红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第49章

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s　infusion。What　he　really　did　whisper；　the　minister　could　never　afterwardsrecollect。　There　was；　perhaps；　a　fortunate　disorder　in　hisutterance；　which　failed　to　impart　any　distinct　idea　to　the　goodwidow's　prehension；　or　which　Providence　interpreted　after　amethod　of　its　own。　Assuredly；　as　the　minister　looked　back；　he　beheldan　expression　of　divine　gratitude　and　ecstasy　that　seemed　like　theshine　of　the　celestial　city　on　her　face；　so　wrinkled　and　ashy　pale。　　Again；　a　third　instance。　After　parting　from　the　old　church…member；he　met　the　youngest　sister　of　them　all。　It　was　a　maiden　newly　won…　andwon　by　the　Reverend　Mr。　Dimmesdale's　own　sermon；　on　the　Sabbathafter　his　vigil；　to　barter　the　transitory　pleasures　of　the　world　forthe　heavenly　hope；　that　was　to　assume　brighter　substance　as　lifegrew　dark　around　her；　and　which　would　gild　the　utter　gloom　withfinal　glory。　She　was　fair　and　pure　as　a　lily　that　had　bloomed　inParadise。　The　minister　knew　well　that　he　was　himself　enshrinedwithin　the　stainless　sanctity　of　her　heart；　which　hung　its　snowycurtains　about　his　image；　imparting　to　religion　the　warmth　of　love；and　to　love　a　religious　purity。　Satan；　that　afternoon；　had　surelyled　the　poor　young　girl　away　from　her　mother's　side；　and　thrown　herinto　the　pathway　of　this　sorely　tempted；　or…　shall　we　not　rather　say？…this　lost　and　desperate　man。　As　she　drew　nigh；　the　arch…fiendwhispered　him　to　condense　into　small　pass　and　drop　into　hertender　bosom　a　germ　of　evil　that　would　be　sure　to　blossom　darkly　soon；and　bear　black　fruit　betimes。　Such　was　his　sense　of　power　over　thisvirgin　soul；　trusting　him　as　she　did；　that　the　minister　felt　potent　toblight　all　the　field　of　innocence　with　but　one　wicked　look；　anddevelop　all　its　opposite　with　but　a　word。　So…　with　a　mightier　strugglethan　he　had　yet　sustained…　he　held　his　Geneva　cloak　before　his　face；and　hurried　onward；　making　no　sign　of　recognition；　and　leaving　theyoung　sister　to　digest　his　rudeness　as　she　might。　She　ransacked　herconscience…　which　was　full　of　harmless　little　matters；　like　herpocket；　or　her　workbag…　and　took　herself　to　task；　poor　thing！　for　athousand　imaginary　faults；　and　went　about　her　household　duties　withswollen　eyelids　the　next　morning。　　Before　the　minister　had　time　to　celebrate　his　victory　over　this　lasttemptation；　he　was　conscious　of　another　impulse；　more　ludicrous；　andalmost　as　horrible。　It　was…　we　blush　to　tell　it…　it　was　to　stopshort　in　the　road；　and　teach　some　very　wicked　words　to　a　knot　oflittle　Puritan　children　who　were　playing　there；　and　had　but　just　begunto　talk。　Denying　himself　this　freak；　as　unworthy　of　his　cloth；　hemet　a　drunken　seaman；　one　of　the　ship's　crew　from　the　Spanish　Main。And　here；　since　he　had　so　valiantly　forborne　all　other　wickedness；poor　Mr。　Dimmesdale　longed；　at　least　to　shake　hands　with　the　tarryblackguard；　and　recreate　himself　with　a　few　improper　jests；　such　asdissolute　sailors　so　abound　with；　and　a　volley　of　good；　round；solid；　satisfactory；　and　heaven…defying　oaths！　It　was　not　so　much　abetter　principle；　as　partly　his　natural　good　taste；　and　still　more　hisbuckramed　habit　of　clerical　decorum；　that　carried　him　safely　throughthe　latter　crisis。　　〃What　is　it　that　haunts　and　tempts　me　thus？〃　cried　the　minister　tohimself；　at　length；　pausing　in　the　street；　and　striking　his　handagainst　his　forehead。　〃Am　I　mad？　or　am　I　given　over　utterly　to　thefiend？　Did　I　make　a　contract　with　him　in　the　forest；　and　sign　itwith　my　blood？　And　does　he　now　summon　me　to　its　fulfilment；　bysuggesting　the　performance　of　every　wickedness　which　his　most　foulimagination　can　conceive？〃　　At　the　moment　when　the　Reverend　Mr。　Dimmesdale　thus　muned　withhimself；　and　struck　his　forehead　with　his　hand；　old　MistressHibbins；　the　reputed　witch…lady；　is　said　to　have　been　passing　by。She　made　a　very　grand　appearance；　having　on　a　high　head…dress；　arich　gown　of　velvet；　and　a　ruff　done　up　with　the　famous　yellow　starch；of　which　Ann　Turner；　her　especial　friend；　had　taught　her　the　secret；before　this　last　good　lady　had　been　hanged　for　Sir　Thomas　Overbury'smurder。　