By Gustave Flaubert
Translated from the French by Eleanor Marx-Aveling
To Marie-Antoine-Jules Senard Member of the Paris
Bar, Ex-President of the National Assembly, and Former
Minister of the Interior Dear and Illustrious Friend,
Permit me to inscribe your name at the head of this
book, and above its dedication; for it is to you, before
all, that I owe its publication. Reading over
your magnificent defence, my work has acquired for
myself, as it were, an unexpected authority.
Accept, then, here, the homage of my gratitude, which,
how great soever it is, will never attain the height
of your eloquence and your devotion.
Gustave Flaubert Paris, 12 April 1857
Part I
We were in class when the head-master came in, followed
by a “new fellow,” not wearing the school
uniform, and a school servant carrying a large desk.
Those who had been asleep woke up, and every one rose
as if just surprised at his work.
The head-master made a sign to us to sit down.
Then, turning to the class-master, he said to him
in a low voice—
“Monsieur Roger, here is a pupil whom I recommend
to your care; he’ll be in the second. If
his work and conduct are satisfactory, he will go into
one of the upper classes, as becomes his age.”
The “new fellow,” standing in the corner
behind the door so that he could hardly be seen, was
a country lad of about fifteen, and taller than any
of us. His hair was cut square on his forehead
like a village chorister’s; he looked reliable,
but very ill at ease. Although he was not broad-shouldered,
his short school jacket of green cloth with black
buttons must have been tight about the arm-holes, and
showed at the opening of the cuffs red wrists accustomed
to being bare. His legs, in blue stockings, looked
out from beneath yellow trousers, drawn tight by braces,
He wore stout, ill-cleaned, hob-nailed boots.
We began repeating the lesson. He listened with
all his ears, as attentive as if at a sermon, not
daring even to cross his legs or lean on his elbow;
and when at two o’clock the bell rang, the master
was obliged to tell him to fall into line with the
rest of us.
When we came back to work, we were in the habit of
throwing our caps on the ground so as to have our
hands more free; we used from the door to toss them
under the form, so that they hit against the wall and
made a lot of dust: it was “the thing.”
