红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)- 第16部分

rvation；　the　wearer　of　the　scarlet　letter　was　atlength　relieved；　by　discerning；　on　the　outskirts　of　the　crowd；　afigure　which　irresistibly　took　possession　of　her　thoughts。　AnIndian；　in　his　native　garb；　was　standing　there；　but　the　red　men　werenot　so　infrequent　visitors　of　the　English　settlements；　that　one　ofthem　would　have　attracted　any　notice　from　Hester　Prynne；　at　such　atime；　much　less　would　he　have　excluded　all　other　objects　and　ideasfrom　her　mind。　By　the　Indian's　side；　and　evidently　sustaining　apanionship　with　him；　stood　a　white　man；　clad　in　a　strangedisarray　of　civilised　and　savage　costume。　　He　was　small　in　stature；　with　a　furrowed　visage；　which；　as　yet；could　hardly　be　termed　aged。　There　was　a　remarkable　intelligence　inhis　features；　as　of　a　person　who　had　so　cultivated　his　mental　partthat　it　could　not　fail　to　mould　the　physical　to　itself；　and　beemanifest　by　unmistakable　tokens。　Although；　by　a　seemingly　carelessarrangement　of　his　heterogeneous　garb；　he　had　endeavoured　to　concealor　abate　the　peculiarity；　it　was　sufficiently　evident　to　HesterPrynne；　that　one　of　this　man's　shoulders　rose　higher　than　the　other。Again；　at　the　first　instant　of　perceiving　that　thin　visage；　and　theslight　deformity　of　the　figure；　she　pressed　her　infant　to　her　bosomwith　so　convulsive　a　force　that　the　poor　babe　uttered　another　cry　ofpain。　But　the　mother　did　not　seem　to　hear　it。　　At　his　arrival　in　the　market…place；　and　some　time　before　she　sawhim；　the　stranger　had　bent　his　eyes　on　Hester　Prynne。　It　wascarelessly；　at　first；　like　a　man　chiefly　accustomed　to　look　inward；and　to　whom　external　matters　are　of　little　value　and　import；　unlessthey　bear　relation　to　something　within　his　mind。　Very　soon；　however；his　look　became　keen　and　perative。　A　writhing　horror　twisted　itselfacross　his　features；　like　a　snake　gliding　swiftly　over　them；　andmaking　one　little　pause；　with　all　its　wreathed　intervolutions；　in　opensight。　His　face　darkened　with　some　powerful　emotion；　which；nevertheless；　he　so　instantaneously　controlled　by　an　effort　of　hiswill；　that；　save　at　a　single　moment；　its　expression　might　havepassed　for　calmness。　After　a　brief　space；　the　convulsion　grew　almostimperceptible；　and　finally　subsided　into　the　depths　of　his　nature。When　he　found　the　eyes　of　Hester　Prynne　fastened　on　his　own；　and　sawthat　she　appeared　to　recognise　him；　he　slowly　and　calmly　raised　hisfinger；　made　a　gesture　with　it　in　the　air；　and　laid　it　on　his　lips。　　Then；　touching　the　shoulder　of　a　townsman　who　stood　next　to　him；he　addressed　him；　in　a　formal　and　courteous　manner。　　〃I　pray　you；　good　sir；〃　said　he；　〃who　is　this　woman？…　andwherefore　is　she　here　set　up　to　public　shame？〃　　〃You　must　needs　be　a　stranger　in　this　region；　friend；〃　answeredthe　townsman；　looking　curiously　at　the　questioner　and　his　savagepanion；　〃else　you　would　surely　have　heard　of　Mistress　HesterPrynne；　and　her　evil　doings。　She　hath　raised　a　great　scandal；　Ipromise　you；　in　godly　Master　Dimmesdale's　church。〃　　〃You　say　truly；〃　replied　the　other。　〃I　am　a　stranger；　and　havebeen　a　wanderer；　sorely　against　my　will。　I　have　met　with　grievousmishaps　by　sea　and　land；　and　have　been　long　held　in　bonds　among　theheathen　folk；　to　the　southward；　and　am　now　brought　hither　by　thisIndian；　to　be　redeemed　out　of　my　captivity。　Will　it　please　you；therefore；　to　tell　me　of　Hester　Prynne's…　have　I　her　name　rightly？…　ofthis　woman's　offences；　and　what　has　brought　her　to　yonder　scaffold？〃　　〃Truly；　friend；　and　methinks　it　must　gladden　your　heart；　afteryour　troubles　and　sojourn　in　the　wilderness；〃　said　the　townsman；　〃tofind　yourself；　at　length；　in　a　land　where　iniquity　is　searched　out；and　punished　in　the　sight　of　rulers　and　people；　as　here　in　our　godlyNew　England。　