红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)- 第31部分

t；　if　Mr。　Dimmesdale　were　reallygoing　to　die；　it　was　cause　enough；　that　the　world　was　not　worthy　to　beany　longer　trodden　by　his　feet。　He　himself；　on　the　other　hand；　withcharacteristic　humility；　avowed　his　belief；　that；　if　Providence　shouldsee　fit　to　remove　him；　it　would　be　because　of　his　own　unworthinessto　perform　its　humblest　mission　here　on　earth。　With　all　thisdifference　of　opinion　as　to　the　cause　of　his　decline；　there　could　beno　question　of　the　fact。　His　form　grew　emaciated；　his　voice；　thoughstill　rich　and　sweet；　had　a　certain　melancholy　prophecy　of　decay　init；　he　was　often　observed；　on　any　slight　alarm　or　other　suddenaccident；　to　put　his　hand　over　his　heart；　with　first　a　flush　andthen　a　paleness；　indicative　of　pain。　　Such　was　the　young　clergyman's　condition；　and　so　imminent　theprospect　that　his　dawning　light　would　be　extinguished；　all　untimely；when　Roger　Chillingworth　made　his　advent　to　the　town。　His　firstentry　on　the　scene；　few　people　could　tell　whence；　dropping　down；　itwere；　out　of　the　sky；　or　starting　from　the　her　earth；　had　an　aspectof　mystery；　which　was　easily　heightened　to　the　miraculous。　He　wasnow　known　to　be　a　man　of　skill；　it　was　observed　that　he　gatheredherbs；　and　the　blossoms　of　wild…flowers；　and　dug　up　roots；　and　pluckedoff　twigs　from　the　forest…trees　like　one　acquainted　with　hiddenvirtues　in　what　was　valueless　to　mon　eyes。　He　was　heard　to　speak　ofSir　Kenelm　Digby；　and　other　famous　men…　whose　scientific　attainmentswere　esteemed　hardly　less　than　supernatural…　as　having　been　hiscorrespondents　or　associates。　Why；　with　such　rank　in　the　learnedworld；　had　he　e　hither？　What　could　he；　whose　sphere　was　in　greatcities；　be　seeking　in　the　wilderness？　In　ansour　gained　ground…　and；　however　absurd；　was　entertained　by　somevery　sensible　people…　that　Heaven　had　wrought　an　absolute　miracle；by　transporting　an　eminent　Doctor　of　Physic；　from　a　German　university；bodily　through　the　air；　and　setting　him　down　at　the　door　of　Mr。Dimmesdale's　study！　Individuals　of　wiser　faith；　indeed；　who　knewthat　Heaven　promotes　its　purposes　without　aiming　at　the　stage…effectof　what　is　called　miraculous　interposition；　were　inclined　to　see　aprovidential　hand　in　Roger　Chillingworth's　so　opportune　arrival。　　This　idea　was　countenanced　by　the　strong　interest　which　thephysician　ever　manifested　in　the　young　clergyman；　he　attachedhimself　to　him　as　a　parishioner；　and　sought　to　win　a　friendly　regardand　confidence　from　his　naturally　reserved　sensibility。　He　expressedgreat　alarm　at　his　pastor's　state　of　health；　but　was　anxious　toattempt　the　cure；　and；　if　early　undertaken；　seemed　not　despondent　of　afavourable　result。　The　elders；　the　deacons；　the　motherly　dames；　andthe　young　and　fair　maidens；　of　Mr。　Dimmesdale's　flock；　were　alikeimportunate　that　he　should　make　trial　of　the　physician's　franklyoffered　skill。　Mr。　Dimmesdale　gently　repelled　their　entreaties。　　〃I　need　no　medicine；〃　said　he。　　But　how　could　the　young　minister　say　so；　when；　with　every　successiveSabbath；　his　cheek　was　paler　and　thinner；　and　his　voice　more　tremulousthan　before…　when　it　had　now　bee　a　constant　habit；　rather　than　acasual　gesture；　to　press　his　hand　over　his　heart？　Was　he　weary　ofhis　labours？　Did　he　nlypropounded　to　Mr。　Dimmesdale　by　the　elder　ministers　of　Boston　andthe　deacons　of　his　church；　who；　to　use　their　own　phrase；　〃dealt　withhim〃　on　the　sin　of　rejecting　the　aid　which　Providence　so　manifestlyheld　out。　He　listened　in　silence；　and　finally　promised　to　conferwith　the　physician。　　