红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第10章

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lving；　if　not　his　soul；　yet　manyof　its　better　attributes；　its　sturdy　force；　its　courage　and　constancy；its　truth；　its　self…reliance；　and　all　that　gives　the　emphasis　to　manlycharacter。　　Here　was　a　fine　prospect　in　the　distance！　Not　that　the　Surveyorbrought　the　lesson　home　to　himself；　or　admitted　that　he　could　be　soutterly　undone；　either　by　continuance　in　office；　or　ejectment。　Yetmy　reflections　were　not　the　most　fortable。　I　began　to　growmelancholy　and　restless；　continually　prying　into　my　mind；　todiscover　which　of　its　poor　properties　were　gone；　and　what　degree　ofdetriment　had　already　accrued　to　the　remainder。　I　endeavoured　tocalculate　how　much　longer　I　could　stay　in　the　Custom…House；　and　yet　goforth　a　man。　To　confess　the　truth；　it　was　my　greatest　apprehension…　asit　would　never　be　a　measure　of　policy　to　turn　out　so　quiet　anindividual　as　myself；　and　it　being　hardly　in　the　nature　of　a　publicofficer　to　resign…　it　was　my　chief　trouble；　therefore；　that　I　waslikely　to　grow　grey　and　decrepit　in　the　Surveyorship；　and　beemuch　such　another　animal　as　the　old　Inspector。　Might　it　not；　in　thetedious　lapse　of　official　life　that　lay　before　me；　finally　be　withme　as　it　was　with　this　venerable　friend…　to　make　the　dinner…hour　thenucleus　of　the　day；　and　to　spend　the　rest　of　it；　as　an　old　dogspends　it；　asleep　in　the　sunshine　or　in　the　shade？　A　dreary　lookforward　this；　for　a　man　who　felt　it　to　be　the　best　definition　ofhappiness　to　live　throughout　the　whole　range　of　his　faculties　andsensibilities！　But；　all　this　while；　I　was　giving　myself　veryunnecessary　alarm。　Providence　had　meditated　better　things　for　methan　I　could　possibly　imagine　for　myself。　　A　remarkable　event　of　the　third　year　of　my　Surveyorship…　to　adoptthe　tone　of　〃P。　P。〃…　was　the　election　of　General　Taylor　to　thePresidency。　It　is　essential；　in　order　to　a　plete　estimate　of　theadvantages　of　official　life；　to　view　the　incumbent　at　the　iningof　a　hostile　administration。　His　position　is　then　one　of　the　mostsingularly　irksome；　and；　in　every　contingency；　disagreeable；　that　awretched　mortal　can　possibly　occupy；　with　seldom　an　alternative　ofgood；　on　either　hand；　although　what　presents　itself　to　him　as　theworst　event　may　very　probably　be　the　best。　But　it　is　a　strangeexperience；　to　a　man　of　pride　and　sensibility；　to　know　that　hisinterests　are　within　the　control　of　individuals　who　neither　love　norunderstand　him；　and　by　whom；　since　one　or　the　other　must　needs　happen；he　would　rather　be　injured　than　obliged。　Strange；　too；　for　one　who　haskept　his　calmness　throughout　the　contest；　to　observe　thebloodthirstiness　that　is　developed　in　the　hour　of　triumph；　and　to　beconscious　that　he　is　himself　among　its　objects！　There　are　few　ugliertraits　of　human　nature　than　this　tendency…　which　I　now　witnessed　inmen　no　worse　than　their　neighbours…　to　grow　cruel；　merely　because　theypossessed　the　power　of　inflicting　harm。　If　the　guillotine；　asapplied　to　office…holders；　were　a　literal　fact；　instead　of　one　ofthe　most　apt　of　metaphors；　it　is　my　sincere　belief；　that　the　activemembers　of　the　victorious　party　were　sufficiently　excited　to　havechopped　off　all　our　heads；　and　have　thanked　Heaven　for　theopportunity！　It　appears　to　me…　who　have　been　a　calm　and　curiousobserver；　as　well　in　victory　as　defeat…　that　this　fierce　and　bitterspirit　of　malice　and　revenge　has　never　distinguished　the　many　triumphsof　my　own　party　as　it　now　did　that　of　the　Whigs。　The　Democrats　takethe　offices；　as　a　general　rule；　because　they　need　them；　and　becausethe　practice　of　many　years　has　made　it　the　law　of　political　warfare；which；　unless　a　different　system　be　proclaimed；　it　were　weakness　andcowardice　to　murmur　at。　But　the　long　habit　of　victory　has　made　themgenerous。　They　know　how　to　spare；　when　they　see　occasion；　and　whenthey　strike；　the　axe　may　be　sharp；　indeed；　but　its　edge　is　seldompoisoned　with　ill…will；　nor　is　it　their　custom　ignominously　to　kickthe　head　which　they　have　just　struck　off。　　In　short；　unpleasant　as　was　my　predicament；　at　best；　I　saw　muchreason　to　congratulate　myself　that　I　was　on　the　losing　side；　ratherthan　the　triumphant　one。　