红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)- 第21部分

atejoy　with　which　she　seized；　and　then　strove　to　cast　it　from　her。　Shebarely　looked　the　idea　in　the　face；　and　hastened　to　bar　it　in　itsdungeon。　What　she　pelled　herself　to　believe…　what；　finally；　shereasoned　upon；　as　her　motive　for　continuing　a　resident　of　New　England…was　half　a　truth；　and　half　a　self…delusion。　Here；　she　said　to　herself；had　been　the　scene　of　her　guilt；　and　here　should　be　the　scene　of　herearthly　punishment；　and　so；　perchance；　the　torture　of　her　dailyshame　would　at　length　purge　her　soul；　and　work　out　another　purity　thanthat　which　she　had　lost；　more　saint…like；　because　the　result　ofmartyrdom。　　Hester　Prynne；　therefore；　did　not　flee。　On　the　outskirts　of　thetown；　within　the　verge　of　the　peninsula；　but　not　in　close　vicinityto　any　other　habitation；　there　was　a　small　thatched　cottage。　It　hadbeen　built　by　an　earlier　settler；　and　abandoned；　because　the　soilabout　it　was　too　sterile　for　cultivation；　while　its　parativeremoteness　put　it　out　of　the　sphere　of　that　social　activity　whichalready　marked　the　habits　of　the　emigrants。　It　stood　on　the　shore；looking　across　a　basin　of　the　sea　at　the　forest…covered　hills；　towardsthe　west。　A　clump　of　scrubby　trees；　such　as　alone　grew　on　thepeninsula；　did　not　so　much　conceal　the　cottage　from　view；　as　seem　todenote　that　here　was　some　object　which　would　fain　have　been；　or　atleast　ought　to　be；　concealed。　In　this　little；　lonesome　dwelling；with　some　slender　means　that　she　possessed；　and　by　the　license　ofthe　magistrates；　who　still　kept　an　inquisitorial　watch　over　her；Hester　established　herself；　with　her　infant　child。　A　mystic　shadowof　suspicion　immediately　attached　itself　to　the　spot。　Children；　tooyoung　to　prehend　wherefore　this　woman　should　be　shut　out　from　thesphere　of　human　charities；　would　creep　nigh　enough　to　behold　herplying　her　needle　at　the　cottage…window；　or　standing　in　the　doorway；or　labouring　in　her　little　garden；　or　ing　forth　along　the　pathwaythat　led　townward；　and；　discerning　the　scarlet　letter　on　her　breast；would　scamper　off　with　a　strange；　contagious　fear。　　Lonely　as　was　Hester's　situation；　and　without　a　friend　on　earthwho　dared　to　show　himself；　she；　however；　incurred　no　risk　of　want。　Shepossessed　an　art　that　sufficed；　even　in　a　land　that　affordedparatively　little　scope　for　its　exercise；　to　supply　food　for　herthriving　infant　and　herself。　It　was　the　art…　then；　as　now；　almostthe　only　one　within　a　woman's　grasp…　of　needlework。　She　bore　on　herbreast；　in　the　curiously　embroidered　letter；　a　specimen　of　herdelicate　and　imaginative　skill；　of　which　the　dames　of　a　court　mightgladly　have　availed　themselves；　to　add　the　richer　and　more　spiritualadornment　of　human　ingenuity　to　their　fabrics　of　silk　and　gold。Here；　indeed；　in　the　sable　simplicity　that　generally　characterised　thePuritanic　modes　of　dress；　there　might　be　an　infrequent　call　for　thefiner　productions　of　her　handiwork。　Yet　the　taste　of　the　age；demanding　whatever　was　elaborate　in　positions　of　this　kind；　did　notfail　to　extend　its　influence　over　our　stern　progenitors；　who　hadcast　behind　them　so　many　fashions　which　it　might　seem　harder　todispense　with。　Public　ceremonies；　such　as　ordinations；　theinstallation　of　magistrates；　and　all　that　could　give　majesty　to　theforms　in　which　a　new　government　manifested　itself　to　the　people；　were；as　a　matter　of　policy；　marked　by　a　stately　and　well…conductedceremonial；　and　a　sombre；　but　yet　a　studied　magnificence。　Deepruffs；　painfully　wrought　bands；　and　gorgeously　embroidered　gloves　wereall　deemed　necessary　to　the　official　state　of　men　assuming　the　reinsof　power；　and　were　readily　allowed　to　individuals　dignified　by　rank　orwealth；　even　while　sumptuary　laws　forbade　these　and　similarextravagances　to　the　plebeian　order。　