红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)- 第30部分

ingtruly　worthy　to　be　loved…　the　minister　looked　round；　laid　his　handon　the　child's　head；　hesitated　an　instant；　and　then　kissed　her　brow。Little　Pearl's　unwonted　mood　of　sentiment　lasted　no　longer；　shelaughed；　and　went　capering　down　the　hall；　so　airily；　that　old　Mr。Wilson　raised　a　question　whether　even　her　tiptoes　touched　the　floor。　　〃The　little　baggage　had　witchcraft　in　her；　I　profess；〃　said　he　toMr。　Dimmesdale。　〃She　needs　no　old　woman's　broomstick　to　fly　withal！〃　　〃A　strange　child！〃　remarked　old　Roger　Chillingworth。　〃It　is　easyto　see　the　mother's　part　in　her。　Would　it　be　beyond　a　philosopher'sresearch；　think　ye；　gentlemen；　to　analyse　that　child's　nature；　and；from　its　make　and　mould；　to　give　a　shrewd　guess　at　the　father？〃　　〃Nay；　it　would　be　sinful；　in　such　a　question；　to　follow　the　clewof　profane　philosophy；〃　said　Mr。　Wilson。　〃Better　to　fast　and　pray　uponit；　and　still　better；　it　may　be；　to　leave　the　mystery　as　we　find　it；unless　Providence　reveal　it　of　its　own　accord。　Thereby；　every　goodChristian　man　hath　a　title　to　show　a　father's　kindness　towards　thepoor；　deserted　babe。〃　　The　affair　being　so　satisfactorily　concluded；　Hester　Prynne；　withPearl；　departed　from　the　house。　As　they　descended　the　steps；　it　isaverred　that　the　lattice　of　a　chamber…window　was　thrown　open；　andforth　into　the　sunny　day　was　thrust　the　face　of　Mistress　Hibbins；Governor　Bellingham's　bitter…tempered　sister；　and　the　same　who；　afew　years　later；　was　executed　as　a　witch。　　〃Hist；　hist！〃　said　she；　while　her　ill…omened　physiognomy　seemed　tocast　a　shadow　over　the　cheerful　newness　of　the　house。　〃Wilt　thou　gowith　us　to…night？　There　will　be　a　merry　pany　in　the　forest；　and　Iwell…nigh　promised　the　Black　Man　that　ely　Hester　Prynne　should　makeone。〃　　〃Make　my　excuse　to　him；　so　please　you！〃　answered　Hester；　with　atriumphant　smile。　〃I　must　tarry　at　home；　and　keep　watch　over　my　littlePearl。　Had　they　taken　her　from　me；　I　would　willingly　have　gone　withthee　into　the　forest；　and　signed　my　name　in　the　Black　Man's　booktoo；　and　that　with　mine　own　blood！〃　　〃We　shall　have　thee　there　anon！〃　said　the　witch…lady；　frowning；　asshe　drew　back　her　head。　　But　here…　if　we　suppose　this　interview　betwixt　Mistress　Hibbinsand　Hester　Prynne　to　be　authentic；　and　not　a　parable…　was　already　anillustration　of　the　young　minister's　argument　against　sundering　therelation　of　a　fallen　mother　to　the　offspring　of　her　frailty。　Even　thusearly　had　the　child　saved　her　from　Satan's　snare。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　IX。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　LEECH。　　UNDER　the　appellation　of　Roger　Chillingworth；　the　reader　willremember；　was　hidden　another　name；　which　its　former　wearer　hadresolved　should　never　more　be　spoken。　It　has　been　related；　how；　in　thecrowd　that　witnessed　Hester　Prynne's　ignominious　exposure；　stood　aman；　elderly；　travel…worn；　who；　just　emerging　from　the　perilouswilderness；　beheld　the　woman；　in　whom　he　hoped　to　find　embodied　thewarmth　and　cheerfulness　of　home；　set　up　as　a　type　of　sin　before　thepeople。　Her　matronly　fame　was　trodden　under　all　men's　feet。　Infamy　wasbabbling　around　her　in　the　public　market…place。　For　her　kindred；should　the　tidings　ever　reach　them；　and　for　the　panions　of　herunspotted　life；　there　remained　nothing　but　the　contagion　of　herdishonour；　which　would　not　fail　to　be　distributed　in　strict　accordanceand　proportion　with　the　intimacy　and　sacredness　of　their　previousrelationship。　Then　why…　since　the　choice　was　with　himself…　shouldthe　individual；　whose　connection　with　the　fallen　woman　had　been　themost　intimate　and　sacred　of　them　all；　e　forward　to　vindicate　hisclaim　to　an　inheritance　so　little　desirable？　