《红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)》the scarlet letter(英文版)-第47章

ease　the　bewilderment　of　his　mind。　The　elvish　childthen　laughed　aloud。 〃Dost　thou　mock　me　now？〃　said　the　minister。 〃Thou　wast　not　bold！…　thou　wast　not　true！〃　answered　the　child。　〃Thouwouldst　not　promise　to　take　my　hand；　and　mother"s　hand；　to…morrownoontide！〃 〃Worthy　sir；〃　answered　the　physician；　who　had　now　advanced　to　thefoot　of　the　platform。　〃Pious　Master　Dimmesdale！　can　this　be　you？　Well；well；　indeed！　We　men　of　study；　whose　heads　are　in　our　books；　have　needto　be　straitly　looked　after！　We　dream　in　our　waking　moments；　andwalk　in　our　sleep。　e；　good　sir；　and　my　dear　friend；　I　pray　you；　letme　lead　you　home！〃 〃How　knewest　thou　that　I　was　here？〃　asked　the　minister　fearfully。 〃Verily；　and　in　good　faith；〃　answered　Roger　Chillingworth；　〃I　knewnothing　of　the　matter。　I　had　spent　the　better　part　of　the　night　at　thebedside　of　the　worshipful　Governor　Winthrop；　doing　what　my　poorskill　might　to　give　him　ease。　He　going　home　to　a　better　world；　I；likewise；　was　on　my　way　homeward；　when　this　strange　light　shone　out。e　with　me；　I　beseech　you；　reverend　sir；　else　you　will　be　poorlyable　to　do　Sabbath　duty　to…morrow。　Aha！　see　now；　how　they　troublethe　brain…　these　books！…　these　books！　You　should　study　less；　good　sir；and　take　a　little　pastime；　or　these　night…whimseys　will　grow　uponyou。〃 〃I　will　go　home　with　you；〃　said　Mr。　Dimmesdale。 With　a　chill　despondency；　like　one　awaking；　all　nerveless；　from　anugly　dream；　be　yielded　himself　to　the　physician；　and　was　led　away。 The　next　day；　however；　being　the　Sabbath；　he　preached　a　discoursewhich　was　held　to　be　the　richest　and　most　powerful；　and　the　mostreplete　with　heavenly　influences；　that　had　ever　proceeded　from　hislips。　Souls；　it　is　said；　more　souls　than　one；　were　brought　to　thetruth　by　the　efficacy　of　that　sermon；　and　vowed　within　themselves　tocherish　a　holy　gratitude　towards　Mr。　Dimmesdale　throughout　the　longhereafter。　But；　as　he　came　down　the　pulpit　steps；　the　grey…beardedsexton　met　him；　holding　up　a　black　glove；　which　the　ministerrecognised　as　his　own。 〃It　was　found；〃　said　the　sexton；　〃this　morning；　on　the　scaffoldwhere　evil…doers　are　set　up　to　public　shame。　Satan　dropped　it　there；　Itake　it；　intending　a　scurrilous　jest　against　your　reverence。　But；indeed；　he　was　blind　and　foolish；　as　he　ever　and　always　is。　A　purehand　needs　no　glove　to　cover　it！〃 〃Thank　you；　my　good　friend；〃　said　the　minister　gravely；　but　startledat　heart；　for；　so　confused　was　his　remembrance；　that　he　had　almostbrought　himself　to　look　at　the　events　of　the　past　night　asvisionary。　〃Yes；　it　seems　to　be　my　glove；　indeed！〃 〃And；　since　Satan　saw　fit　to　steal　it；　your　reverence　must　needshandle　him　without　gloves；　henceforward；〃　remarked　the　old　sexton；grimly　smiling。　〃But　did　your　reverence　hear　of　the　portent　that　wasseen　last　night？…　a　great　red　letter　in　the　sky…　the　letter　A；　whichwe　interpret　to　stand　for　Angel。　For；　as　our　good　Governor　Winthropwas　made　an　angel　this　past　night；　it　was　doubtless　held　fit　thatthere　should　be　some　notice　thereof！〃 〃No；〃　answered　the　minister；　〃I　had　not　heard　of　it。〃 XIII。 ANOTHER　VIEW　OF　HESTER。 