CHAPTER TWELVE

Their love began again. Often Emma used to write to him during the day, ordering Justin to immediately send the letter to Rodolphe. He would come to see her, only to hear her say she was bored, her husband was evil, and her life was unbearable.

"Well, what can I do about it?" he would say impatiently.

"We could go away and live together ... somewhere else ... "

"You must be crazy!"

She often discussed this subject. He would talk of something else. He could not understand how something as simple as love could cause him such problems. Her feelings of love for him grew every day. The more in love she was with Rodolphe, the more she hated Charles.

Madame Bovary was always sending poor Felicite to wash clothes, so she could be alone with her lover. All the while, Justin would watch the maid, silently admiring her.

It annoyed Felicite, however, to have Justin following her all the time. She was six years older than him. Besides, Monsieur Guillaumin's wealthy son, Theodore, was in love with her.

"Leave me alone!" she would say to him, annoyed.

He would then take a pair of Emma's shoes to clean. Her shoes were always quite dirty from her nightly meetings with her lover in the garden. She had several pairs of such shoes, and was always buying a new pair, but Charles did not get upset with her spending habits.

Charles soon paid twelve pounds for a wooden leg as a present for Hippolyte. But Hippolyte didn't want to use such a handsome leg, and asked Madame Bovary to get him another, better for working.

Poor Hippolyte soon recovered and returned to work. If Charles ever heard him walking along, he would quickly turn so they wouldn't meet.

Madame Bovary ordered the leg from Monsieur Lheureux, the owner of a local trade shop. He often visited Emma to tell her about new deliveries from Paris, or a new product she would like. Emma was quite pleased in buying such products. For instance, she brought a horse-riding whip for Rodolphe. Monsieur Lheureux brought it to her home the following week. The day after that, however, he called with a bill for over ten pounds. Emma was surprised that he wanted her to pay. She had no money at home, and could not ask Charles. The Bovarys owed many in town a lot of money, but had none themselves.

Lheureux returned, demanding that she pay the ten pounds. She did not have ten pounds. He told her he must take back the other goods he had given her.

"Take them!" said Emma.

"Ah, no, that was just a joke," he replied. "I know, I'll ask the Doctor to return the horse-riding whip."

"No, don't do that!" she cried.

"I know your secret now!" Lheureux thought.

He soon left, and the maid came into her room with a fifteen-pound payment from a patient of Charles.

Three days later, Lheureux appeared again.

"If, instead of paying the money, you would like to take ... "

"Here you are," she said, and placed the money for the bill in his hand.

The man was astonished.

Emma had given Rodolphe a horse-riding whip, as well as many other presents. These presents embarrassed him. Several presents he refused to take, but she began to insist that he accept her gifts. Recently, however, he had to take the gifts, or she would become quite angry. And she was often telling him that he should think of her always.

"Do you love me?" she would ask.

"Of course I do!"

"A lot?"

"Certainly!"

"You've never loved anyone else?"

"You know I have had other women!" he exclaimed with a laugh.

Emma cried.

"I love you so much! I can't live without you! Tell me you love only me! I am your slave, you are my king!" she would proclaim.

He listened to these speeches often, and was now bored with them. Emma was like any other mistress. Their love affair was dull, he thought. Although, he continued with her, enjoying the pleasures of the affair. He treated her as he pleased, and she became more attentive to him.

At home, however, Emma no longer cared for polite, ladylike behavior. Her mother-in-law was particularly shocked. She had come for a visit, after quarrelling with her husband.

One evening, the elder Madame Bovary walked into the garden when she saw the young maid standing alone with a man. Mother Bovary was astonished, and immediately advised her daughter-in-law. Emma began to laugh when she heard; the elder Madame Bovary became angry.

"Get out!" the young woman shouted.

"Emma! Mamma!" cried Charles. Both women left the room in anger.

Mother Bovary would leave immediately unless Emma apologized. Charles begged his wife.

"Very well, I'll go," she replied. She walked downstairs, held out her hand to her mother-in-law coldly before she said, "I apologize, Madame." Then she returned to her room where she cried on her bed like a child.

That evening, Emma met her lover, and told him everything, although included certain lies in the story.

"Be brave! You must be patient!" her lover told her.

"I've been patient for four years. I can't stay here anymore. Save me! Take me away!" she cried.

Rodolphe thought she looked beautiful that night.

"But ... what about your little girl?" he asked.

She thought for a moment. "We'll have to take her along."

"What a woman!" he thought. He agreed to go away.

Madame Bovary soon went to Monsieur Lheureux's shop to order a coat, a suitcase, and a traveling bag.

"You're going on a journey?" he asked.

"No, but ... can you order this quickly? And here!" she said, giving him a watch. "I'll give you this watch to pay for the goods. And ... leave the goods at your place, I'll come here to pick them up."

The lovers planned to run away the following month. Rodolphe tried to avoid the subject. He thought that perhaps Emma had forgotten. At the end of a month, he told her they must wait two more weeks. Then, he said he wasn't feeling well. Then he went on a journey. Then, they decided they would leave on the fourth of September, a Monday.

Rodolphe came the Saturday evening before they were to leave, earlier than usual.

"Is everything ready?" she asked.

"Yes."

"You're sad," said Emma.

"No. Why?"

"Is it because you're going away from all that's important to you? I understand, although I have nothing important. I shall be everything to you. I will care for you, I will love you!"

"How sweet you are!"

"It will be good to travel ... then why am I sad? Perhaps because I do not know what the future will hold, or the sadness of leaving. No, it's just that I'm too happy!" she said.

"There is still time," he cried. "Think! You may regret leaving!"

"Never!" she declared. "We shall be together every day. We shall have no worries or cares. We shall be all alone for always ... Speak to me, answer me!"

"Yes."

At midnight, they parted.

"Till tomorrow! Till tomorrow! We will be together forever tomorrow, my love!" she said as she tenderly kissed her lover.

As he returned home, thinking of his decision, he stopped.

"What an idiot I am!" he said. "I can't leave the country and take care of a child! And how expensive children are! No, no, it would have been too stupid! Although, she was a pretty mistress!"

(end of section)