红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)- 第29部分

redsomething　in　the　young　clergyman's　ear。　Hester　Prynne　looked　at　theman　of　skill；　and　even　then；　with　her　fate　hanging　in　the　balance；　wasstartled　to　perceive　what　a　change　had　e　over　his　features…　howmuch　uglier　they　were…　how　his　dark　plexion　seemed　to　have　grownduskier；　and　his　figure　more　misshapen…　since　the　days　when　she　hadfamiliarly　known　him。　She　met　his　eyes　for　an　instant；　but　wasimmediately　constrained　to　give　all　her　attention　to　the　scene　nowgoing　forward。　　〃This　is　awful！〃　cried　the　Governor；　slowly　recovering　from　theastonishment　into　which　Pearl's　response　had　thrown　him。　〃Here　is　achild　of　three　years　old；　and　she　cannot　tell　who　made　her！　Withoutquestion；　she　is　equally　in　the　dark　as　to　her　soul；　its　presentdepravity　and　future　destiny！　Methinks；　gentlemen；　we　need　inquireno　further！〃　　Hester　caught　hold　of　Pearl；　and　drew　her　forcibly　into　her　arms；confronting　the　old　Puritan　magistrate　with　almost　a　fierceexpression。　Alone　in　the　world；　cast　off　by　it；　and　with　this　soletreasure　to　keep　her　heart　alive；　she　felt　that　she　possessedindefeasible　rights　against　the　world；　and　was　ready　to　defend　them　tothe　death。　　〃God　gave　me　the　child！〃　cried　she。　〃He　gave　her　in　requital　ofall　things　else；　which　ye　had　taken　from　me。　She　is　my　happiness！…　sheis　my　torture；　none　the　less！　Pearl　keeps　me　here　in　life！　Pearlpunishes　me　too！　See　ye　not；　she　is　the　scarlet　letter；　only　capableof　being　loved；　and　so　endowed　with　a　millionfold　the　power　ofretribution　for　my　sin？　Ye　shall　not　take　her！　I　will　die　first！〃　　〃My　poor　woman；〃　said　the　not　unkind　old　minister；　〃the　childshall　be　well　cared　for！…　far　better　than　thou　canst　do　it！〃　　〃God　gave　her　into　my　keeping；〃　repeated　Hester　Prynne；　raisingher　voice　almost　to　a　shriek。　〃I　will　not　give　her　up！〃…　And　here；by　a　sudden　impulse；　she　turned　to　the　young　clergyman；　Mr。Dimmesdale；　at　whom；　up　to　this　moment；　she　had　seemed　hardly　somuch　as　once　to　direct　her　eyes。…　〃Speak　thou　for　me！〃　cried　she。〃Thou　wast　my　pastor；　and　hadst　charge　of　my　soul；　and　knowest　mebetter　than　these　men　can。　I　will　not　lose　the　child！　Speak　for　me！Thou　knowest…　for　thou　hast　sympathies　which　these　men　lack…　thouknowest　what　is　in　my　heart；　and　what　are　a　mother's　rights；　and　howmuch　the　stronger　they　are；　when　that　mother　has　but　her　child　and　thescarlet　letter！　Look　thou　to　it！　I　will　not　lose　the　child！　Look　toit！〃　　At　this　wild　and　singular　appeal；　which　indicated　that　HesterPrynne's　situation　had　provoked　her　to　little　less　than　madness；　theyoung　minister　at　once　came　forward；　pale；　and　holding　his　hand　overhis　heart；　as　was　his　custom　whenever　his　peculiarly　nervoustemperament　was　thrown　into　agitation。　He　looked　now　more　careworn　andemaciated　than　as　we　described　him　at　the　scene　of　Hester's　publicignominy；　and　whether　it　were　his　failing　health；　or　whatever　thecause　might　be；　his　large　dark　eyes　had　a　world　of　pain　in　theirtroubled　and　melancholy　depth。　　〃There　is　truth　in　what　she　says；〃　began　the　minister；　with　avoice　sweet；　tremulous；　but　powerful；　insomuch　that　the　hallre…echoed；　and　the　hollow　armour　rang　with　it…　〃truth　in　what　Hestersays；　and　in　the　feeling　which　inspires　her！　God　gave　her　the　child；and　gave　her；　too；　an　instinctive　knowledge　of　its　nature　andrequirements…　both　seemingly　so　peculiar…　which　no　other　mortalbeing　can　possess。　And；　moreover；　is　there　not　a　quality　of　awfulsacredness　in　the　relation　between　this　mother　and　this　child？〃　　〃Ay！…　how　is　that；　good　Master　Dimmesdale？〃　interrupted　theGovernor。　〃Make　that　plain；　I　pray　you！〃　　〃It　must　be　even　so；〃　resumed　the　minister。　