IN　her　late　singular　interview　with　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　Hester　Prynnewas　shocked　at　the　condition　to　which　she　found　the　clergyman　reduced。His　nerve　seemed　absolutely　destroyed。　His　moral　force　was　abased　intomore　than　childish　weakness。　It　grovelled　helpless　on　the　ground；　evenwhile　his　intellectual　faculties　retained　their　pristine　strength；or　had　perhaps　acquired　a　morbid　energy；　which　disease　only　could　havegiven　them。　With　her　knowledge　of　a　train　of　circumstances　hidden　fromall　others；　she　could　readily　infer　that；　besides　the　legitimateaction　of　his　own　conscience；　a　terrible　machinery　had　been　brought　tobear；　and　was　still　operating；　on　Mr。　Dimmesdale"s　well…being　andrepose。　Knowing　what　this　poor　fallen　man　had　once　been；　her　wholesoul　was　moved　by　the　shuddering　terror　with　which　he　had　appealedto　her…　the　outcast　woman…　for　support　against　his　instinctivelydiscovered　enemy。　She　decided；　moreover；　that　he　had　a　right　to　herutmost　aid。　Little　accustomed；　in　her　long　seclusion　from　society；to　measure　her　ideas　of　right　and　wrong　by　any　standard　external　toherself；　Hester　saw…　or　seemed　to　see…　that　there　lay　aresponsibility　upon　her；　in　reference　to　the　clergyman；　which　she　owedto　no　other；　nor　to　the　whole　world　besides。　The　links　that　united　herto　the　rest　of　human　kind…　links　of　flowers；　or　silk；　or　gold；　orwhatever　the　material…　had　all　been　broken。　Here　was　the　iron　linkof　mutual　crime；　which　neither　he　nor　she　could　break。　Like　allother　ties；　it　brought　along　with　it　its　obligations。 Hester　Prynne　did　not　now　occupy　precisely　the　same　position　inwhich　we　beheld　her　during　the　earlier　periods　of　her　ignominy。Years　had　e　and　gone。　Pearl　was　now　seven　years　old。　Her　mother；with　the　scarlet　letter　on　her　breast；　glittering　in　its　fantasticembroidery；　had　long　been　a　familiar　object　to　the　townspeople。　Asis　apt　to　be　the　case　when　a　person　stands　out　in　any　prominencebefore　the　munity；　and；　at　the　same　time；　interferes　neither　withpublic　nor　individual　interests　and　convenience；　a　species　ofgeneral　regard　had　ultimately　grown　up　in　reference　to　HesterPrynne。　It　is　to　the　credit　of　human　nature；　that；　except　where　itsselfishness　is　brought　into　play；　it　loves　more　readily　than　it　hates。Hatred；　by　a　gradual　and　quiet　process；　will　even　be　transformed　tolove；　unless　the　change　be　impeded　by　a　continually　new　irritationof　the　original　feeling　of　hostility。　In　this　matter　of　Hester　Prynne；there　was　neither　irritation　nor　irksomeness。　She　never　battled　withthe　public；　but　submitted；　unplainingly；　to　its　worst　usage；　shemade　no　claim　upon　it；　in　requital　for　what　she　suffered；　she　didnot　weigh　upon　its　sympathies。　Then；　also；　the　blameless　purity　of　herlife　during　all　these　years　in　which　she　had　been　set　apart　to　infamy；was　reckoned　largely　in　her　favour。　With　nothing　now　to　lose；　in　thesight　of　mankind；　and　with　no　hope；　and　seemingly　no　wish；　ofgaining　anything；　it　could　only　be　a　genuine　regard　for　virtue　thathad　brought　back　the　poor　wanderer　to　its　paths。 It　was　perceived；　too；　that　while　Hester　never　put　forward　eventhe　humblest　title　to　share　in　the　wo