He　resolved　not　to　bepilloried　beside　her　on　her　pedestal　of　shame。　Unknown　to　all　butHester　Prynne；　and　possessing　the　lock　and　key　of　her　silence；　hechose　to　withdraw　his　name　from　the　roll　of　mankind；　and　as　regardedhis　former　ties　and　interests；　to　vanish　out　of　life　as　pletelyas　if　he　indeed　lay　at　the　bottom　of　the　ocean；　whither　rumour　hadlong　ago　consigned　him。　This　purpose　once　effected；　new　interestswould　immediately　spring　up；　and　likewise　a　new　purpose；　dark；　it　istrue；　if　not　guilty；　but　of　force　enough　to　engage　the　full　strengthof　his　faculties。　　In　pursuance　of　this　resolve；　he　took　up　his　residence　in　thePuritan　town；　as　Roger　Chillingworth；　without　other　introductionthan　the　learning　and　intelligence　of　which　he　possessed　more　than　amon　measure。　As　his　studies；　at　a　previous　period　of　his　life；had　made　him　extensively　acquainted　with　the　medical　science　of　theday；　it　was　as　a　physician　that　he　presented　himself；　and　as　suchwas　cordially　received。　Skilful　men；　of　the　medical　and　chirurgicalprofession；　were　of　rare　occurrence　in　the　colony。　They　seldom；　itwould　appear；　partook　of　the　religious　zeal　that　brought　otheremigrants　across　the　Atlantic。　In　their　researches　into　the　humanframe；　it　may　be　that　the　higher　and　more　subtile　faculties　of　suchmen　were　materialised；　and　that　they　lost　the　spiritual　view　ofexistence　amid　the　intricacies　of　that　wondrous　mechanism；　whichseemed　to　involve　art　enough　to　prise　all　of　life　within　itself。　Atall　events；　the　health　of　the　good　town　of　Boston；　so　far　asmedicine　had　aught　to　do　with　it；　had　hitherto　lain　in　theguardianship　of　an　aged　deacon　and　apothecary；　whose　piety　and　godlydeportment　were　stronger　testimonials　in　his　favour　than　any　that　hecould　have　produced　in　the　shape　of　a　diploma。　The　only　surgeon　wasone　who　bined　the　occasional　exercise　of　that　noble　art　with　thedaily　and　habitual　flourish　of　a　razor。　To　such　a　professional　bodyRoger　Chillingworth　anifestedhis　familiarity　with　the　ponderous　and　imposing　machinery　of　antiquephysic；　in　which　every　remedy　contained　a　multitude　of　far…fetched　andheterogeneous　ingredients；　as　elaborately　pounded　as　if　theproposed　result　had　been　the　Elixir　of　Life。　In　his　Indiancaptivity；　moreover；　he　had　gained　much　knowledge　of　the　properties　ofnative　herbs　and　roots；　nor　did　he　conceal　from　his　patients；　thatthese　simple　medicines；　Nature's　boon　to　the　untutored　savage；　hadquite　as　large　a　share　of　his　own　confidence　as　the　Europeanpharmacopoeia；　which　so　many　learned　doctors　had　spent　centuries　inelaborating。　　This　learned　stranger　was　exemplary；　as　regarded；　at　least；　theoutward　forms　of　a　religious　life；　and；　early　after　his　arrival；　hadchosen　for　his　spiritual　guide　the　Reverend　Mr。　Dimmesdale。　Theyoung　divine；　whose　scholar…like　renown　still　lived　in　Oxford；　wasconsidered　by　his　more　fervent　admirers　as　little　less　than　aheavenly…ordained　apostle；　destined；　should　he　live　and　labour　for　theordinary　term　of　life；　to　do　as　great　deeds　for　the　now　feeble　NewEngland　Church；　as　the　early　Fathers　had　achieved　for　the　infancy　ofthe　Christian　faith。　About　this　period；　however；　the　health　of　Mr。Dimmesdale　had　evidently　begun　to　fail。　By　those　best　acquaintedwith　his　habits；　the　paleness　of　the　young　minister's　cheek　wasaccounted　for　by　his　too　earnest　devotion　to　study；　his　scrupulousfulfilment　of　parochial　duty；　and；　more　than　all；　by　the　fasts　andvigils　of　which　he　made　a　frequent　practice；　in　order　to　keep　thegrossness　of　this　earthly　state　from　clogging　and　obscuring　hisspiritual　lamp。　Some　declared；　that；　if　Mr。　Dimmesdale　were　reallygoing　to　die；　it　was　cause　enough；　that　the　world　was　not　worthy　to