红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第41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！


　him　to　be　in　the　habit　of　taking；　along　the　shores　of　thepeninsula；　or　on　the　wooded　hills　of　the　neighbouring　country。　Therewould　have　been　no　scandal；　indeed；　nor　peril　to　the　holy　whiteness　ofthe　clergyman's　good　fame；　had　she　visited　him　in　his　own　study；　wheremany　a　penitent；　ere　now；　had　confessed　sins　of　perhaps　as　deep　adye　as　the　one　betokened　by　the　scarlet　letter。　But；　partly　that　shedreaded　the　secret　or　undisguised　interference　of　old　RogerChillingworth；　and　partly　that　her　conscious　heart　imputed　suspicionwhere　none　could　have　been　felt；　and　partly　that　both　the　minister　andshe　would　need　the　whole　wide　world　to　breathe　in；　while　they　talkedtogether…　for　all　these　reasons；　Hester　never　though　of　meeting　him　inany　narrower　privacy　than　beneath　the　open　sky。　　At　last；　while　attending　in　a　sick…chamber；　whither　the　Reverend　Mr。Dimmesdale　had　been　summoned　to　make　a　prayer；　she　learnt　that　hehad　gone；　the　day　before；　to　visit　the　Apostle　Eliot；　among　his　Indianconverts。　He　would　probably　return；　by　a　certain　hour；　in　theafternoon　of　the　morrow。　Betimes；　therefore；　the　next　day；　Hester　tooklittle　Pearl…　who　was　necessarily　the　panion　of　all　her　mother'sexpeditions；　however　inconvenient　her　presence…　　and　set　forth。　　The　road；　after　the　two　wayfarers　had　crossed　from　the　peninsulato　the　mainland；　was　no　other　than　a　footpath。　It　straggled　onwardinto　the　mystery　of　the　primeval　forest。　This　hemmed　it　in　sonarrowly；　and　stood　so　black　and　dense　on　either　side；　and　disclosedsuch　imperfect　glimpses　of　the　sky　above；　that；　to　Hester's　mind；　itimaged　not　amiss　the　moral　wilderness　in　which　she　had　so　long　beenwandering。　The　day　was　chill　and　sombre。　Overhead　was　a　grey　expanseof　cloud；　slightly　stirred；　however；　by　a　breeze；　so　that　a　gleam　offlickering　sunshine　might　now　and　then　be　seen　at　its　solitary　playalong　the　path。　This　flitting　cheerfulness　was　always　at　the　fartherextremity　of　some　long　vista　through　the　forest。　The　sportivesunlight…　feebly　sportive；　at　best；　in　the　predominant　pensivenessof　the　day　and　scene…　withdrew　itself　as　they　came　nigh；　and　leftthe　spots　where　it　had　danced　the　drearier；　because　they　had　hopedto　find　them　bright。　　〃Mother；〃　said　little　Pearl；　〃the　sunshine　does　not　love　you。　Itruns　away　and　hides　itself；　because　it　is　afraid　of　something　onyour　bosom。　Now；　see！　There　it　is；　playing；　a　good　way　off。　Standyou　here；　and　let　me　run　and　catch　it。　I　am　but　a　child。　It　will　notflee　from　me；　for　I　wear　nothing　on　my　bosom　yet！〃　　〃Nor　ever　will；　my　child；　I　hope；〃　said　Hester。　　〃And　why　not；　mother？〃　asked　Pearl；　stopping　short　just　at　thebeginning　of　her　race。　〃Will　not　it　e　of　its　own　accord；　when　Iam　a　woman　grown？〃　　〃Run　away；　child；〃　answered　her　mother；　〃and　catch　the　sunshine！It　will　soon　be　gone。〃　　Pearl　set　forth；　at　a　great　pace；　and；　as　Hester　smiled　to　perceive；did　actually　catch　the　sunshine；　and　stood　laughing　in　the　midst　ofit；　all　brightened　by　its　splendour；　and　scintillating　with　thevivacity　excited　by　rapid　motion。　The　light　lingered　about　thelonely　child；　as　if　glad　of　such　a　playmate；　until　her　mother　haddrawn　almost　nigh　enough　to　step　into　the　magic　circle　too。　　〃It　will　go　now；〃　said　Pearl；　shaking　her　head。　　〃See！〃　answered　Hester；　smiling。　〃Now　I　can　stretch　out　my　hand；　andgrasp　some　of　it。〃　　As　she　attempted　to　do　so；　the　sunshine　vanished；　or；　to　judgefrom　the　bright　expression　that　was　dancing　on　Pearl's　features；　hermother　could　have　fancied　that　the　child　had　absorbed　it　into　herself；and　would　give　it　forth　again；　with　a　gleam　about　her　path；　as　theyshould　plunge　into　some　gloomier　shade。　There　was　no　other　attributethat　so　much　impressed　her　with　a　sense　of　new　and　untransmittedvigour　in　Pearl's　nature；　as　this　never…failing　vivacity　of　spirits；she　had　not　the　disease　of　sadness；　which　almost　all　children；　inthese　latter　days；　inherit；　with　the　scrofula；　from　the　troubles　oftheir　ancestors。　Perhaps　this　too　was　a　disease；　and　but　the　reflex　ofthe　wild　energy　with　which　Hester　had　fought　against　her　sorrows；before　Pearl's　birth。　