《红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)》the scarlet letter(英文版)-第72章

ity　to　bring　the　wholesermon　to　her　ears；　in　the　shape　of　an　indistinct；　but　varied；murmur　and　flow　of　the　minister"s　very　peculiar　voice。 The　vocal　organ　was　in　itself　a　rich　endowment；　insomuch　that　alistener；　prehending　nothing　of　the　language　in　which　thepreacher　spoke；　might　still　have　been　swayed　to　and　fro　by　the　meretone　and　cadence。　Like　all　other　music；　it　breathed　passion　andpathos；　and　emotions　high　or　tender；　in　a　tongue　native　to　the　humanheart；　wherever　educated。　Muffled　as　the　sound　was　by　its　passagethrough　the　church　walls；　Hester　Prynne　listened　with　such　intentness；and　sympathised　so　intimately；　that　the　sermon　had　throughout　ameaning　for　her；　entirely　apart　from　its　indistinguishable　words。These；　perhaps；　if　more　distinctly　heard；　might　have　been　only　agrosser　medium；　and　have　clogged　the　spiritual　sense。　Now　she　caughtthe　low　undertone；　as　of　the　wind　sinking　down　to　repose　itself；then　ascended　with　it；　as　it　rose　through　progressive　gradations　ofsweetness　and　power；　until　its　volume　seemed　to　envelop　her　with　anatmosphere　of　awe　and　solemn　grandeur。　And　yet；　majestic　as　thevoice　sometimes　became；　there　was　for　ever　in　it　an　essentialcharacter　of　plaintiveness；　a　loud　or　low　expression　of　anguish…　thewhisper；　or　the　shriek；　as　it　might　be　conceived；　of　sufferinghumanity；　that　touched　a　sensibility　in　every　bosom！　At　times　thisdeep　strain　of　pathos　was　all　that　could　be　heard；　and　scarcely　heard；sighing　amid　a　desolate　silence。　But　even　when　the　minister"s　voicegrew　high　and　manding…　when　it　gushed　irrepressibly　upward…　when　itassumed　its　utmost　breadth　and　power；　so　overfilling　the　church　asto　burst　its　way　through　the　solid　walls；　and　diffuse　itself　in　theopen　air…　still；　if　the　auditor　listened　intently；　and　for　thepurpose；　he　could　detect　the　same　cry　of　pain。　What　was　it？　Theplaint　of　a　human　heart；　sorrow…laden；　perchance　guilty；　tellingits　secret；　whether　of　guilt　or　sorrow；　to　the　great　heart　of　mankind；beseeching　its　sympathy　or　forgiveness…　at　every　moment…　in　eachaccent…　and　never　in　vain！　It　was　this　profound　and　continualundertone　that　gave　the　clergyman　his　most　appropriate　power。 During　all　this　time；　Hester　stood；　statue…like；　at　the　foot　ofthe　scaffold。　If　the　minister"s　voice　had　not　kept　her　there；　therewould　nevertheless　have　been　an　inevitable　magism　in　that　spot；whence　she　dated　the　first　hour　of　her　life　of　ignominy。　There　was　asense　within　her…　to　ill…defined　to　be　made　a　thought；　but　weighingheavily　on　her　mind…　that　her　whole　orb　of　life；　both　before　andafter；　was　connected　with　this　spot；　as　with　the　one　point　that　gaveit　unity。 Little　Pearl；　meanother"s　side；　and　wasplaying　at　her　own　will　about　the　market…place。　She　made　the　sombrecrowd　cheerful　by　her　erratic　and　glistening　ray；　even　as　a　bird　ofbright　plumage　illuminates　a　whole　tree　of　dusty　foliage；　by　dartingto　and　fro；　half　seen　and　half　concealed　amid　the　twilight　of　theclustering　leaves。　She　had　an　undulating；　but；　oftentimes；　a　sharp　andirregular　movement。　