红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第20章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　Could　they　be　other　than　the　insidious　whispers　of　thebad　angel；　who　would　fain　have　persuaded　the　struggling　woman；　asyet　only　half　his　victim；　that　the　outward　guise　of　purity　was　but　alie；　and　that；　if　truth　were　everywhere　to　be　shown；　a　scarletletter　would　blaze　forth　on　many　a　bosom　besides　Hester　Prynne's？Or；　must　she　receive　those　intimations…　so　obscure；　yet　so　distinct…as　truth？　In　all　her　miserable　experience；　there　was　nothing　else　soawful　and　so　loathsome　as　this　sense。　It　perplexed；　as　well　as　shockedher；　by　the　irreverent　inopportuneness　of　the　occasions　that　broughtit　into　vivid　action。　Sometimes　the　red　infamy　upon　her　breast　wouldgive　a　sympathetic　throb；　as　she　passed　near　a　venerable　minister　ormagistrate；　the　model　of　piety　and　justice；　to　whom　that　age　ofantique　reverence　looked　up；　as　to　a　mortal　man　in　fellowship　withangels。　〃What　evil　thing　is　at　hand？〃　would　Hester　say　to　herself。Lifting　her　reluctant　eyes；　there　would　be　nothing　human　within　thescope　of　view；　save　the　form　of　this　earthly　saint！　Again；　a　mysticsisterhood　would　contumaciously　assert　itself；　as　she　met　thesanctified　frown　of　some　matron；　who；　according　to　the　rumour　of　alltongues；　had　kept　cold　snow　within　her　bosom　throughout　life。　Thatunsunned　snow　in　the　matron's　bosom；　and　the　burning　shame　on　HesterPrynne's…　what　had　the　two　in　mon？　Or；　once　more；　the　electricthrill　would　give　her　warning…　〃Behold；　Hester；　here　is　a　panion！〃…and；　looking　up；　she　would　detect　the　eyes　of　a　young　maidenglancing　at　the　scarlet　letter；　shyly　and　aside；　and　quicklyaverted；　with　a　faint；　chill　crimson　in　her　cheeks；　as　if　her　puritywere　somewhat　sullied　by　that　momentary　glance。　O　Fiend；　whosetalisman　was　that　fatal　symbol；　wouldst　thou　leave　nothing；　whether　inyouth　or　age；　for　this　poor　sinner　to　revere？…　such　loss　of　faith　isever　one　of　the　saddest　results　of　sin。　Be　it　accepted　as　a　proof　thatall　was　not　corrupt　in　this　poor　victim　of　her　own　frailty；　andman's　hard　law；　that　Hester　Prynne　yet　struggled　to　believe　that　nofellow…mortal　was　guilty　like　herself。　　The　vulgar；　who；　in　those　dreary　old　times；　were　always　contributinga　grotesque　horror　to　what　interested　their　imaginations；　had　astory　about　the　scarlet　letter　which　we　might　readily　work　up　into　aterrific　legend。　They　averred；　that　the　symbol　was　not　mere　scarletcloth；　tinged　in　an　earthly　dye…pot；　but　was　red…hot　with　infernalfire；　and　could　be　seen　glowing　all　alight；　whenever　Hester　Prynnewalked　abroad　in　the　night…time。　And　we　must　needs　say；　it　searedHester's　bosom　so　deeply；　that　perhaps　there　was　more　truth　in　therumour　than　our　modern　incredulity　may　be　inclined　to　admit。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VI。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　PEARL。　　WE　have　as　yet　hardly　spoken　of　the　infant；　that　little　creature；whose　innocent　life　had　sprung；　by　the　inscrutable　decree　ofProvidence；　a　lovely　and　immortal　flower；　out　of　the　rank　luxurianceof　a　passion。　How　strange　it　seemed　to　the　sad　woman；　as　she　watchedthe　growth；　and　the　beauty　that　became　every　day　more　brilliant；　andthe　intelligence　that　threw　its　quivering　sunshine　over　the　tinyfeatures　of　this　child！　Her　Pearl！…　For　so　had　Hester　called　her；not　as　a　name　expressive　of　her　aspect；　which　had　nothing　of　the　calm；white；　unimpassioned　lustre　that　would　be　indicated　by　the　parison。But　she　named　the　infant　〃Pearl；〃　as　being　of　great　price…　purchasedwith　all　she　had…　her　mother's　only　treasure！　How　strange；　indeed！　Manhad　marked　this　woman's　sin　by　a　scarlet　letter；　which　had　such　potentand　disastrous　efficacy　that　no　human　sympathy　could　reach　her；　saveit　were　sinful　like　herself。　God；　as　a　direct　consequence　of　the　sinwhich　man　thus　punished；　had　given　her　a　lovely　child；　whose　place　wason　that　same　dishonoured　bosom；　to　connect　her　parent　for　ever　withthe　race　and　descent　of　mortals；　and　to　be　finally　a　blessed　soul　inheaven！　Yet　these　thoughts　affected　Hester　Prynne　less　with　hopethan　apprehension。　She　knew　that　her　deed　had　been　evil；　she　couldhave　no　faith；　therefore；　that　its　result　would　be　good。　