She did not know if she regretted having yielded to him, or whether she

did not wish, on the contrary, to enjoy him the more. The humiliation

of feeling herself weak was turning to rancour, tempered by their

voluptuous pleasures. It was not affection; it was like a continual

seduction. He subjugated her; she almost feared him.

Appearances, nevertheless, were calmer than ever, Rodolphe having

succeeded in carrying out the adultery after his own fancy; and at the

end of six months, when the spring-time came, they were to one another

like a married couple, tranquilly keeping up a domestic flame.

It was the time of year when old Rouault sent his turkey in remembrance

of the setting of his leg. The present always arrived with a letter.

Emma cut the string that tied it to the basket, and read the following

lines:-"My Dear Children--I hope this will find you well, and that this one

will be as good as the others. For it seems to me a little more tender,

if I may venture to say so, and heavier. But next time, for a change,

I'll give you a turkeycock, unless you have a preference for some dabs;

and send me back the hamper, if you please, with the two old ones. I

have had an accident with my cart-sheds, whose covering flew off one

windy night among the trees. The harvest has not been overgood either.

Finally, I don't know when I shall come to see you. It is so difficult

now to leave the house since I am alone, my poor Emma."

Here there was a break in the lines, as if the old fellow had dropped

his pen to dream a little while.

"For myself, I am very well, except for a cold I caught the other day at

the fair at Yvetot, where I had gone to hire a shepherd, having turned

away mine because he was too dainty. How we are to be pitied with such

a lot of thieves! Besides, he was also rude. I heard from a pedlar, who,

travelling through your part of the country this winter, had a tooth

drawn, that Bovary was as usual working hard. That doesn't surprise me;

and he showed me his tooth; we had some coffee together. I asked him if

he had seen you, and he said not, but that he had seen two horses in the

stables, from which I conclude that business is looking up. So much

the better, my dear children, and may God send you every imaginable

happiness! It grieves me not yet to have seen my dear little

grand-daughter, Berthe Bovary. I have planted an Orleans plum-tree for

her in the garden under your room, and I won't have it touched unless it

is to have jam made for her by and bye, that I will keep in the cupboard

for her when she comes.




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