〃For；　if　we　deem　itotherwise；　do　we　not　thereby　say　that　the　Heavenly　Father；　the　Creatorof　all　flesh；　hath　lightly　recognised　a　deed　of　sin；　and　made　of　noaccount　the　distinction　between　unhallowed　lust　and　holy　love？　Thischild　of　its　father's　guilt　and　its　mother's　shame　hath　e　fromthe　hand　of　God；　to　work　in　many　ways　upon　her　heart；　who　pleads　soearnestly；　and　with　such　bitterness　of　spirit；　the　right　to　keepher。　It　was　meant　for　a　blessing；　for　the　one　blessing　of　her　life！　Itwas　meant；　doubtless；　as　the　mother　herself　hath　told　us；　for　aretribution　too；　a　torture　to　be　felt　at　many　an　unthought…ofmoment；　a　pang；　a　sting；　an　ever…recurring　agony；　in　the　midst　of　atroubled　joy！　Hath　she　not　expressed　this　thought　in　the　garb　of　thepoor　child；　so　forcibly　reminding　us　of　that　red　symbol　which　searsher　bosom？〃　　〃Well　said　again！〃　cried　good　Mr。　Wilson。　〃I　feared　the　woman　had　nobetter　thought　than　to　make　a　mountebank　of　her　child！〃　　〃Oh；　not　so！…　not　so！〃　continued　Mr。　Dimmesdale。　〃She　recognises；believe　me；　the　solemn　miracle　which　God　hath　wrought；　in　theexistence　of　that　child。　And　may　she　feel；　too…　what；　methinks；　is　thevery　truth…　that　this　boon　was　meant；　above　all　things　else；　to　keepthe　mother's　soul　alive；　and　to　preserve　her　from　blacker　depths　ofsin　into　which　Satan　might　else　have　sought　to　plunge　her！　Thereforeit　is　good　for　this　poor；　sinful　woman　that　she　hath　an　infantimmortality；　a　being　capable　of　eternal　joy　or　sorrow；　confided　to　hercare…　to　be　trained　up　by　her　to　righteousness…　to　remind　her；　atevery　moment；　of　her　fall…　but　yet　to　teach　her；　as　it　were　by　theCreator's　sacred　pledge；　that；　if　she　bring　the　child　to　heaven；　thechild　also　will　bring　its　parent　thither！　Herein　is　the　sinful　motherhappier　than　the　sinful　father。　For　Hester　Prynne's　sake；　then；　and　noless　for　the　poor　child's　sake；　let　us　leave　them　as　Providence　hathseen　fit　to　place　them！〃　　〃You　speak；　my　friend；　with　a　strange　earnestness；〃　said　old　RogerChillingworth；　smiling　at　him。　　〃And　there　is　a　weighty　import　in　what　my　young　brother　hathspoken；〃　added　the　Reverend　Mr。　Wilson。　〃What　say　you；　worshipfulMaster　Bellingham？　Hath　he　not　pleaded　well　for　the　poor　woman？〃　　〃Indeed　hath　he；〃　answered　the　magistrate；　〃and　hath　adduced　sucharguments；　that　we　will　even　leave　the　matter　as　it　now　stands；　solong；　at　least；　as　there　shall　be　no　further　scandal　in　the　woman。Care　must　be　had；　nevertheless；　to　put　the　child　to　due　and　statedexamination　in　the　catechism；　at　thy　hands　or　Master　Dimmesdale's。Moreover；　at　a　proper　season；　the　tithing…men　must　take　heed　thatshe　go　both　to　school　and　to　meeting。〃　　The　young　minister；　on　ceasing　to　speak；　had　withdrawn　a　few　stepsfrom　the　group；　and　stood　with　his　face　partially　concealed　in　theheavy　folds　of　the　window…curtain；　while　the　shadow　of　his　figure；which　the　sunlight　cast　upon　the　floor；　was　tremulous　with　thevehemence　of　his　appeal。　Pearl；　that　wild　and　flighty　little　elf；stole　softly　towards　him；　and　taking　his　hand　in　the　grasp　of　both　herown；　laid　her　cheek　against　it；　a　caress　so　tender；　and　withal　sounobtrusive；　that　her　mother；　who　was　looking　on；　asked　herself；　〃Isthat　my　Pearl？〃　Yet　she　knew　that　there　was　love　in　the　child's　heart；although　it　mostly　revealed　itself　in　passion；　and　hardly　twice　in　herlifetime　had　been　softened　by　such　gentleness　as　now。　The　minister…for；　save　the　long…sought　regards　of　woman；　nothing　is　sweeter　thanthese　marks　of　childish　preference；　accorded　spontaneously　by　aspiritual　instinct；　and　therefore　seeming　to　imply　in　us　somethingtruly　worthy　to　be　loved…　the　minister　looked　round；　laid　his　handon　the　child's　head；　hesitated