红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第38章

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s　a　better　place！　e　thou　into　the　pool！〃　And　Pearl；　steppingin；　mid…leg　deep；　beheld　her　own　white　feet　at　the　bottom；　while；out　of　a　still　lower　depth；　came　the　gleam　of　a　kind　of　fragmentarysmile；　floating　to　and　fro　in　the　agitated　water。　　Meanwhile；　her　mother　had　accosted　the　physician。　　〃I　would　speak　a　word　with　you；〃　said　she…　〃a　word　that　concernsus　much。〃　　〃Aha！　and　is　it　Mistress　Hester　that　has　a　word　for　old　RogerChillingworth？〃　answered　he；　raising　himself　from　his　stoopingposture。　〃With　all　my　heart！　Why；　mistress；　I　hear　good　tidings　ofyou；　on　all　hands！　No　longer　ago　than　yester…eve；　a　magistrate；　a　wiseand　godly　man；　was　discoursing　of　your　affairs；　Mistress　Hester；　andwhispered　me　that　there　had　been　question　concerning　you　in　thecouncil。　It　was　debated　whether　or　no；　with　safety　to　the　mon　weal；yonder　scarlet　letter　might　be　taken　off　your　bosom。　On　my　life；Hester；　I　made　my　entreaty　to　the　worshipful　magistrate　that　itmight　be　done　forthwith！〃　　〃It　lies　not　in　the　pleasure　of　the　magistrates　to　take　off　thisbadge。〃　calmly　replied　Hester。　〃Were　I　worthy　to　be　quit　of　it；　itwould　fall　away　of　its　own　nature；　or　be　transformed　into　somethingthat　should　speak　a　different　purport。〃　　〃Nay；　then；　wear　it；　if　it　suit　you　better；〃　rejoined　he。　〃A　womanmust　needs　follow　her　own　fancy　touching　the　adornment　of　herperson。　The　letter　is　gaily　embroidered；　and　shows　right　bravely　onyour　bosom！〃　　All　this　while；　Hester　had　been　looking　steadily　at　the　old　man；　andwas　shocked；　as　well　as　wonder…smitten；　to　discern　what　a　change　hadbeen　wrought　upon　him　within　the　past　seven　years。　It　was　not　somuch　that　he　had　grown　older；　for　though　the　traces　of　advancinglife　were　visible；　he　bore　his　age　well；　and　seemed　to　retain　a　wiryvigour　and　alertness。　But　the　former　aspect　of　an　intellectual　andstudious　man；　calm　and　quiet；　which　was　what　she　best　remembered　inhim；　had　altogether　vanished；　and　been　succeeded　by　an　eager；searching；　almost　fierce；　yet　carefully　guarded　look。　It　seemed　tobe　his　wish　and　purpose　to　mask　this　expression　with　a　smile；　butthe　latter　played　him　false；　and　flickered　over　his　visage　soderisively；　that　the　spectator　could　see　his　blackness　all　thebetter　for　it。　Ever　and　anon；　too；　there　came　a　glare　of　red　light　outof　his　eyes；　as　if　the　old　man's　soul　were　on　fire；　and　kept　onsmouldering　duskily　within　his　breast；　until；　by　some　casual　puff　ofpassion；　it　was　blown　into　a　momentary　flame。　This　he　repressed；　asspeedily　as　possible；　and　strove　to　look　as　if　nothing　of　the　kind　hadhappened。　　In　a　word；　old　Roger　Chillingworth　was　a　striking　evidence　ofman's　faculty　of　transforming　himself　into　a　devil；　if　he　will　only；for　a　reasonable　space　of　time；　undertake　a　devil's　office。　Thisunhappy　person　had　effected　such　a　transformation；　by　devotinghimself；　for　seven　years；　to　the　constant　analysis　of　a　heart　fullof　torture；　and　deriving　his　enjoyment　thence；　and　adding　fuel　tothose　fiery　tortures　which　he　analysed　and　gloated　over。　　The　scarlet　letter　burned　on　Hester　Prynne's　bosom。　Here　was　anotherruin；　the　responsibility　of　which　came　partly　home　to　her。　　〃What　see　you　in　my　face；〃　asked　the　physician；　〃that　you　look　at　itso　earnestly？〃　　〃Something　that　would　make　me　weep；　if　there　were　any　tears　bitterenough　for　it；〃　answered　she。　〃But　let　it　pass！　It　is　of　yondermiserable　man　that　I　would　speak。〃　　〃And　what　of　him？〃　cried　Roger　Chillingworth　eagerly；　as　if　he　lovedthe　topic；　and　were　glad　of　an　opportunity　to　discuss　it　with　the　onlyperson　of　whom　he　could　make　a　confidant。　〃Not　to　hide　the　truth；Mistress　Hester；　my　thoughts　happen　just　now　to　be　busy　with　thegentleman。　So　speak　freely；　and　I　will　make　answer。〃　　〃When　we　last　spake　together；〃　said　Hester；　〃now　seven　years　ago；　itwas　your　pleasure　to　extort　a　promise　of　secrecy；　as　touching　theformer　relation　betwixt　yourself　and　me。　As　the　life　and　good　fameof　yonder　man　were　in　your　hands；　there　seemed　no　choice　to　me；　saveto　be　silent；　in　accordance　with　your　behest。　