红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)- 第34部分

r　avail　themselves　of　this　unutterable　solace？〃　　〃They　mostly　do；〃　said　the　clergyman；　griping　hard　at　his　breast；　asif　afflicted　with　an　importunate　throb　of　pain。　〃Many；　many　a　poorsoul　hath　given　its　confidence　to　me；　not　only　on　the　deathbed；　butwhile　strong　in　life；　and　fair　in　reputation。　And　ever；　after　suchan　outpouring；　oh；　what　a　relief　have　I　witnessed　in　those　sinfulbrethren！　even　as　in　one　who　at　last　draws　free　air；　after　longstifling　with　his　own　polluted　breath。　How　can　it　be　otherwise？　Whyshould　a　wretched　man；　guilty；　we　will　say；　of　murder；　prefer　tokeep　the　dead　corpse　buried　in　his　own　heart；　rather　than　fling　itforth　at　once；　and　let　the　universe　take　care　of　it？〃　　〃Yet　some　men　bury　their　secrets　thus；〃　observed　the　calm　physician。　　〃True；　there　are　such　men；〃　answered　Mr。　Dimmesdale。　〃But；　not　tosuggest　more　obvious　reasons；　it　may　be　that　they　are　kept　silent　bythe　very　constitution　of　their　nature。　Or…　can　we　not　suppose　it？…guilty　as　they　may　be；　retaining；　nevertheless；　a　zeal　for　God's　gloryand　man's　welfare；　they　shrink　from　displaying　themselves　black　andfilthy　in　the　view　of　men；　because；　thenceforward；　no　good　can　beachieved　by　them；　no　evil　of　the　past　be　redeemed　by　better　service。So；　to　their　own　unutterable　torment；　they　go　about　among　theirfellow…creatures；　looking　pure　as　new…fallen　snow；　while　theirhearts　are　all　speckled　and　spotted　with　iniquity　of　which　they　cannotrid　themselves。〃　　〃These　men　deceive　themselves；〃　said　Roger　Chillingworth；　withsomewhat　more　emphasis　than　usual；　and　making　a　slight　gesture　withhis　forefinger。　〃They　fear　to　take　up　the　shame　that　rightfullybelongs　to　them。　Their　love　for　man；　their　zeal　for　God's　service…these　holy　impulses　may　or　may　not　coexist　in　their　hearts　with　theevil　inmates　to　which　their　guilt　has　unbarred　the　door；　and　whichmust　needs　propagate　a　hellish　breed　within　them。　But；　if　they　seek　toglorify　God；　let　them　not　lift　heavenward　their　unclean　hands！　If　theywould　serve　their　fellow…men；　let　them　do　it　by　making　manifest　thepower　and　reality　of　conscience；　in　constraining　them　to　penitentialself…abasement！　Wouldst　thou　have　me　to　believe；　O　wise　and　piousfriend；　that　a　false　show　can　be　better…　can　be　more　for　God'sglory；　or　man's　welfare…　than　God's　own　truth？　Trust　me；　such　mendeceive　themselves！〃　　〃It　may　be　so；〃　said　the　young　clergyman；　indifferently；　aswaiving　a　discussion　that　he　considered　irrelevant　or　unseasonable。　Hehad　a　ready　faculty；　indeed；　of　escaping　from　any　topic　thatagitated　his　too　sensitive　and　nervous　temperament。　〃But；　now；　I　wouldask　of　my　well…skilled　physician；　whether；　in　good　sooth；　he　deemsme　to　have　profited　by　his　kindly　care　of　this　weak　frame　of　mine？〃　　Before　Roger　Chillingworth　could　answer；　they　heard　the　clear；wild　laughter　of　a　young　child's　voice；　proceeding　from　the　adjacentburial…ground。　Looking　instinctively　from　the　open　window…　for　itwas　summer…time…　the　minister　beheld　Hester　Prynne　and　little　Pearlpassing　along　the　footpath　that　traversed　the　enclosure。　Pearllooked　as　beautiful　as　the　day；　but　was　in　one　of　those　moods　ofperverse　merriment　which；　whenever　they　occurred；　seemed　to　remove　herentirely　out　of　the　sphere　of　sympathy　or　human　contact。　She　nowskipped　irreverently　from　one　grave　to　another；　until；　ing　to　thebroad；　flat；　armorial　tombstone　of　a　departed　worthy…　perhaps　of　IsaacJohnson　himself…　she　began　to　dance　upon　it。　In　reply　to　hermother's　mand　and　entreaty　that　she　would　behave　more　decorously；little　Pearl　paused　to　gather　the　prickly　burrs　from　a　tall　burdockwhich　grew　beside　the　tomb。　