if；　heretofore；　I　had　been　none　of　thewarmest　of　partisans；　I　began　now；　at　this　season　of　peril　andadversity；　to　be　pretty　acutely　sensible　with　which　party　mypredilections　lay；　nor　was　it　without　something　like　regret　and　shame；that；　according　to　a　reasonable　calculation　of　chances；　I　saw　my　ownprospect　of　retaining　office　to　be　better　than　those　of　myDemocratic　brethren。　But　who　can　see　an　inch　into　futurity；　beyond　hisnose？　My　head　was　the　first　that　fell！　　The　moment　when　a　man's　head　drops　off　is　seldom　or　never；　I　aminclined　to　think；　precisely　the　most　agreeable　of　his　life。Nevertheless；　like　the　greater　part　of　our　misfortunes；　even　soserious　a　contingency　brings　its　remedy　and　consolation　with　it；　ifthe　sufferer　will　but　make　the　best；　rather　than　the　worst；　of　theaccident　which　has　befallen　him。　In　my　particular　case；　theconsolatory　topics　were　close　at　hand；　and；　indeed；　had　suggestedthemselves　to　my　meditations　a　considerable　time　before　it　。　In　view　of　my　previous　weariness　of　office；　andvague　thoughts　of　resignation；　my　fortune　somewhat　resembled　that　of　aperson　who　should　entertain　an　idea　of　mitting　suicide；　and；although　beyond　his　hopes；　meet　with　the　good　hap　to　be　murdered。　Inthe　Custom…House；　as　before　in　the　Old　Manse；　I　had　spent　three　years；a　term　long　enough　to　rest　a　weary　brain；　long　enough　to　break　off　oldintellectual　habits；　and　make　room　for　new　ones；　long　enough；　andtoo　long；　to　have　lived　in　an　unnatural　state；　doing　what　was　reallyof　no　advantage　nor　delight　to　any　human　being；　and　withholding　myselffrom　toil　that　would；　at　least；　have　stilled　an　unquiet　impulse　in　me。Then；　moreover；　as　regarded　his　unceremonious　ejectment；　the　lateSurveyor　was　not　altogether　ill…pleased　to　be　recognised　by　theWhigs　as　an　enemy；　since　his　inactivity　in　political　affairs…　histendency　to　roam；　at　will；　in　that　broad　and　quiet　field　where　allmankind　may　meet；　rather　than　confine　himself　to　those　narrow　pathswhere　brethren　of　the　same　household　must　diverge　from　one　another…had　sometimes　made　it　questionable　with　his　brother　Democratswhether　he　was　a　friend。　Now；　after　he　had　won　the　crown　ofmartyrdom　（though　with　no　longer　a　head　to　wear　it　on）；　the　pointmight　be　looked　upon　as　settled。　Finally；　little　heroic　as　he　was；it　seemed　more　decorous　to　be　overthrown　in　the　downfall　of　theparty　with　which　he　had　been　content　to　stand；　than　to　remain　aforlorn　survivor；　when　so　many　worthier　men　were　falling；　and；　atlast；　after　subsisting　for　four　years　on　the　mercy　of　a　hostileadministration；　to　be　pelled　then　to　define　his　position　anew；and　claim　the　yet　more　humiliating　mercy　of　a　friendly　one。　　Meanwhile　the　press　had　taken　up　my　affair；　and　kept　me；　for　aweek　or　two；　careering　through　the　public　prints；　in　my　decapitatedstate；　like　Irving's　Headless　Horseman；　ghastly　and　grim；　andlonging　to　be　buried；　as　a　politically　dead　man　ought。　So　much　formy　figurative　self。　The　real　human　being；　all　this　time；　with　his　headsafely　on　his　shoulders；　had　brought　himself　to　the　fortableconclusion　that　everything　was　for　the　best；　and；　making　an　investmentin　ink；　paper；　and　steel…pens；　had　opened　his　long…disusedwriting…desk；　and　was　again　a　literary　man。　　Now　it　was　that　the　lucubrations　of　my　ancient　predecessor；　Mr。Surveyor　Pue；　came　into　play。　Rusty　through　long　idleness；　some　littlespace　y　intellectual　machinery　could　bebrought　to　work　upon　the　tale；　with　an　effect　in　any　degreesatisfactory。　Even　yet；　though　my　thoughts　were　ultimately　muchabsorbed　in　the　task；　it　wears；　to　my　eye；　a　stern　and　sombreaspect；　too　much　ungladdened　by　genial　sunshine；　too　little　relievedby　the　tender　and　familiar　influences　which　soften　almost　everyscene　of　nature　and　real　life；　and；　undoubtedly；　should　soften　everypicture　of　them。　This　uncaptivating　effect　is　perhaps　due　to　theperiod　of　hardly　acplished　revolution；　and　still　seethingturmoil；　in　which　the　story　shaped　itself。　It　is　no　indication；however；　of　a　lack　of　cheerfulness　in　the　writer's　mind；　for　he　washappier；　while　straying　through　the　gloom　of　these　sunlessfantasies；　than　at　any　time　since　he　had　quitted　the　Old　Manse。　Someof　the　briefer　articles；　which　contribute　to　make　up　the　volume；have　likewise　b