Whether　the　witch　had　read　the　minister's　thoughts；　or　no；　shecame　to　a　full　stop；　looked　shrewdly　into　his　face；　smiled　craftily；and…　though　little　given　to　converse　with　clergymen…　began　aconversation。　　〃So；　reverend　sir；　you　have　made　a　visit　into　the　forest；〃observed　the　witch…lady；　nodding　her　high　head…dress　at　him。　〃The　nexttime；　I　pray　you　to　allow　me　only　a　fair　warning；　and　I　shall　be　proudto　bear　you　pany。　Without　taking　overmuch　upon　myself；　my　good　wordwill　go　far　towards　gaining　any　strange　gentleman　a　fair　receptionfrom　yonder　potentate　you　wot　of！〃　　〃I　profess；　madam；〃　answered　the　clergyman；　with　a　graveobeisance；　such　as　the　lady's　rank　demanded；　and　his　own　good…breedingmade　imperative…　〃I　profess；　on　my　conscience　and　character；　that　Iam　utterly　bewildered　as　touching　the　purport　of　your　words！　I　wentnot　into　the　forest　to　seek　a　potentate；　neither　do　I；　at　any　futuretime；　design　a　visit　thither；　with　a　view　to　gaining　the　favour　ofsuch　personage。　My　one　sufficient　object　was　to　greet　that　piousfriend　of　mine；　the　Apostle　Eliot；　and　rejoice　with　him　over　themany　precious　souls　he　hath　won　from　heathendom！〃　　〃Ha；　ha；　ha！〃　cackled　the　old　witch…lady；　still　nodding　her　highhead…dress　at　the　minister。　〃Well；　well；　we　must　needs　talk　thus　inthe　daytime！　You　carry　it　off　like　an　old　hand！　But　at　midnight；　andin　the　forest；　we　shall　have　other　talk　together！〃　　She　passed　on　with　her　aged　stateliness；　but　often　turning　backher　head　and　smiling　at　him；　like　one　willing　to　recognise　a　secretintimacy　of　connection。　　〃Have　I　then　sold　myself；〃　thought　the　minister；　〃to　the　fiend　whom；if　men　say　true；　this　yellow…starched　and　velveted　old　hag　haschosen　for　her　prince　and　master！〃　　The　wretched　minister！　He　had　made　a　bargain　very　like　it！　Temptedby　a　dream　of　happiness；　he　had　yielded　himself；　with　deliberatechoice；　as　he　had　never　done　before；　to　what　he　knew　was　deadly　sin。And　the　infectious　poison　of　that　sin　had　been　thus　rapidly　diffusedthroughout　his　moral　system。　It　had　stupefied　all　blessed　impulses；and　awakened　into　vivid　life　the　whole　brotherhood　of　bad　ones。　Scorn；bitterness；　unprovoked　malignity；　gratuitous　desire　of　ill；　ridiculeof　whatever　was　good　and　holy；　all　awoke；　to　tempt；　even　while　theyfrightened　him。　And　his　encounter　with　old　Mistress　Hibbins；　if　itwere　a　real　incident；　did　but　show　his　sympathy　and　fellowship　withwicked　mortals；　and　the　world　of　perverted　spirits。　　He　had；　by　this　time；　reached　his　dwelling；　on　the　edge　of　theburial…ground；　and；　hastening　up　the　stairs；　took　refuge　in　his　study。The　minister　was　glad　to　have　reached　this　shelter；　without　firstbetraying　himself　to　the　world　by　any　of　those　strange　and　wickedeccentricities　to　which　he　had　been　continually　impelled　while　passingthrough　the　streets。　He　entered　the　accustomed　room；　and　looked　aroundhim　on　its　books；　its　windows；　its　fireplace；　and　the　tapestriedfort　of　the　walls；　with　the　same　perception　of　strangeness　that　hadhaunted　him　throughout　his　walk　from　the　forest…dell　into　the　town；and　thitherward。　Here　he　had　studied　and　written；　here；　gone　throughfast　and　vigil；　and　e　forth　half　alive；　here　striven　to　pray；　here；borne　a　hundred　thousand　agonies！　There　was　the　Bible；　in　its　rich　oldHebrew；　with　Moses　and　the　Prophets　speaking　to　him；　and　God's　voicethrough　all！　There；　on　the　table；　with　the　inky　pen　beside　it；　wasan　unfinished　sermon；　with　a　sentence　broken　in　the　midst；　where　histhoughts　had　ceased　to　gush　out　upon　the　page；　two　days　before。　Heknew　that　it　was　himself；　the　thin　and　white…cheeked　minister；　who　haddone　and　suffered　these　things；　and　written　thus　far　into　the　ElectionSermon！　But　he　seemed　to　stand　apart；　and　eye　this　former　self　withscornful；　pitying；　but　half…envious　curiosity。　That　self　was　gone。Another　man　had　returned　out　of　the　forest；　a　wiser　one；　with　aknowledge　of　hidden　mysteries　which　the　simplicity　of　the　former　nevercould　have　reached。　A　bitter　kind　of　knowledge　that！　　While　occupied　with　these　reflections；　a　knock　came　at　the　door　ofthe　study；　and　the　minister　said；　〃e　in！〃…　not　wholly　devoid　ofan　idea　that　he　might　behold　an　evil　spirit。　And　so　he　did！　It　was　oldRoger　Chillingworth　that　entered。　The　minister　stood；　white　andspeechless；　with　one