It　indicated　the　restless　vivacity　of　herspirit；　which　to…day　was　doubly　indefatigable　in　its　tiptoe　dance；because　it　was　played　upon　and　vibrated　with　her　mother"s　disquietude。Whenever　Pearl　saw　anything　to　excite　her　ever　active　and　wanderingcuriosity；　she　flew　thitherward；　and；　as　we　might　say；　seized　uponthat　man　or　thing　as　her　own　property；　so　far　as　she　desired　it；　butwithout　yielding　the　minutest　degree　of　control　over　her　motions　inrequital。　The　Puritans　looked　on；　and；　if　they　smiled；　were　none　theless　inclined　to　pronounce　the　child　a　demon　offspring；　from　theindescribable　charm　of　beauty　and　eccentricity　that　shone　throughher　little　figure；　and　sparkled　with　its　activity。　She　ran　andlooked　the　wild　Indian　in　the　face；　and　he　grew　conscious　of　anature　wilder　than　his　own。　Thence；　with　native　audacity；　but　stillwith　a　reserve　as　characteristic；　she　flew　into　the　midst　of　a　groupof　mariners；　the　swarthy…cheeked　wild　men　of　the　ocean；　as　the　Indianswere　of　the　land；　and　they　gazed　wonderingly　and　admiringly　atPearl；　as　if　a　flake　of　the　sea…foam　had　taken　the　shape　of　a　littlemaid；　and　were　gifted　with　a　soul　of　the　sea…fire；　that　flashesbeneath　the　prow　in　the　night…time。 One　of　these　seafaring　men…　the　shipmaster；　indeed；　who　had　spokento　Hester　Prynne…　was　so　smitten　with　Pearl"s　aspect；　that　heattempted　to　lay　hands　upon　her；　with　purpose　to　snatch　a　kiss。Finding　it　as　impossible　to　touch　her　as　to　catch　a　humming…bird　inthe　air；　he　took　from　his　hat　the　gold　chain　that　was　twisted　aboutit；　and　threw　it　to　the　child。　Pearl　immediately　twined　it　aroundher　neck　and　waist；　with　such　happy　skill；　that；　once　seen　there；　itbecame　a　part　of　her；　and　it　was　difficult　to　imagine　her　without　it。 〃Thy　mother　is　yonder　woman　with　the　scarlet　letter；〃　said　theseaman。　〃Wilt　thou　carry　her　a　message　from　me？〃 〃If　the　message　pleases　me；　I　will；〃　answered　Pearl。 〃Then　tell　her；〃　rejoined　he；　〃that　I　spake　again　with　theblack…a…visaged；　hump…shouldered　old　doctor；　and　he　engages　to　bringhis　friend；　the　gentleman　she　wots　of；　aboard　with　him。　So　let　thymother　take　no　thought；　save　for　herself　and　thee。　Wilt　thou　tellher　this；　thou　witch…baby？〃 〃Mistress　Hibbins　says　my　father　is　the　Prince　of　the　Air！〃　criedPearl；　with　a　naughty　smile。　〃If　thou　callest　me　that　ill　name；　Ishall　tell　him　of　thee；　and　he　will　chase　thy　ship　with　a　tempest！〃 Pursuing　a　zigzag　course　across　the　market…place；　the　child　returnedto　her　mother；　and　municated　what　the　mariner　had　said。　Hester"sstrong；　calm；　steadfastly　enduring　spirit　almost　sank；　at　last；　onbeholding　this　dark　and　grim　countenance　of　an　inevitable　doom；　which…at　the　moment　when　a　passage　seemed　to　open　for　the　minister　andherself　out　of　their　labyrinth　of　misery…　showed　itself；　with　anunrelenting　smile；　right　in　the　midst　of　their　path。 With　her　mind　harassed　by　the　terrible　perplexity　in　which　theshipmaster"s　intelligence　involved　her；　she　was　also　subjected　toanother　trial。　There　were　many　people　present；　from　the　countryround　about；　who　had　often　heard　scarlet　letter；　and　to　whom　it　hadbeen　made　terrific　by　a　hundred　false　or　exaggerated　rumours；　butwho　had　never　beheld　it　with　their　own　bodily　eyes。　These；　afterexhaus