It　was　certainly　a　doubtful　charm；　imparting　ahard；　metallic　lustre　to　the　child's　character。　She　wanted…　whatsome　people　want　throughout　life…　a　grief　that　should　deeply　touchher；　and　thus　humanise　and　make　her　capable　of　sympathy。　But　there　wastime　enough　yet　for　little　Pearl。　　〃e；　my　child！〃　said　Hester；　looking　about　her　from　the　spot　wherePearl　had　stood　still　in　the　sunshine。　〃We　will　sit　down　a　littleway　within　the　wood；　and　rest　ourselves。〃　　〃I　am　not　aweary；　mother；〃　replied　the　little　girl。　〃But　you　may　sitdown；　if　you　will　tell　me　a　story　meanwhile。〃　　〃A　story；　child！〃　said　Hester。　〃And　about　what？〃　　〃Oh；　a　story　about　the　Black　Man；〃　answered　Pearl；　taking　hold　ofher　mother's　gown；　and　looking　up；　half　earnestly；　half　mischievously；into　her　face。　〃How　he　haunts　this　forest；　and　carries　a　book　withhim…　a　big；　heavy　book；　with　iron　clasps；　and　how　this　ugly　BlackMan　offers　his　book　and　an　iron　pen　to　everybody　that　meets　him　hereamong　the　trees；　and　they　are　to　write　their　names　with　their　ownblood。　And　then　he　sets　his　mark　on　their　bosoms！　Didst　thou　ever　meetthe　Black　Man；　mother？〃　　〃And　who　told　you　this　story；　Pearl？〃　asked　her　mother；recognising　a　mon　superstition　of　the　period。　　〃It　was　the　old　dame　in　the　chimney…corner；　at　the　house　where　youwatched　last　night；〃　said　the　child。　〃But　she　fancied　me　asleepwhile　she　was　talking　of　it。　She　said　that　a　thousand　and　a　thousandpeople　had　met　him　here；　and　had　written　in　his　book；　and　have　hismark　on　them。　And　that　ugly…tempered　lady；　old　Mistress　Hibbins；　wasone。　And；　mother；　the　old　dame　said　that　this　scarlet　letter　was　theBlack　Man's　mark　on　thee；　and　that　it　glows　like　a　red　flame　when　thoumeetest　him　at　midnight；　here　in　the　dark　wood。　Is　it　true；　mother？And　dost　thou　go　to　meet　him　in　the　night…time？〃　　〃Didst　thou　ever　awake；　and　find　thy　mother　gone？〃　asked　Hester。　　〃Not　that　I　remember；〃　said　the　child。　〃If　thou　fearest　to　leaveme　in　our　cottage；　thou　mightest　take　me　along　with　thee。　I　would　verygladly　go！　But；　mother；　tell　me　now！　Is　there　such　a　Black　Man？　Anddidst　thou　ever　meet　him？　And　is　this　his　mark？〃　　〃Wilt　thou　let　me　be　at　peace　if　I　once　tell　thee？〃　asked　hermother。　　〃Yes；　if　thou　tellest　me　all；〃　answered　Pearl。　　〃Once　in　my　life　I　met　the　Black　Man！〃　said　her　mother。　〃Thisscarlet　letter　is　his　mark！〃　　Thus　conversing；　they　entered　sufficiently　deep　into　the　wood　tosecure　themselves　from　the　observation　of　any　casual　passenger　alongthe　forest　track。　Here　they　sat　down　on　a　luxuriant　heap　of　moss；which；　at　some　epoch　of　the　preceding　century；　had　been　a　giganticpine；　with　its　roots　and　trunk　in　the　darksome　shade；　and　its　headaloft　in　the　upper　atmosphere。　It　was　a　little　dell　where　they　hadseated　themselves；　with　a　leaf…strewn　bank　rising　gently　on　eitherside；　and　a　brook　flowing　through　the　midst；　over　a　bed　of　fallenand　drowned　leaves。　The　trees　impending　over　it　had　flung　down　greatbranches；　from　time　to　time；　which　choked　up　the　current；　andpelled　it　to　form　eddies　and　black　depths　at　some　points；　while；　inits　swifter　and　livelier　passages；　there　appeared　a　channel…way　ofpebbles；　and　brown；　sparkling　sand。　Letting　the　eyes　follow　alongthe　course　of　the　stream；　they　could　catch　the　reflected　light　fromits　water；　at　some　short　distance　within　the　forest；　but　soon　lost　alltraces　of　it　amid　the　bewilderment　of　tree…trunks　and　underbrush；and　here　and　there　a　huge　rock　covered　over　with　grey　lichens。　Allthese　giant　trees　and　boulders　of　granite　seemed　intent　on　making　amystery　of　the　course　of　this　small　brook；　fearing；　perhaps；　that；with　its　never…ceasing　loquacity；　it　should　whisper　tales　out　of　theheart　of　the　old　forest　whence　it　flowed；　or　mirror　its　revelations　onthe　smooth　surface　of　a　pool。　Continually；　indeed；　as　it　stole　onward；the　streamlet　kept　up　a　babble；　kind；　quiet；　soothing；　but　melancholy；like　the　voice　of　a　young　child　that　was　spending　its　infancywithout　playfulness；　and　knew　not　how　to　be　merry　among　sadacquaintance　and　events　of　sombre　hue。　　〃O　brook！　O　foolish　and　tiresome　little　brook！〃　cried　Pearl；　afterlistening　awhile　to　its　talk。　〃Why　art　thou　so　sad？　Pluck　up　a　spirit；and　do　not　be　all　the　time　sighing　and　murmuring！〃　　But　the　brook；　in　th