《红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)》the scarlet letter(英文版)-第54章

he　minister　keep　his　hand　over　his　heart？〃 〃What　shall　I　say？〃　thought　Hester　to　herself。　〃No！　If　this　be　theprice　of　the　child"s　sympathy；　I　cannot　pay　it。〃 Then　she　spoke　aloud。 〃Silly　Pearl；〃　said　she；　〃what　questions　are　these？　There　are　manythings　in　this　world　that　a　child　must　not　ask　about。　What　know　I　ofthe　minister"s　heart？　And　as　for　the　scarlet　letter；　I　wear　it　for　thesake　of　its　gold　thread。〃 In　all　the　seven　bygone　years；　Hester　Prynne　had　never　before　beenfalse　to　the　symbol　on　her　bosom。　It　may　be　that　it　was　the　talismanof　a　stern　and　severe；　but　yet　a　guardian　spirit；　who　now　forsook　her；as　recognising　that；　in　spite　of　his　strict　watch　over　her　heart；　somenew　evil　had　crept　into　it；　or　some　old　one　had　never　been　expelled。As　for　little　Pearl；　the　earnestness　soon　passed　out　of　her　face。 But　the　child　did　not　see　fit　to　let　the　matter　drop。　Two　or　threetimes；　as　her　mother　and　she　went　homeward；　and　as　often　atsuppertime；　and　while　Hester　was　putting　her　to　bed；　and　once　aftershe　seemed　to　be　fairly　asleep；　Pearl　looked　up；　with　mischiefgleaming　in　her　black　eyes。 〃Mother；〃　said　she；　〃what　does　the　scarlet　letter　mean？〃 And　the　next　morning；　the　first　indication　the　child　gave　of　beingawake　was　by　popping　up　her　head　from　the　pillow；　and　making　thatother　inquiry；　which　she　had　so　unaccountably　connected　with　herinvestigations　about　the　scarlet　letter… 〃Mother！…　mother！…　why　does　the　minister　keep　his　hand　over　hisheart？〃 〃Hold　thy　tongue；　naughty　child！〃　answered　her　mother；　with　anasperity　that　she　had　never　permitted　to　herself　before。　〃Do　not　teaseme；　else　I　shall　shut　thee　into　the　dark　closet！〃 XVI。 A　FOREST　WALK。 HESTER　PRYNNE　remained　constant　in　her　resolve　to　make　known　toMr。　Dimmesdale；　at　whatever　risk　of　present　pain　or　ulteriorconsequences；　the　true　character　of　the　man　who　had　crept　into　hisintimacy。　For　several　days；　however；　she　vainly　sought　anopportunity　of　addressing　him　in　some　of　the　meditative　walks　whichshe　knew　him　to　be　in　the　habit　of　taking；　along　the　shores　of　thepeninsula；　or　on　the　wooded　hills　of　the　neighbouring　country。　Therewould　have　been　no　scandal；　indeed；　nor　peril　to　the　holy　whiteness　ofthe　clergyman"s　good　fame；　had　she　visited　him　in　his　own　study；　wheremany　a　penitent；　ere　now；　had　confessed　sins　of　perhaps　as　deep　adye　as　the　one　betokened　by　the　scarlet　letter。　But；　partly　that　shedreaded　the　secret　or　undisguised　interference　of　old　RogerChillingworth；　and　partly　that　her　conscious　heart　imputed　suspicionwhere　none　could　have　been　felt；　and　partly　that　both　the　minister　andshe　would　need　the　whole　wide　world　to　breathe　in；　while　they　talkedtogether…　for　all　these　reasons；　Hester　never　though　of　meeting　him　inany　narrower　privacy　than　beneath　the　open　sky。 At　last；　while　attending　in　a　sick…chamber；　whither　the　Reverend　Mr。Dimmesdale　had　been　summoned　to　make　a　prayer；　she　learnt　that　hehad　gone；　the　day　before；　to　visit　the　Apostle　Eliot；　among　his　Indianconverts。　He　would　probably　return；　by　a　certain　hour；　in　theafternoon　of　the　morrow。　