Having enjoyed one affair Madame Bovary goes reasonably quickly into another one with her old flame Leon as she seeks to escape from the confines of a loveless and hateful marriage. But of course it is Charles the dutiful husband who is there throughout her illness after she is dropped by Rodolphe and Charles is also there to pick up her debts. How long she can get away with her deceit is not so clear but so far it is Charles himself who is the master of his own downfall with it being his suggestion to ride with Rodolphe that leads to the affair and then it is Charles who introduces Leon in the theatre to his wife.
Bullet points between pages 192 - 254
* After arranging to meet up with Rodolphe and run away together he writes a note, which he sends in a basket of apricots that explains that he cannot go away with her and tries to justify his actions deserting her
* She is devastated and suffers an attack of brain fever and is bed ridden for weeks and while she is ill the scale of her debts become clear and Charles of course picks up the pieces and arranges a loan to cover the costs
* To try and further her recovery it is suggested by the chemist that Charles takes her to the theatre in Rouen and it is in the interval that she is reintroduced to Leon who furthering his legal studies and doing rather well
* He advises Emma to stay on for a couple of days and in that period they make love in the back of a cab and any resolve she had to avoid getting involved with him fritters away as easily as the letter she wrote to that effect does after being thrown out of the window
* She returns to Charles but continues to see Leon and order luxuries without care of money as her interests are elsewhere and she even seems disinterested when she hears that her father-in-law has died
Quite where she will go with Leon, who is far more immature than Rodolphe and as a result likely to get trapped in a situation that is beyond his control. More tomorrow…
