Charles and he made a journey to Rouen together to look at some tombs

at a funeral furnisher's, accompanied by an artist, one Vaufrylard, a

friend of Bridoux's, who made puns all the time. At last, after having

examined some hundred designs, having ordered an estimate and made

another journey to Rouen, Charles decided in favour of a mausoleum,

which on the two principal sides was to have a "spirit bearing an

extinguished torch."

As to the inscription, Homais could think of nothing so fine as Sta

viator*, and he got no further; he racked his brain, he constantly

repeated Sta viator. At last he hit upon Amabilen conjugem calcas**,

which was adopted.

* Rest traveler.

** Tread upon a loving wife.

A strange thing was that Bovary, while continually thinking of Emma, was

forgetting her. He grew desperate as he felt this image fading from his

memory in spite of all efforts to retain it. Yet every night he dreamt

of her; it was always the same dream. He drew near her, but when he was

about to clasp her she fell into decay in his arms.

For a week he was seen going to church in the evening. Monsieur

Bournisien even paid him two or three visits, then gave him up.

Moreover, the old fellow was growing intolerant, fanatic, said Homais.

He thundered against the spirit of the age, and never failed, every

other week, in his sermon, to recount the death agony of Voltaire, who

died devouring his excrements, as everyone knows.

In spite of the economy with which Bovary lived, he was far from being

able to pay off his old debts. Lheureux refused to renew any more

bills. A distraint became imminent. Then he appealed to his mother, who

consented to let him take a mortgage on her property, but with a great

many recriminations against Emma; and in return for her sacrifice she

asked for a shawl that had escaped the depredations of Felicite. Charles

refused to give it her; they quarrelled.

She made the first overtures of reconciliation by offering to have the

little girl, who could help her in the house, to live with her. Charles

consented to this, but when the time 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 family of the

chemist, with whom everything was prospering. Napoleon helped him in the

laboratory, Athalie embroidered 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.




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