《红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)》the scarlet letter(英文版)-第59章

e　with　it！　Begin　allanew！　Hast　thou　exhausted　possibility　in　the　failure　of　this　orial？　Not　so！　The　future　is　yet　full　of　trial　and　success。　There　ishappiness　to　be　enjoyed！　There　is　good　to　be　done！　Exchange　this　falselife　of　thine　for　a　true　one。　Be；　if　thy　spirit　summon　thee　to　sucha　mission；　the　teacher　and　apostle　of　the　red　men。　Or…　as　is　morethy　nature…　be　a　scholar　and　a　sage　among　the　wisest　and　the　mostrenowned　of　the　cultivated　world。　Preach！　Write！　Act！　Do　anything；save　to　lie　down　and　die！　Give　up　this　name　of　Arthur　Dimmesdale；and　make　thyself　another；　and　a　high　one；　such　as　thou　canst　wearwithout　fear　or　shame。　Why　wouldst　thou　tarry　so　much　as　one　other　dayin　the　torments　that　have　so　gnawed　into　thy　life！…　that　have　madethee　feeble　to　will　and　to　do！…　that　will　leave　thee　powerless　even　torepent！　Up；　and　away！〃 〃O　Hester！〃　cried　Arthur　Dimmesdale；　in　whose　eyes　a　fitful　light；kindled　by　her　enthusiasm；　flashed　up　and　died　away；　〃thou　tellestof　running　a　race　to　a　man　whose　knees　are　tottering　beneath　him！　Imust　die　here！　There　is　not　the　strength　or　courage　left　me　to　ventureinto　the　wide；　strange；　difficult　world；　alone！〃 It　was　the　last　expression　of　the　despondency　of　a　broken　spirit。　Helacked　energy　to　grasp　the　better　fortune　that　seemed　within　hisreach。 He　repeated　the　word。 〃Alone；　Hester！〃 〃Thou　shalt　not　go　alone！〃　answered　she；　in　a　deep　whisper。 Then；　all　was　spoken！ XVIII。 A　FLOOD　OF　SUNSHINE。 ARTHUR　DIMMESDALE　gazed　into　Hester"s　face　with　a　look　in　which　hopeand　joy　shone　out；　indeed；　but　with　fear　betwixt　them；　and　a　kind　ofhorror　at　her　boldness；　who　had　spoken　what　he　vaguely　hinted　at；but　dared　not　speak。 But　Hester　Prynne；　with　a　mind　of　native　courage　and　activity；　andfor　so　long　a　period　not　merely　estranged；　but　outlawed；　from　society；had　habituated　herself　to　such　latitude　of　speculation　as　wasaltogether　foreign　to　the　clergyman。　She　had　wandered；　without　rule　orguidance；　in　a　moral　wilderness；　as　vast；　as　intricate　and　shadowy；　asthe　untamed　forest；　amid　the　gloom　of　which　they　were　now　holding　acolloquy　that　was　to　decide　their　fate。　Her　intellect　and　heart　hadtheir　home；　as　it　were；　in　desert　places；　where　she　roamed　as　freelyas　the　wild　Indian　in　his　woods。　For　years　past　she　had　looked　fromthis　estranged　point　of　view　at　human　institutions；　and　whateverpriests　or　legislators　had　established；　criticising　all　with　hardlymore　reverence　than　the　Indian　would　feel　for　the　clerical　band；　thejudicial　robe；　the　pillory；　the　gallows；　the　fireside；　or　thechurch。　The　tendency　of　her　fate　and　fortunes　had　been　to　set　herfree。　The　scarlet　letter　was　her　passport　into　regions　where　otherwomen　dared　not　tread。　Shame；　Despair；　Solitude！　These　had　been　herteachers…　stern　and　wild　ones…　and　they　had　made　her　strong；　buttaught　her　much　amiss。 The　minister；　on　the　other　hand；　had　never　gone　through　anexperience　calculated　to　lead　him　beyond　the　scope　of　generallyreceived　laws；　although；　in　a　single　instance；　he　had　so　fearfullytransgressed　one　of　the　most　sacred　of　them。　