Page 453 - madame-bovary

for parting came, all his courage failed him. Then there was
a final, complete rupture.
As his affections vanished, he clung more closely to the
love of his child. She made him anxious, however, for she
coughed sometimes, and had red spots on her cheeks.
Opposite his house, flourishing and merry, was the fam-
ily of the chemist, with whom everything was prospering.
Napoleon helped him in the laboratory, Athalie embroi-
dered him a skullcap, Irma cut out rounds of paper to cover
the preserves, and Franklin recited Pythagoras’ table in a
breath. He was the happiest of fathers, the most fortunate
of men.
Not so! A secret ambition devoured him. Homais han-
kered after the cross of the Legion of Honour. He had plenty
of claims to it.
‘First, having at the time of the cholera distinguished
myself by a boundless devotion; second, by having pub-
lished, at my expense, various works of public utility, such
as’ (and he recalled his pamphlet entitled, ‘Cider, its manu-
facture and effects,’ besides observation on the lanigerous
plant-louse, sent to the Academy; his volume of statistics,
and down to his pharmaceutical thesis); ‘without count-
ing that I am a member of several learned societies’ (he was
member of a single one).
‘In short!’ he cried, making a pirouette, ‘if it were only for
distinguishing myself at fires!’
Then Homais inclined towards the Government. He se-
cretly did the prefect great service during the elections. He
sold himself—in a word, prostituted himself. He even ad-

Madame Bovary