红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第22章

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e　to　make　good　her　cause；　in　the　contest　that　mustensue。　　Gazing　at　Pearl；　Hester　Prynne　often　dropped　her　work　upon　herknees；　and　cried　out　with　an　agony　which　she　would　fain　have　hidden；but　which　made　utterance　for　itself；　betwixt　speech　and　a　groan；　〃OFather　in　heaven…　if　Thou　art　still　my　Father…　what　is　this　beingwhich　I　have　brought　into　the　world！〃　And　Pearl；　overbearing　theejaculation；　or　aware；　through　some　more　subtile　channel；　of　thosethrobs　of　anguish；　would　turn　her　vivid　and　beautiful　little　face　uponher　mother；　smile　with　sprite…like　intelligence；　and　resume　her　play。　　One　peculiarity　of　the　child's　deportment　remains　yet　to　be　told。The　very　first　thing　which　she　had　noticed；　in　her　life；　was…　what？…not　the　mother's　smile；　responding　to　it；　as　other　babies　do；　bythat　faint；　embryo　smile　of　the　little　mouth；　remembered　so　doubtfullyafterwards；　and　with　such　fond　discussion　whether　it　were　indeed　asmile。　By　no　means！　But　that　first　object　of　which　Pearl　seemed　tobee　aware　was…　shall　we　say　it？…　the　scarlet　letter　on　Hester'sbosom！　One　day；　as　her　mother　stooped　over　the　cradle；　the　infant'seyes　had　been　caught　by　the　glimmering　of　the　gold　embroidery　aboutthe　letter；　and；　putting　up　her　little　hand；　she　grasped　at　it；smiling；　not　doubtfully；　but　with　a　decided　gleam；　that　gave　herface　the　look　of　a　much　older　child。　Then；　gasping　for　breath；　didHester　Prynne　clutch　the　fatal　token；　instinctively　endeavouring　totear　it　away；　so　infinite　was　the　torture　inflicted　by　the　intelligenttouch　of　Pearl's　baby　hand。　Again；　as　if　her　mother's　agonised　gesturewere　meant　only　to　make　sport　for　her；　did　little　Pearl　look　intoher　eyes；　and　smile！　From　that　epoch；　except　when　the　child　wasasleep；　Hester　had　never　felt　a　moment's　safety；　not　a　moment's　calmenjoyment　of　her。　Weeks；　it　is　true；　would　sometimes　elapse；　duringwhich　Pearl's　gaze　might　never　once　be　fixed　upon　the　scarletletter；　but　then；　again；　it　would　e　at　unawares；　like　the　stroke　ofsudden　death；　and　always　with　that　peculiar　smile；　and　oddexpression　of　the　eyes。　　Once；　this　freakish；　elvish　cast　came　into　the　child's　eyes；　whileHester　was　looking　at　her　own　image　in　them；　as　mothers　are　fond　ofdoing；　and；　suddenly…　for　women　in　solitude；　and　with　troubled　hearts；are　pestered　with　unaccountable　delusions…　she　fancied　that　shebeheld；　not　her　own　miniature　portrait；　but　another　face；　in　the　smallblack　mirror　of　Pearl's　eye。　It　was　a　face　fiend…like；　full　of　smilingmalice；　yet　bearing　the　semblance　of　features　that　she　had　knownfull　well；　though　seldom　with　a　smile；　and　never　with　malice　inthem。　It　was　as　if　an　evil　spirit　possessed　the　child；　and　had　justthen　peeped　forth　in　mockery。　Many　a　time　afterwards　had　Hester　beentortured；　though　less　vividly；　by　the　same　illusion。　　In　the　afternoon　of　a　certain　summer's　day；　after　Pearl　grew　bigenough　to　run　about；　she　amused　herself　with　gathering　handfuls　ofwild…flowers；　and　flinging　them；　one　by　one；　at　her　mother's　bosom；dancing　up　and　down；　like　a　little　elf；　whenever　she　hit　the　scarletletter。　Hester's　first　motion　had　been　to　cover　her　bosom　with　herclasped　hands。　But；　whether　from　pride　or　resignation；　or　a　feelingthat　her　penance　might　best　be　wrought　out　by　this　unutterable　pain；she　resisted　the　impulse；　and　sat　erect；　pale　as　death；　lookingsadly　into　little　Pearl's　wild　eyes。　Still　came　the　battery　offlowers；　almost　invariably　hitting　the　mark；　and　covering　the　mother'sbreast　with　hurts　for　which　she　could　find　no　balm　in　this　world；nor　knew　how　to　seek　it　in　another。　At　last；　her　shot　being　allexpended；　the　child　stood　still　and　gazed　at　Hester；　with　thatlittle　laughing　image　of　a　fiend　peeping　out…　or；　whether　it　peeped　orno；　her　mother　so　imagined　it…　from　the　unsearchable　abyss　of　herblack　eyes。　　〃Child；　what　art　thou？〃　cried　the　mother。　　〃Oh；　I　am　your　little　Pearl！〃　answered　the　child。　　But；　while　she　said　it；　Pearl　laughed；　and　began　to　dance　up　anddown；　with　the　humorsome　gesticulation　of　a　little　imp；　whose　nextfreak　might　be　to　fly　up　the　chimney。　　〃Art　thou　my　child；　in　very　truth？〃　asked　Hester。　　