Taking　a　handful　of　these；　she　arrangedthem　along　the　lines　of　the　scarlet　letter　that　decorated　the　maternalbosom；　to　which　the　burrs；　as　their　nature　was；　tenaciously　adhered。Hester　did　not　pluck　them　off。　　Roger　Chillingworth　had　by　this　time　approached　the　window；　andsmiled　grimly　down。　　〃There　is　no　law；　nor　reverence　for　authority；　no　regard　for　humanordinances　or　opinions；　right　or　wrong；　mixed　up　with　that　child'sposition；〃　remarked　her；　as　much　to　himself　as　to　his　panion。　〃Isaw　her；　the　other　day；　bespatter　the　Governor　himself　with　water；at　the　cattle…trough　in　Spring　Lane。　What；　in　Heaven's　name；　is　she？Is　the　imp　altogether　evil？　Hath　she　affections？　Hath　she　anydiscoverable　principle　of　being？〃　　〃None…　save　the　freedom　of　a　broken　law；〃　answered　Mr。　Dimmesdale；in　a　quiet　way；　as　if　he　had　been　discussing　the　point　within　himself。〃Whether　capable　of　good　I　know　not。〃　　The　child　probably　overheard　their　voices；　for；　looking　up　to　thewindow；　with　a　bright；　but　naughty　smile　of　mirth　and　intelligence；she　threw　one　of　the　prickly　burrs　at　the　Reverend　Mr。　Dimmesdale。　Thesensitive　clergyman　shrunk；　with　nervous　dread；　from　the　lightmissile。　Detecting　his　emotion；　Pearl　clapped　her　little　hands；　in　themost　extravagant　ecstasy。　Hester　Prynne；　likewise；　had　involuntarilylooked　up；　and　all　these　four　persons；　old　and　young；　regarded　oneanother　in　silence；　till　the　child　laughed　aloud；　and　shouted；　〃eaway；　mother！　e　away；　or　yonder　old　Black　Man　will　catch　you！　Hehath　got　hold　of　the　minister　already。　e　away；　mother；　or　he　willcatch　you！　But　he　cannot　catch　little　Pearl！〃　　So　she　drew　her　mother　away；　skipping；　dancing；　and　friskingfantastically；　among　the　hillocks　of　the　dead　people；　like　acreature　that　had　nothing　in　mon　with　a　bygone　and　buriedgeneration；　nor　owned　herself　akin　to　it。　It　was　as　if　she　had　beenmade　afresh；　out　of　new　elements；　and　must　perforce　be　permitted　tolive　her　own　life；　and　be　a　law　unto　herself；　without　hereccentricities　being　reckoned　to　her　for　a　crime。　　〃There　goes　a　woman；〃　resumed　Roger　Chillingworth；　after　a　pause；〃who；　be　her　demerits　what　they　may；　hath　none　of　that　mystery　ofhidden　sinfulness　which　you　deem　so　grievous　to　be　borne。　Is　HesterPrynne　the　less　miserable；　think　you；　for　that　scarlet　letter　on　herbreast？〃　　〃I　do　verily　believe　it；〃　answered　the　clergyman。　〃Nevertheless；　Icannot　answer　for　her。　There　was　a　look　of　pain　in　her　face；　which　Iwould　gladly　have　been　spared　the　sight　of。　But　still；　methinks；　itmust　needs　be　better　for　the　sufferer　to　be　free　to　show　his　pain；as　this　poor　woman　Hester　is；　than　to　cover　it　all　up　in　his　heart。〃　　There　was　another　pause；　and　the　physician　began　anew　to　examine　andarrange　the　plants　which　he　had　gathered。　　〃You　inquired　of　me；　a　little　time　agone；〃　said　he；　at　length；　〃myjudgment　as　touching　your　health。〃　　〃I　did；〃　answered　the　clergyman；　〃and　would　gladly　learn　it。　Speakfrankly；　I　pray　you；　be　it　for　life　or　death。〃　　〃Freely；　then；　and　plainly；〃　said　the　physician；　still　busy　with　hisplants；　but　keeping　a　wary　eye　on　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　〃the　disorder　is　astrange　one；　not　so　much　in　itself；　nor　as　outwardly　manifested…　in　sofar；　at　least；　as　the　symptoms　have　been　laid　open　to　myobservation。　Looking　dally　at　you；　my　good　sir；　and　watching　thetokens　of　your　aspect；　now　for　months　gone　by；　I　should　deem　you　a　mansore　sick；　it　may　be；　yet　not　so　sick　but　that　an　instructed　andwatchful　physician　might　well　hope　to　cure　you。　But…　I　know　not　whatto　say…　the　disease　is　what　I　seem　to　know；　yet　know　it　not。〃　　〃You　speak　in　riddles；　learned　sir；〃　said　the　pale　minister；glancing　aside　out　of　the　window。　　〃Then；　to　speak　more　p