Page 434 - madame-bovary

you see, is still too recent.’
Then Homais congratulated him on not being exposed,
like other people, to the loss of a beloved companion; whence
there followed a discussion on the celibacy of priests.
‘For,’ said the chemist, ‘it is unnatural that a man should
do without women! There have been crimes—‘
‘But, good heaven!’ cried the ecclesiastic, ‘how do you ex-
pect an individual who is married to keep the secrets of the
confessional, for example?’
Homais fell foul of the confessional. Bournisien defend-
ed it; he enlarged on the acts of restitution that it brought
about. He cited various anecdotes about thieves who had
suddenly become honest. Military men on approaching the
tribunal of penitence had felt the scales fall from their eyes.
At Fribourg there was a minister—
His companion was asleep. Then he felt somewhat stifled
by the over-heavy atmosphere of the room; he opened the
window; this awoke the chemist.
‘Come, take a pinch of snuff,’ he said to him. ‘Take it; it’ll
relieve you.’
A continual barking was heard in the distance. ‘Do you
hear that dog howling?’ said the chemist.
‘They smell the dead,’ replied the priest. ‘It’s like bees;
they leave their hives on the decease of any person.’
Homais made no remark upon these prejudices, for he
had again dropped asleep. Monsieur Bournisien, stronger
than he, went on moving his lips gently for some time, then
insensibly his chin sank down, he let fall his big black boot,
and began to snore.