红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第35章

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an　the　rise　and　set　of　sun　and　moon；　as　so　manyrevelations　from　a　supernatural　source。　Thus；　a　blazing　spear；　a　swordof　flame；　a　bow；　or　a　sheaf　of　arrows；　seen　in　the　midnight　sky；prefigured　Indian　warfare。　Pestilence　was　known　to　have　been　forebodedby　a　shower　of　crimson　light。　We　doubt　whether　any　marked　event；　forgood　or　evil；　ever　befell　New　England；　from　its　settlement　down　toRevolutionary　times；　of　which　the　inhabitants　had　not　beenpreviously　warned　by　some　spectacle　of　this　nature。　Not　seldom；　it　hadbeen　seen　by　multitudes。　Oftener；　however；　its　credibility　rested　onthe　faith　of　some　lonely　eye…witness；　who　beheld　the　wonder　throughthe　coloured；　magnifying；　and　distorting　medium　of　his　imagination；and　shaped　it　more　distinctly　in　his　afterthought。　It　was；　indeed；　amajestic　idea；　that　the　destiny　of　nations　should　be　revealed；　inthese　awful　hieroglyphics；　on　the　cope　of　heaven。　A　scroll　so　widemight　not　be　deemed　too　expansive　for　Providence　to　write　a　people'sdoom　upon。　The　belief　was　a　favourite　one　with　our　forefathers；　asbetokening　that　their　infant　monwealth　was　under　a　celestialguardianship　of　peculiar　intimacy　and　strictness。　But　what　shall　wesay；　when　an　individual　discovers　a　revelation；　addressed　to　himselfalone；　on　the　same　vast　sheet　of　record！　In　such　a　case；　it　could　onlybe　the　symptom　of　a　highly　disordered　mental　state；　when　a　man；rendered　morbidly　self…contemplative　by　long；　intense；　and　secretpain；　had　extended　his　egotism　over　the　whole　expanse　of　nature；　untilthe　firmament　itself　should　appear　no　more　than　a　fitting　page　for　hissoul's　history　and　fate！　　We　impute　it；　therefore；　solely　to　the　disease　in　his　own　eye　andheart；　that　the　minister；　looking　upward　to　the　zenith；　beheld　therethe　appearance　of　an　immense　letter…　the　letter　A…　marked　out　in　linesof　dull　red　light。　Not　but　the　meteor　may　have　shown　itself　at　thatpoint；　burning　duskily　through　a　veil　of　cloud；　but　with　no　such　shapeas　his　guilty　imagination　gave　it；　or；　at　least；　with　so　littledefiniteness；　that　another's　guilt　might　have　seen　another　symbol　init。　　There　was　a　singular　circumstance　that　characterised　Mr。Dimmesdale's　psychological　state　at　this　moment。　All　the　time　thathe　gazed　upward　to　the　zenith；　he　was；　nevertheless；　perfectly　awarethat　little　Pearl　was　pointing　her　finger　towards　old　RogerChillingworth；　who　stood　at　no　great　distance　from　the　scaffold。　Theminister　appeared　to　see　him；　with　the　same　glance　that　discernedthe　miraculous　letter。　To　his　features；　as　to　all　other　objects；　themeteoric　light　imparted　a　new　expression；　or　it　might　well　be　that　thephysician　was　not　careful　then；　as　at　all　other　times；　to　hide　themalevolence　with　which　he　looked　upon　his　victim。　Certainly；　if　themeteor　kindled　up　the　sky；　and　disclosed　the　earth；　with　anawfulness　that　admonished　Hester　Prynne　and　the　clergyman　of　the　dayof　judgment；　then　might　Roger　Chillingworth　have　passed　with　themfor　the　arch…fiend；　standing　there　with　a　smile　and　scowl；　to　claimhis　own。　So　vivid　was　the　expression；　or　so　intense　the　minister'sperception　of　it；　that　it　seemed　still　to　remain　painted　on　thedarkness；　after　the　meteor　had　vanished；　with　an　effect　as　if　thestreet　and　all　things　else　were　at　once　annihilated。　　〃Who　is　that　man；　Hester？〃　gasped　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　overe　withterror。　〃I　shiver　at　him！　Dost　thou　know　the　man？　I　hate　him；　Hester！〃　　She　remembered　her　oath；　and　was　silent。　　〃I　tell　thee；　my　soul　shivers　at　him！〃　muttered　the　ministeragain。　〃Who　is　he？　Who　is　he？　Canst　thou　do　nothing　for　me？　I　have　anameless　horror　of　the　man！〃　　〃Minister；〃　said　little　Pearl；　〃I　can　tell　thee　who　he　is！〃　　〃Quickly；　then；　child！〃　said　the　minister；　bending　his　ear　closeto　her　lips。　〃Quickly！…　and　as　low　as　thou　canst　whisper。〃　　Pearl　mumbled　something　into　his　ear；　that　sounded；　indeed；　likehuman　language；　but　was　only　such　gibberish　as　children　may　be　heardamusing　themselves　with；　by　the　hour　together。　At　all　events；　if　itinvolved　any　secret　information　in　regard　to　old　RogerChillingworth；　it　was　in　a　tongue　unknown　to　the　erudite　clergyman；and　did　but　increase　the　bewilderment　of　his　mind。　