Betimes；　therefore；　the　next　day；　Hester　tooklittle　Pearl…　who　was　necessarily　the　panion　of　all　her　mother"sexpeditions；　however　inconvenient　her　presence… and　set　forth。 The　road；　after　the　two　wayfarers　had　crossed　from　the　peninsulato　the　mainland；　was　no　other　than　a　footpath。　It　straggled　onwardinto　the　mystery　of　the　primeval　forest。　This　hemmed　it　in　sonarrowly；　and　stood　so　black　and　dense　on　either　side；　and　disclosedsuch　imperfect　glimpses　of　the　sky　above；　that；　to　Hester"s　mind；　itimaged　not　amiss　the　moral　wilderness　in　which　she　had　so　long　beenwandering。　The　day　was　chill　and　sombre。　Overhead　was　a　grey　expanseof　cloud；　slightly　stirred；　however；　by　a　breeze；　so　that　a　gleam　offlickering　sunshine　might　now　and　then　be　seen　at　its　solitary　playalong　the　path。　This　flitting　cheerfulness　was　always　at　the　fartherextremity　of　some　long　vista　through　the　forest。　The　sportivesunlight…　feebly　sportive；　at　best；　in　the　predominant　pensivenessof　the　day　and　scene…　withdrew　itself　as　they　came　nigh；　and　leftthe　spots　where　it　had　danced　the　drearier；　because　they　had　hopedto　find　them　bright。 〃Mother；〃　said　little　Pearl；　〃the　sunshine　does　not　love　you。　Itruns　away　and　hides　itself；　because　it　is　afraid　of　something　onyour　bosom。　Now；　see！　There　it　is；　playing；　a　good　way　off。　Standyou　here；　and　let　me　run　and　catch　it。　I　am　but　a　child。　It　will　notflee　from　me；　for　I　wear　nothing　on　my　bosom　yet！〃 〃Nor　ever　will；　my　child；　I　hope；〃　said　Hester。 〃And　why　not；　mother？〃　asked　Pearl；　stopping　short　just　at　thebeginning　of　her　race。　〃Will　not　it　e　of　its　own　accord；　when　Iam　a　woman　grown？〃 〃Run　away；　child；〃　answered　her　mother；　〃and　catch　the　sunshine！It　will　soon　be　gone。〃 Pearl　set　forth；　at　a　great　pace；　and；　as　Hester　smiled　to　perceive；did　actually　catch　the　sunshine；　and　stood　laughing　in　the　midst　ofit；　all　brightened　by　its　splendour；　and　scintillating　with　thevivacity　excited　by　rapid　motion。　The　light　lingered　about　thelonely　child；　as　if　glad　of　such　a　playmate；　until　her　mother　haddrawn　almost　nigh　enough　to　step　into　the　magic　circle　too。 〃It　will　go　now；〃　said　Pearl；　shaking　her　head。 〃See！〃　answered　Hester；　smiling。　〃Now　I　can　stretch　out　my　hand；　andgrasp　some　of　it。〃 As　she　attempted　to　do　so；　the　sunshine　vanished；　or；　to　judgefrom　the　bright　expression　that　was　dancing　on　Pearl"s　features；　hermother　could　have　fancied　that　the　child　had　absorbed　it　into　herself；and　would　give　it　forth　again；　with　a　gleam　about　her　path；　as　theyshould　plunge　into　some　gloomier　shade。　There　was　no　other　attributethat　so　much　impressed　her　with　a　sense　of　new　and　untransmittedvigour　in　Pearl"s　nature；　as　this　never…failing　vivacity　of　spirits；she　had　not　the　disease　of　sadness；　which　almost　all　children；　inthese　latter　days；　inherit；　with　the　scrofula；　from　the　troubles　oftheir　ancestors。　Perhaps　this　too　was　a　disease；　and　but　the　reflex　ofthe　wild　energy　with　which　Hester　had　fought　against　her　sorrows；before　Pearl"s　birth。　It　was　certainly　a　doubtful　charm；　imparting　ahard；　metallic　lustre　to　the　child"s　character。　She　wanted…　whatsome　people　want　thro