Госпожа Бовари

           "Haveyoucarefullyweighedyourresolution?DoyouknowtowhatanabyssIwasdraggingyou,poorangel?No,youdonot,doyou?Youwerecomingconfidentandfearless,believinginhappinessinthefuture.Ah!unhappythatweare—insensate!"

           Rodolphestoppedheretothinkofsomegoodexcuse.

           "IfItoldherallmyfortuneislost?No!Besides,thatwouldstopnothing.Itwouldallhavetobebegunoveragainlateron.Asifonecouldmakewomenlikethatlistentoreason!"Hereflected,thenwenton—

           "Ishallnotforgetyou,ohbelieveit;andIshalleverhaveaprofounddevotionforyou;butsomeday,soonerorlater,thisardour(suchisthefateofhumanthings)wouldhavegrownless,nodoubt.Lassitudewouldhavecometous,andwhoknowsifIshouldnotevenhavehadtheatrociouspainofwitnessingyourremorse,ofsharingitmyself,sinceIshouldhavebeenitscause?Themereideaofthegriefthatwouldcometoyoutorturesme,Emma.Forgetme!WhydidIeverknowyou?Whywereyousobeautiful?Isitmyfault?OmyGod!No,no!Accuseonlyfate."

           "That’sawordthatalwaystells,"hesaidtohimself.

           "Ah,ifyouhadbeenoneofthosefrivolouswomenthatonesees,certainlyImight,throughegotism,havetriedanexperiment,inthatcasewithoutdangerforyou.Butthatdeliciousexaltation,atonceyourcharmandyourtorment,haspreventedyoufromunderstanding,adorablewomanthatyouare,thefalsenessofourfutureposition.