Day　afterday；　she　looked　fearfully　into　the　child's　expanding　nature；　everdreading　to　detect　some　dark　and　wild　peculiarity；　that　shouldcorrespond　with　the　guiltiness　to　which　she　owed　her　being。　　Certainly；　there　was　no　physical　defect。　By　its　perfect　shape；　itsvigour；　and　its　natural　dexterity　in　the　use　of　all　its　untried　limbs；the　infant　was　worthy　to　have　been　brought　forth　in　Eden；　worthy　tohave　been　left　there；　to　be　the　plaything　of　the　angels　after　theworld's　first　parents　were　driven　out。　The　child　had　a　native　gracewhich　does　not　invariably　coexist　with　faultless　beauty；　its　attire；however　simple；　always　impressed　the　beholder　as　if　it　were　the　verygarb　that　precisely　became　it　best。　But　little　Pearl　was　not　clad　inrustic　weeds。　Her　mother；　with　a　morbid　purpose　that　may　be　betterunderstood　hereafter；　had　bought　the　richest　tissues　that　could　beprocured；　and　allowed　her　imaginative　faculty　its　full　play　in　thearrangement　and　decoration　of　the　dresses　which　the　child　wore；　beforethe　public　eye。　So　magnificent　was　the　small　figure；　when　thusarrayed；　and　such　was　the　splendour　of　Pearl's　own　proper　beauty；shining　through　the　gorgeous　robes　which　might　have　extinguished　apaler　loveliness；　that　there　was　an　absolute　circle　of　radiance　aroundher；　on　the　darksome　cottage　floor。　And　yet　a　russet　gown；　torn　andsoiled　with　the　child's　rude　play；　made　a　picture　of　her　just　asperfect。　Pearl's　aspect　was　imbued　with　a　spell　of　infinite　variety；in　this　one　child　there　were　many　children；　prehending　the　fullscope　between　the　wild…flower　prettiness　of　a　peasant…baby；　and　thepomp；　in　little；　of　an　infant　princess。　Throughout　all；　however；　therewas　a　trait　of　passion；　a　certain　depth　of　hue；　which　she　neverlost；　and　if；　in　any　of　her　changes；　she　had　grown　fainter　or　paler；she　would　have　ceased　to　be　herself…　it　would　have　been　no　longerPearl！　　This　outward　mutability　indicated；　and　did　not　more　than　fairlyexpress；　the　various　properties　of　her　inner　life。　Her　nature　appearedto　possess　depth；　too；　as　well　as　variety；　but…　or　else　Hester's　fearsdeceived　her…　it　lacked　reference　and　adaptation　to　the　world　intowhich　she　was　born。　The　child　could　not　be　made　amenable　to　rules。In　giving　her　existence；　a　great　law　had　been　broken；　and　the　resultwas　a　being　whose　elements　were　perhaps　beautiful　and　brilliant；　butall　in　disorder；　or　with　an　order　peculiar　to　themselves；　amidst　whichthe　point　of　variety　and　arrangement　was　difficult　or　impossible　to　bediscovered。　Hester　could　only　account　for　the　child's　character…　andeven　then　most　vaguely　and　imperfectly…　by　recalling　what　sheherself　had　been；　during　that　momentous　period　while　Pearl　wasimbibing　her　soul　from　the　spiritual　world；　and　her　bodily　framefrom　its　material　of　earth。　The　mother's　impassioned　state　had　beenthe　medium　through　which　were　transmitted　to　the　unborn　infant　therays　of　its　moral　Life；　and；　however　white　and　clear　originally；they　had　taken　the　deep　stains　of　crimson　and　gold；　the　fierylustre；　the　black　shadow；　and　the　untempered　light；　of　the　interveningsubstance。　Above　all；　the　warfare　of　Hester's　spirit；　at　that　epoch；was　perpetuated　in　Pearl。　She　could　recognise　her　wild；　desperate；defiant　mood；　the　flightiness　of　her　temper；　and　even　some　of　the　verycloud…shapes　of　gloom　and　despondency　that　had　brooded　in　her　heart。They　were　now　illuminated　by　the　morning　radiance　of　a　young　child'sdisposition；　but；　later　in　the　day　of　earthly　existence；　might　beprolific　of　the　storm　and　whirlwind。　　The　discipline　of　the　family；　in　those　days；　was　of　a　far　more　rigidkind　than　now。　The　frown；　the　harsh　rebuke；　the　frequent　applicationof　the　rod；　enjoined　by　Scriptural　authority；　were　used；　not　merely　inthe　way　of　punishment　for　actual　offences；　but　as　a　wholesomeregimen　for　the　growth　and　promotion　of　all　childish　virtues。　HesterPrynne；　nevertheless；　the　lonely　mother　of　this　one　child；　ranlittle　risk　of　erring　on　the　side　of　undue　severity。　Mindful；　however；of　her　own　errors　and　misfortunes；　she　early　sought　to　impose　atender；　but　strict　control　over　the　infant　immortality　that　wasmitted　to　her　charge。　But　the　task　was　beyond　her　skill。　Aftertesting　both　smiles　and　frowns；　and　proving　that　neither　mode　oftrea