The　elvish　childthen　laughed　aloud。　　〃Dost　thou　mock　me　now？〃　said　the　minister。　　〃Thou　wast　not　bold！…　thou　wast　not　true！〃　answered　the　child。　〃Thouwouldst　not　promise　to　take　my　hand；　and　mother's　hand；　to…morrownoontide！〃　　〃Worthy　sir；〃　answered　the　physician；　who　had　now　advanced　to　thefoot　of　the　platform。　〃Pious　Master　Dimmesdale！　can　this　be　you？　Well；well；　indeed！　We　men　of　study；　whose　heads　are　in　our　books；　have　needto　be　straitly　looked　after！　We　dream　in　our　waking　moments；　andwalk　in　our　sleep。　e；　good　sir；　and　my　dear　friend；　I　pray　you；　letme　lead　you　home！〃　　〃How　knewest　thou　that　I　was　here？〃　asked　the　minister　fearfully。　　〃Verily；　and　in　good　faith；〃　answered　Roger　Chillingworth；　〃I　knewnothing　of　the　matter。　I　had　spent　the　better　part　of　the　night　at　thebedside　of　the　worshipful　Governor　Winthrop；　doing　what　my　poorskill　might　to　give　him　ease。　He　going　home　to　a　better　world；　I；likewise；　was　on　my　way　homeward；　when　this　strange　light　shone　out。e　with　me；　I　beseech　you；　reverend　sir；　else　you　will　be　poorlyable　to　do　Sabbath　duty　to…morrow。　Aha！　see　now；　how　they　troublethe　brain…　these　books！…　these　books！　You　should　study　less；　good　sir；and　take　a　little　pastime；　or　these　night…whimseys　will　grow　uponyou。〃　　〃I　will　go　home　with　you；〃　said　Mr。　Dimmesdale。　　With　a　chill　despondency；　like　one　awaking；　all　nerveless；　from　anugly　dream；　be　yielded　himself　to　the　physician；　and　was　led　away。　　The　next　day；　however；　being　the　Sabbath；　he　preached　a　discoursewhich　was　held　to　be　the　richest　and　most　powerful；　and　the　mostreplete　with　heavenly　influences；　that　had　ever　proceeded　from　hislips。　Souls；　it　is　said；　more　souls　than　one；　were　brought　to　thetruth　by　the　efficacy　of　that　sermon；　and　vowed　within　themselves　tocherish　a　holy　gratitude　towards　Mr。　Dimmesdale　throughout　the　longhereafter。　But；　as　he　came　down　the　pulpit　steps；　the　grey…beardedsexton　met　him；　holding　up　a　black　glove；　which　the　ministerrecognised　as　his　own。　　〃It　was　found；〃　said　the　sexton；　〃this　morning；　on　the　scaffoldwhere　evil…doers　are　set　up　to　public　shame。　Satan　dropped　it　there；　Itake　it；　intending　a　scurrilous　jest　against　your　reverence。　But；indeed；　he　was　blind　and　foolish；　as　he　ever　and　always　is。　A　purehand　needs　no　glove　to　cover　it！〃　　〃Thank　you；　my　good　friend；〃　said　the　minister　gravely；　but　startledat　heart；　for；　so　confused　was　his　remembrance；　that　he　had　almostbrought　himself　to　look　at　the　events　of　the　past　night　asvisionary。　〃Yes；　it　seems　to　be　my　glove；　indeed！〃　　〃And；　since　Satan　saw　fit　to　steal　it；　your　reverence　must　needshandle　him　without　gloves；　henceforward；〃　remarked　the　old　sexton；grimly　smiling。　〃But　did　your　reverence　hear　of　the　portent　that　wasseen　last　night？…　a　great　red　letter　in　the　sky…　the　letter　A；　whichwe　interpret　to　stand　for　Angel。　For；　as　our　good　Governor　Winthropwas　made　an　angel　this　past　night；　it　was　doubtless　held　fit　thatthere　should　be　some　notice　thereof！〃　　〃No；〃　answered　the　minister；　〃I　had　not　heard　of　it。〃　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XIII。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　ANOTHER　VIEW　OF　HESTER。　　IN　her　late　singular　interview　with　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　Hester　Prynnewas　shocked　at　the　condition　to　which　she　found　the　clergyman　reduced。His　nerve　seemed　absolutely　destroyed。　His　moral　force　was　abased　intomore　than　childish　weakness。　It　grovelled　helpless　on　the　ground；　evenwhile　his　intellectual　faculties　retained　their　pristine　strength；or　had　perhaps　acquired　a　morbid　energy；　which　disease　only　could　havegiven　them。　With　her　knowledge　of　a　train　of　circumstances　hidden　fromall　others；　she　could　readily　infer　that；　besides　the　legitimateaction　of　his　own　conscience；　a　terrible　machinery　had　been　brought　tobear；　and　was　still　operating；　on　Mr。　Dimmesdale's　well…being　andrepose。　Knowing　what　this　poor　fallen　man　had　once　been；　her　wholesoul　was　moved　by　the　shuddering　terror　with　which　he　had　appealedto　her…　the　outcast　woman…　for　support　against　his　instinctivelydiscovered　enemy。　She　decided；　moreover；　that　he　had　a　right　to　herutmost　aid。　Little　accustomed；　in　her　long　seclusion　from　society；to　measure　her　ideas　of　right　and　wrong　by　any　standard　ext