〃Were　it　God's　will；〃　said　the　Reverend　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　when；　infulfilment　of　this　pledge；　he　requested　old　Roger　Chillingworth'sprofessional　advice；　〃I　could　be　well　content；　that　my　labours　andmy　sorrows；　and　my　sins　and　my　pains；　should　shortly　end　with　me；and　what　is　earthly　of　them　be　buried　in　my　grave；　and　the　spiritualgo　with　me　to　my　eternal　state；　rather　than　that　you　should　put　yourskill　to　the　proof　in　my　behalf。〃　　〃Ah；〃　replied　Roger　Chillingworth；　with　that　quietness　which；whether　imposed　or　natural；　marked　all　his　deportment；　〃it　is　thusthat　a　young　clergyman　is　apt　to　speak。　Youthful　men；　not　having　takena　deep　root；　give　up　their　hold　of　life　so　easily！　And　saintly　men；who　walk　with　God　on　earth；　would　fain　be　away；　to　walk　with　Him　onthe　golden　pavements　of　the　New　Jerusalem。〃　　〃Nay；〃　rejoined　the　young　minister；　putting　his　hand　to　his　heart；with　a　flush　of　pain　flitting　over　his　brow；　〃were　I　worthier　towalk　there；　I　could　be　better　content　to　toil　here。〃　　〃Good　men　ever　interpret　themselves　too　meanly；〃　said　the　physician。　　In　this　manner；　the　mysterious　old　Roger　Chillingworth　became　themedical　adviser　of　the　Reverend　Mr。　Dimmesdale。　As　not　only　thedisease　interested　the　physician；　but　he　was　strongly　moved　to　lookinto　the　character　and　qualities　of　the　patient；　these　two　men；　sodifferent　in　age；　came　gradually　to　spend　much　time　together。　Forthe　sake　of　the　minister's　health；　and　to　enable　the　leech　to　gatherplants　with　healing　balm　in　them；　they　took　long　walks　on　thesea…shore；　or　in　the　forest；　mingling　various　talk　with　the　plashand　murmur　of　the　waves；　and　the　solemn　wind…anthem　among　thetree…tops。　Often；　likewise；　one　was　the　guest　of　the　other；　in　hisplace　of　study　and　retirement。　There　was　a　fascination　for　theminister　in　the　pany　of　the　man　of　science；　in　whom　he　recognisedan　intellectual　cultivation　of　no　moderate　depth　or　scope；　togetherwith　a　range　and　freedom　of　ideas；　that　he　would　have　vainly　lookedfor　among　the　members　of　his　own　profession。　In　truth；　he　wasstartled；　if　not　shocked；　to　find　this　attribute　in　the　physician。　Mr。Dimmesdale　was　a　true　priest；　a　true　religionist；　with　the　reverentialsentiment　largely　developed；　and　an　order　of　mind　that　impelled　itselfpowerfully　along　the　track　of　a　creed；　and　wore　its　passagecontinually　deeper　with　the　lapse　of　time。　In　no　state　of　societywould　he　have　been　what　is　called　a　man　of　liberal　views；　it　wouldalways　be　essential　to　his　peace　to　feel　the　pressure　of　a　faith　abouthim；　supporting；　while　it　confined　him　within　its　iron　framework。Not　the　less；　however；　though　with　a　tremulous　enjoyment；　did　hefeel　the　occasional　relief　of　looking　at　the　universe　through　themedium　of　another　kind　of　intellect　than　those　with　which　hehabitually　held　converse。　It　was　as　if　a　window　were　thrown　open；admitting　a　freer　atmosphere　into　the　close　and　stifled　study；　wherehis　life　was　wasting　itself　away；　amid　lamplight；　or　obstructedday…beams；　and　the　musty　fragrance；　be　it　sensual　or　moral；　thatexhales　from　books。　But　the　air　was　too　fresh　and　chill　to　be　longbreathed　with　fort。　So　the　minister；　and　the　physician　with　him；withdrew　again　within　the　limits　of　what　their　church　defined　asorthodox。　　Thus　Roger　Chillingworth　scrutinised　his　patient　carefully；　bothas　he　saw　him　in　his　ordinary　life；　keeping　an　accustomed　pathway　inthe　range　of　thoughts　familiar　to　him；　and　as　he　appeared　whenthrown　amidst　other　moral　scenery；　the　novelty　of　which　might　call　outsomething　new　to　the　surface　of　his　character。　He　deemed　it　essential；it　would　seem；　to　know　the　man；　before　attempting　to　do　him　good。Wherever　there　is　a　heart　and　an　intellect；　the　diseases　of　thephysical　frame　are　tinged　with　the　peculiarities　of　these。　In　ArthurDimmesdale；　thought　and　imagination　were　so　act