that it was felt a duty to let
off at him as soon as the soup appeared.
*Double meanings.
The next day, on the other hand, he seemed another man.
It was he who might rather have been taken for the virgin
of the evening before, whilst the bride gave no sign that re-
vealed anything. The shrewdest did not know what to make
of it, and they looked at her when she passed near them with
an unbounded concentration of mind. But Charles con-
cealed nothing. He called her ‘my wife’, tutoyed* her, asked
for her of everyone, looked for her everywhere, and often he
dragged her into the yards, where he could be seen from far
between the trees, putting his arm around her waist, and
walking half-bending over her, ruffling the chemisette of
her bodice with his head.
*Used the familiar form of address.
Two days after the wedding the married pair left. Charles,
on account of his patients, could not be away longer. Old
Rouault had them driven back in his cart, and himself ac-
companied them as far as Vassonville. Here he embraced
his daughter for the last time, got down, and went his way.
When he had gone about a hundred paces he stopped, and

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