Nor　did　she　put　the　question　altogether　idly；　but；　for　the　moment；with　a　portion　of　genuine　earnestness；　for；　such　was　Pearl's　wonderfulintelligence；　that　her　mother　half　doubted　whether　she　were　notacquainted　with　the　secret　spell　of　her　existence；　and　might　not　nowreveal　herself。　　〃Yes；　I　am　little　Pearl！〃　repeated　the　child；　continuing　her　antics。　　〃Thou　art　not　my　child！　Thou　art　no　Pearl　of　mine！〃　said　the　mother；half　playfully；　for　it　was　often　the　case　that　a　sportive　impulse　cameover　her；　in　the　midst　of　her　deepest　suffering。　〃Tell　me；　then；what　thou　art；　and　who　sent　thee　hither？〃　　〃Tell　me；　mother！〃　said　the　child　seriously；　ing　up　to　Hester；and　pressing　herself　close　to　her　knees。　〃Do　thou　tell　me！〃　　〃Thy　Heavenly　Father　sent　thee！〃　answered　Hester　Prynne。　　But　she　said　it　with　a　hesitation　that　did　not　escape　theacuteness　of　the　child。　Whether　moved　only　by　her　ordinaryfreakishness；　or　because　an　evil　spirit　prompted　her；　she　put　up　hersmall　forefinger；　and　touched　the　scarlet　letter。　　〃He　did　not　send　me！〃　cried　she　positively。　〃I　have　no　HeavenlyFather！〃　　〃Hush；　Pearl；　hush！　Thou　must　not　talk　so！〃　answered　the　mother；suppressing　a　groan。　〃He　sent　us　all　into　this　world。　He　sent　even　me；thy　mother。　Then；　much　more；　thee！　Or；　if　not；　thou　strange　and　elfishchild；　whence　didst　thou　e？〃　　〃Tell　me！　Tell　me！〃　repeated　Pearl；　no　longer　seriously；　butlaughing；　and　capering　about　the　floor。　〃It　is　thou　that　must　tellme！〃　　But　Hester　could　not　resolve　the　query；　being　herself　in　a　dismallabyrinth　of　doubt。　She　remembered…　betwixt　a　smile　and　a　shudder…　thetalk　of　the　neighbouring　townspeople；　who；　seeking　vainly　elsewherefor　the　child's　paternity；　and　observing　some　of　her　old　attributes；had　given　out　that　poor　little　Pearl　was　a　demon　offspring；　such　as；ever　since　old　Catholic　times；　had　occasionally　been　seer；　on　earth；through　the　agency　of　their　mother's　sin；　and　to　promote　some　foul　andwicked　purpose。　Luther；　according　to　the　scandal　of　his　monkishenemies；　was　a　brat　of　that　hellish　breed；　nor　was　Pearl　the　onlychild　to　whom　this　inauspicious　origin　was　assigned　among　the　NewEngland　Puritans。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VII。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　GOVERNOR'S　HALL。　　HESTER　PRYNNE　went；　one　day；　to　the　mansion　of　GovernorBellingham；　with　a　pair　of　gloves；　which　she　had　fringed　andembroidered　to　his　order；　and　which　were　to　be　worn　on　some　greatoccasion　of　state；　for；　though　the　chances　of　a　popular　election　hadcaused　this　former　ruler　to　descend　a　step　or　two　from　the　highestrank；　he　still　held　an　honourable　and　influential　place　among　thecolonial　magistracy。　　Another　and　far　more　important　reason　than　the　delivery　of　a　pair　ofembroidered　gloves　impelled　Hester；　at　this　time；　to　seek　an　interviewwith　a　personage　of　so　much　power　and　activity　in　the　affairs　of　thesettlement。　It　had　reached　her　ears；　that　there　was　a　design　on　thepart　of　some　of　the　leading　inhabitants；　cherishing　the　more　rigidorder　of　principles　in　religion　and　government；　to　deprive　her　ofher　child。　On　the　supposition　that　Pearl；　as　already　hinted；　was　ofdemon　origin；　these　good　people　not　unreasonably　argued　that　aChristian　interest　in　the　mother's　soul　required　them　to　remove　such　astumbling…block　from　her　path。　If　the　child；　on　the　other　hand；　werereally　capable　of　moral　and　religious　growth；　and　possessed　theelements　of　ultimate　salvation；　then；　surely；　it　would　enjoy　all　thefairer　prospect　of　these　advantages；　by　being　transferred　to　wiser　andbetter　guardianship　than　Hester　Prynne's。　Among　those　who　promoted　thedesign；　Governor　Bellingham　was　said　to　be　one　of　the　most　busy。　Itmay　appear　singular；　and；　indeed；　not　a　little　ludicrous；　that　anaffair　of　this　kind；　which；　in　later　days；　would　have　been　referred　tono　higher　jurisdiction　than　that　of　the　selectmen　of　the　town；should　then　have　been　a　question　publicly　discussed；　and　on　whichstatesmen　of　eminence　took　sides。　At　that　epoch　of　pristinesimplicity；　however；　matters　of　even　slighter　public　interest；　andof　far　less　intrinsic　weight；　than　the　welfare　of　Hester　and　herchild；　were　strangely　mixed　up　with　the　deliberations　of　legislatorsand　acts　of　state。　The　period　was　hardly；　if　at　all