But　this　had　been　a　sinof　passion；　not　of　principle；　nor　even　purpose。　Since　that　wretchedepoch；　he　had　watched；　with　morbid　zeal　and　minuteness；　not　hisacts…　for　those　it　was　easy　to　arrange…　but　each　breath　of　emotion；and　his　every　thought。　At　the　head　of　the　social　system；　as　theclergyman　of　that　day　stood；　he　was　only　the　more　trammelled　by　itsregulations；　its　principles；　and　even　its　prejudices。　As　a　priest；　theframework　of　his　order　inevitably　hemmed　him　in。　As　a　man　who　had　oncesinned；　but　who　kept　his　conscience　all　alive　and　painfullysensitive　by　the　fretting　of　an　unhealed　wound；　he　might　have　beensupposed　safer　within　the　line　of　virtue　than　if　he　had　never　sinnedat　all。 Thus；　we　seem　to　see　that；　as　regarded　Hester　Prynne；　the　wholeseven　years　of　outlaw　and　ignominy　had　been　little　other　than　apreparation　for　this　very　hour。　But　Arthur　Dimmesdale！　Were　such　a　manonce　more　to　fall；　what　plea　could　be　urged　in　extenuation　of　hiscrime？　None；　unless　it　avail　him　somewhat；　that　he　was　broken　downby　long　and　exquisite　suffering；　that　his　mind　was　darkened　andconfused　by　the　very　remorse　which　harrowed　it；　that；　betweenfleeing　as　an　avowed　criminal；　and　remaining　as　a　hypocrite；conscience　might　find　it　hard　to　strike　the　balance；　that　it　was　humanto　avoid　the　peril　of　death　and　infamy；　and　the　inscrutablemachinations　of　an　enemy；　that；　finally；　to　this　poor　pilgrim；　onhis　dreary　and　desert　path；　faint；　sick；　miserable；　there　appeared　aglimpse　of　human　affection　and　sympathy；　a　new　life；　and　a　true　one；in　exchange　for　the　heavy　doom　which　he　was　now　expiating。　And　bethe　stern　and　sad　truth　spoken；　that　the　breach　which　guilt　has　oncemade　into　the　human　soul　is　never；　in　this　mortal　state；　repaired。It　may　be　watched　and　guarded；　so　that　the　enemy　shall　not　force　hisway　again　into　the　citadel；　and　might　even；　in　his　subsequentassaults；　select　some　other　avenue；　in　preference　to　that　where　he　hadformerly　succeeded。　But　there　is　still　the　ruined　wall；　and；　nearit；　the　stealthy　tread　of　the　foe　that　would　win　over　again　hisunforgotten　triumph。 The　struggle；　if　there　were　one；　need　not　be　described。　Let　itsuffice；　that　the　clergyman　resolved　to　flee；　and　not　alone。 〃If；　in　all　these　past　seven　years；〃　thought　he；　〃I　could　recall　oneinstant　of　peace　or　hope；　I　would　yet　endure；　for　the　sake　of　thatearnest　of　Heaven"s　mercy。　But　now…　since　I　am　irrevocably　doomed…wherefore　should　I　not　snatch　the　solace　allowed　to　the　condemnedculprit　before　his　execution？　Or；　if　this　be　the　path　to　a　betterlife；　as　Hester　would　persuade　me；　I　surely　give　up　no　fairer　prospectby　pursuing　it！　Neither　can　I　any　longer　live　without　herpanionship；　so　powerful　is　she　to　sustain…　so　tender　to　soothe！　OThou　to　whom　I　dare　not　lift　mine　eyes；　wilt　Thou　yet　pardon　me！〃 〃Thou　wilt　go！〃　said　Hester　calmly；　as　he　met　her　glance。 The　decision　once　made；　a　glow　of　strange　enjoyment　threw　itsflickering　brightness　over　the　trouble　of　his　breast。　It　was　theexhilarating　effect…　upon　a　prisoner　just　escaped　from　the　dungeonof　his　own　heart…　of　breathing　the　wild；　free　atmosphere　of　anunredeemed；　unchristianised