In　the　array　of　funerals；　too…whether　for　the　apparel　of　the　dead　body；　or　to　typify；　by　manifoldemblematic…devices　of　sable　cloth　and　snowy　lawn；　the　sorrow　of　thesurvivors…　there　was　a　frequent　and　characteristic　demand　for　suchlabour　as　Hester　Prynne　could　supply。　Baby…linen…　for　babies　then　worerobes　of　state…　　afforded　still　another　possibility　of　toil　andemolument。　　By　degrees；　nor　very　slowly；　her　handiwork　became　what　would　nowbe　termed　the　fashion。　Whether　from　miseration　for　a　woman　of　somiserable　a　destiny；　or　from　the　morbid　curiosity　that　gives　afictitious　value　even　to　mon　or　worthless　things；　or　by　whateverother　intangible　circumstance　was　then；　as　now；　sufficient　tobestow；　on　some　persons；　what　others　might　seek　in　vain；　or　becauseHester　really　filled　a　gap　which　must　otherwise　have　remainedvacant；　it　is　certain　that　she　had　ready　and　fairly　requitedemployment　for　as　many　hours　as　she　saw　fit　to　occupy　with　her　needle。Vanity；　it　may　be；　chose　to　mortify　itself；　by　putting　on；　forceremonials　of　pomp　and　state；　the　garments　that　had　been　wrought　byher　sinful　hands。　Her　needle…work　was　seen　on　the　ruff　of　theGovernor；　military　men　wore　it　on　their　scarfs；　and　the　minister　onhis　hand；　it　decked　the　baby's　little　cap；　it　was　shut　up；　to　bemildewed　and　moulder　away；　in　the　coffins　of　the　dead。　But　it　is　notrecorded　that；　in　a　single　instance；　her　skill　was　called　in　aid　toembroider　the　white　veil　which　was　to　cover　the　pure　blushes　of　abride。　The　exception　indicated　the　ever　relentless　vigour　with　whichsociety　frowned　upon　her　sin。　　Hester　sought　not　to　acquire　anything　beyond　a　subsistence；　of　theplainest　and　most　ascetic　description；　for　herself；　and　a　simpleabundance　for　her　child。　Her　own　dress　was　of　the　coarsest　materialsand　the　most　sombre　hue；　with　only　that　one　ornament…　the　scarletletter…　which　it　was　her　doom　to　wear。　The　child's　attire；　on　theother　hand；　was　distinguished　by　a　fanciful；　or；　we　might　rathersay；　a　fantastic　ingenuity；　which　served；　indeed；　to　heighten　the　airycharm　that　early　began　to　develop　itself　in　the　little　girl；　but　whichappeared　to　have　also　a　deeper　meaning。　We　may　speak　further　of　ithereafter。　Except　for　that　small　expenditure　in　the　decoration　ofher　infant；　Hester　bestowed　all　her　superfluous　means　in　charity；　onwretches　less　miserable　than　herself；　and　who　not　infrequentlyinsulted　the　hand　that　fed　them。　Much　of　the　time；　which　she　mightreadily　have　applied　to　the　better　efforts　of　her　art；　she　employed　inmaking　coarse　garments　for　the　poor。　It　is　probable　that　there　wasan　idea　of　penance　in　this　mode　of　occupation；　and　that　she　offered　upa　real　sacrifice　of　enjoyment；　in　devoting　so　many　hours　to　suchrude　handiwork。　She　had　in　her　nature　a　rich；　voluptuous；　Orientalcharacteristic…　a　taste　for　the　gorgeously　beautiful；　which；　save　inthe　exquisite　productions　of　her　needle；　found　nothing　else；　in　allthe　possibilities　of　her　life；　to　exercise　itself　upon。　Women　derive　apleasure；　inprehensible　to　the　other　sex；　from　the　delicate　toil　ofthe　needle。　To　Hester　Prynne　it　might　have　been　a　mode　ofexpressing；　and　therefore　soothing；　the　passion　of　her　life。　Likeall　other　joys；　she　rejected　it　as　sin。　This　morbid　meddling　ofconscience　with　an　immaterial　matter　betokened；　it　is　to　be　feared；　nogenuine　and　steadfast　penitence；　but　something　doubtful；　somethingthat　might　be　deeply　wrong；　beneath。　　In　this　manner；　Hester　Prynne　came　to　have　a　part　to　perform　inthe　world。　With　her　native　energy　of　character；　and　rare　capacity；it　could　not　entirely　cast　her　off；　althou