Yonder　woman；　sir；　you　must　know；　was　the　wife　of　acertain　learned　man；　English　by　birth；　but　who　had　long　dwelt　inAmsterdam；　whence；　some　good　time　agone；　he　was　minded　to　cross　overand　cast　in　his　lot　with　us　of　the　Massachusetts。　To　this　purpose；he　sent　his　wife　before　him；　remaining　himself　to　look　after　somenecessary　affairs。　Marry；　good　sir；　in　some　two　years；　or　less；　thatthe　woman　has　been　a　dweller　here　in　Boston；　no　tidings　have　e　ofthis　learned　gentleman；　Master　Prynne；　and　his　young　wife；　look　you；being　left　to　her　own　misguidance…〃　　〃Ah！…　aha！…　I　conceive　you；〃　said　the　stranger；　with　a　bitter　smile。〃So　learned　a　man　as　you　speak　of　should　have　learned　this；　too；　inhis　books。　And　who；　by　your　favour；　sir；　may　be　the　father　of　yonderbabe…　it　is　some　three　or　four　months　old；　I　should　judge…　whichMistress　Prynne　is　holding　in　her　arms？〃　　〃Of　a　truth；　friend；　that　matter　remaih　a　riddle；　and　theDaniel　who　shall　expound　it　is　yet　a…wanting；〃　answered　thetownsman。　〃Madam　Hester　absolutely　refuseth　to　speak；　and　themagistrates　have　laid　their　heads　together　in　vain。　Peradventure　theguilty　one　stands　looking　on　at　this　sad　spectacle；　unknown　of　man；and　forgetting　that　God　sees　him。〃　　〃The　learned　man；〃　observed　the　stranger；　with　another　smile；〃should　e　himself；　to　look　into　the　mystery。〃　　〃It　behooves　him　well；　if　he　be　still　in　life；〃　responded　thetownsman。　〃Now；　good　sir；　our　Massachusetts　magistracy；　bethinkingthemselves　that　this　woman　is　youthful　and　fair；　and　doubtless　wasstrongly　tempted　to　her　fall…　and　that；　moreover；　as　is　most　likely；her　husband　may　be　at　the　bottom　of　the　sea…　they　have　not　been　boldto　put　in　force　the　extremity　of　our　righteous　law　against　her。　Thepenalty　thereof　is　death。　But　in　their　great　mercy　and　tenderness　ofheart；　they　have　doomed　Mistress　Prynne　to　stand　only　a　space　of　threehours　on　the　platform　of　the　pillory；　and　then　and　thereafter；　for　theremainder　of　her　natural　life；　to　wear　a　mark　of　shame　upon　herbosom。〃　　〃A　wise　sentence！〃　remarked　the　stranger；　gravely　bowing　his　head。〃Thus　she　will　be　a　living　sermon　against　sin；　until　the　ignominiousletter　be　engraved　upon　her　tombstone。　It　irks　me；　nevertheless；that　the　partner　of　her　iniquity　should　not；　at　least；　stand　on　thescaffold　by　her　side。　But　he　will　be　known！…　he　will　be　known！…　hewill　be　known！〃　　He　bowed　courteously　to　the　municative　townsman；　and；whispering　a　few　words　to　his　Indian　attendant；　they　both　made　theirway　through　the　crowd。　　While　this　passed；　Hester　Prynne　had　been　standing　on　herpedestal；　still　with　a　fixed　gaze　towards　the　stranger；　so　fixed　agaze　that；　at　moments　of　intense　absorption；　all　other　objects　inthe　visible　world　seemed　to　vanish；　leaving　only　him　and　her。　Suchan　interview；　perhaps；　would　have　been　more　terrible　than　even　to　meethim　as　she　now　did；　with　the　hot；　mid…day　sun　burning　down　upon　herface；　and　lighting　up　its　shame；　with　the　scarlet　token　of　infamy　onher　breast；　with　the　sin…born　infant　in　her　arms；　with　a　whole　people；drawn　forth　as　to　a　festival；　staring　at　the　features　that　should　havebeen　seen　only　in　the　quiet　gleam　of　the　fireside；　in　the　happy　shadowof　a　home；　or　beneath　a　matronly　veil；　at　church。　Dreadful　as　itwas；　she　was　conscious　of　a　shelter　in　the　presence　of　thesethousand　witnesses。　It　was　better　to　stand　thus；　with　so　manybetwixt　him　and　her；　than　to　greet　him；　face　to　face；　they　twoalone。　She　fled　for　refuge；　as　it　were；　to　the　public　exposure；　anddreaded　the　moment　when　its　protection　should　be　withdrawn　from　her。Involved　in　these　thoughts；　she　scarcely