Yet　it　was　not　withoutheavy　misgivings　that　I　thus　bound　myself；　for；　having　cast　off　allduty　towards　other　human　beings；　there　remained　a　duty　towards　him；and　something　whispered　me　that　I　was　betraying　it；　in　pledging　myselfto　keep　your　counsel。　Since　that　day；　no　man　is　so　near　to　him　as　you。You　tread　behind　his　every　footstep。　You　are　beside　him；　sleepingand　waking。　You　search　his　thoughts。　You　burrow　and　rankle　in　hisheart！　Your　clutch　is　on　his　life；　and　you　cause　him　to　die　daily　aliving　death；　and　still　he　knows　you　not。　In　permitting　this；　I　havesurely　acted　a　false　part　by　the　only　man　to　whom　the　power　was　leftme　to　be　true！〃　　〃What　choice　had　you？〃　asked　Roger　Chillingworth。　〃My　finger；pointed　at　this　man；　would　have　hurled　him　from　his　pulpit　into　adungeon…　thence；　peradventure；　to　the　gallows！〃　　〃It　had　been　better　so！〃　said　Hester　Prynne。　　〃What　evil　have　I　done　the　man？〃　asked　Roger　Chillingworth　again。　〃Itell　thee；　Hester　Prynne；　the　richest　fee　that　ever　physician　earnedfrom　monarch　could　not　have　bought　such　care　as　I　have　wasted　onthis　miserable　priest！　But　for　my　aid；　his　life　would　have　burned　awayin　torments；　within　the　first　two　years　after　the　perpetration　ofhis　crime　and　thine。　For；　Hester；　his　spirit　lacked　the　strengththat　could　have　borne　up；　as　thine　has；　beneath　a　burden　like　thyscarlet　letter。　Oh；　I　could　reveal　a　goodly　secret！　But　enough！　Whatart　can　do；　I　have　exhausted　on　him。　That　he　now　breathes；　andcreeps　upon　earth；　is　owing　all　to　me！〃　　〃Better　he　had　died　at　once！〃　said　Hester　Prynne。　　〃Yea；　woman；　thou　sayest　truly！〃　cried　old　Roger　Chillingworth；letting　the　lurid　fire　of　his　heart　blaze　out　before　her　eyes。　〃Betterhad　he　died　at　once！　Never　did　mortal　suffer　what　this　man　hassuffered。　And　all；　all；　in　the　sight　of　his　worst　enemy！　He　has　beenconscious　of　me。　He　has　felt　an　influence　dwelling　always　upon　himlike　a　curse。　He　knew；　by　some　spiritual　sense…　for　the　Creator　nevermade　another　being　so　sensitive　as　this…　he　knew　that　no　friendly　handwas　pulling　at　his　heart…strings；　and　that　an　eye　was　lookingcuriously　into　him；　which　sought　only　evil；　and　found　it。　But　heknew　not　that　the　eye　and　hand　were　mine！　With　the　superstition　monto　his　brotherhood；　he　fancied　himself　given　over　to　a　fiend；　to　betortured　with　frightful　dreams；　and　desperate　thoughts；　the　sting　ofremorse；　and　despair　of　pardon；　as　a　foretaste　of　what　awaits　himbeyond　the　grave。　But　it　was　the　constant　shadow　of　my　presence！…the　closest　propinquity　of　the　man　whom　he　had　most　vilely　wronged！…and　who　had　grown　to　exist　only　by　this　perpetual　poison　of　the　direstrevenge！　Yea；　indeed！…　he　did　not　err！…　there　was　a　fiend　at　hiselbow！　A　mortal　man；　with　once　a　human　heart；　has　bee　a　fiend　forhis　especial　torment！〃　　The　unfortunate　physician；　while　uttering　these　words；　lifted　hishands　with　a　look　of　horror；　as　if　he　had　beheld　some　frightful　shape；which　he　could　not　recognise；　usurping　the　place　of　his　own　image　in　aglass。　It　was　one　of　those　moments…　which　sometimes　occur　only　atthe　interval　of　years…　when　a　man's　moral　aspect　is　faithfullyrevealed　to　his　mind's　eye。　Not　improbably；　he　had　never　before　viewedhimself　as　he　did　now。　　〃Hast　thou　not　tortured　him　enough？〃　said　Hester；　noticing　the　oldman's　look。　〃Has　he　not　paid　thee　all？〃　　〃No！…　no！…　he　has　but　increased　the　debt！〃　answered　the　physician；and　as　he　proceeded；　his　manner　lost　its　fiercer　characteristics；and　subsided　into　gloom。　〃Dost　thou　remember　me；　Hester；　as　I　was　nineyears　agone？　Even　then；　I　was　in　the　autumn　of　my　days；　nor　was　it　theearly　autumn。　But　all　my　life　had　been　made　up　of　earnest；　studious；thoughtful；　quiet　years；　bestowed　faithfully　for　the　increase　ofmine　own　knowledge；　and　faithfully；　too；　though　this　latter　object　wasbut　casual　to　the　other…　faithfully　for　the　advancement　of　humanwelfare。　No　life　had　been　more　peaceful　and　innocent　than　mine；　fewlives　so　rich　with　benefits　conferred。　Dost　thou　remember　me？　Was　Inot；　though　you　might　deem　me　cold；　nevertheless　a　man　thoughtfulfor　others；　craving　little　for　himself…　kind；　true；　just；　and　ofconstant；　if　not　warm　affections？　Was　I　not　all　this？〃　　〃All　this；　and　more；〃　said　Hester。　　〃And　what　am　I　now？〃　demanded　he；　looking　into　her　face；　andpermitting　the　whole　evil　wi