红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第14部分
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ttlement of Christian men； the very firstobject to meet my eyes would be thyself； Hester Prynne； standing up； astatue of ignominy； before the people。 Nay； from the moment when wecame down the old churchsteps together； a married pair； I might havebeheld the bale…fire of that scarlet letter blazing at the end ofour path！〃 〃Thou knowest；〃 said Hester… for； depressed as she was； she couldnot endure this last quiet stab at the token of her shame… 〃thouknowest that I was frank with thee。 I felt no love； nor feigned any。〃 〃True；〃 replied he。 〃It was my folly！ I have said it。 But； up tothat epoch of my life； I had lived in vain。 The world had been socheerless！ My heart was a habitation large enough for many guests； butlonely and chill； and without a household fire。 I longed to kindleone！ It seemed not so wild a dream… old as I was； and sombre as I was；and misshapen as I was… that the simple bliss； which is scatteredfar and wide； for all mankind to gather up； might yet be mine。 And so；Hester； I drew thee into my heart； into its innermost chamber； andsought to warm thee by the warmth which thy presence made there！〃 〃I have greatly wronged thee；〃 murmured Hester。 〃We have wronged each other；〃 answered he。 〃Mine was the firstwrong； when I betrayed thy budding youth into a false and unnaturalrelation with my decay。 Therefore； as a man who has not thought andphilosophised in vain； I seek no vengeance； plot no evil against thee。Between thee and me the scale hangs fairly balanced。 But； Hester；the man lives who has wronged us both！ Who is he？〃 〃Ask me not！〃 replied Hester Prynne； looking firmly into his face。〃That thou shalt never know！〃 〃Never； sayest thou？〃 rejoined he； with a smile of dark andself…relying intelligence。 〃Never know him！ Believe me； Hester；there are few things… whether in the outward world； or； to a certaindepth； in the invisible sphere of thought… few things hidden fromthe man who devotes himself earnestly and unreservedly to the solutionof a mystery。 Thou mayest cover up thy secret from the pryingmultitude。 Thou mayest conceal it； too； from the ministers andmagistrates； even as thou didst this day； when they sought to wrenchthe name out of thy heart； and give thee a partner on thy pedestal。But； as for me； I e to the inquest with other senses than theypossess。 I shall seek this man； as I have sought truth in books； asI have sought gold in alchemy。 There is a sympathy that will make meconscious of him。 I shall see him tremble。 I shall feel myselfshudder； suddenly and unawares。 Sooner or later； he must needs bemine！〃 The eyes of the wrinkled scholar glowed so intensely upon her；that Hester Prynne clasped her hands over her heart； dreading lesthe should read the secret there at once。 〃Thou wilt not reveal his name？ Not the less he is mine；〃 resumedhe； with a look of confidence； as if destiny were at one with him。 〃Hebears no letter of infamy wrought into his garment； as thou dost；but I shall read it on his heart。 Yet fear not for him！ Think not thatI shall interfere with Heaven's own method of retribution； or； to myown loss； betray him to the gripe of human law。 Neither do thouimagine that I shall contrive aught against his life； no； noragainst his fame； if； as I judge； he be a man of fair repute。 Lethim live！ Let him hide himself in outward honour； if he may！ Not theless he shall be mine！〃 〃Thy acts are like mercy；〃 said Hester； bewildered and appalled。〃But thy words interpret thee as a terror！〃 〃One thing； thou that wast my wife； I would enjoin upon thee；〃continued the scholar。 〃Thou hast kept the secret of thy paramour。Keep； likewise； mine！ There are none in this land that know me。Breathe not； to any human soul； that thou didst ever call mehusband！ Here； on this wild outskirt of the earth； I shall pitch mytent； for； elsewhere a wanderer； and isolated from human interests；I find here a woman； a man； a child； amongst whom and myself thereexist the closest ligaments。 No matter whether of love or hate； nomatter whether of right or wrong！ Thou and thine； Hester Prynne；belong to me。 My home is where thou art； and where he is。 But betrayme not！〃 〃Wherefore dost thou desire it？〃 inquired Hester； shrinking； shehardly knew why； from this secret bond。 〃Why not announce thyselfopenly； and cast me off at once？〃 〃It may be；〃 he replied； 〃because I will not encounter the dishonourthat besmirches the husband of a faithless woman。 It may be forother reasons。 Enough； it is my purpose to live and die unknown。Let； therefore； thy husband be to the world as one already dead； andof whom no tidings shall ever e。 Recognise me not； by word； bysign； by look！ Breathe not the secret； above all； to the man thouwottest of。 Shouldst thou fail me in this； beware！ His fame； hisposition； his life； will be in my hands。 Beware！〃 〃I will keep thy secret； as I have his；〃 said Hester。 〃Swear it！〃 rejoined he。 And she took the oath。 〃And now； Mistress Prynne；〃 said old Roger Chillingworth； as hewas hereafter to be named； 〃I leave thee alone； alone with thy infant；and the scarlet letter！ How is it； Hester？ Doth thy sentence bind theeto wear the token in thy sleep？ Art thou not afraid of nightmaresand hideous dreams？〃 〃Why dost thou smile so at me？〃 inquired Hester； troubled at theexpression of his eyes。 〃Art thou like the Black Man that haunts theforest round about us？ Hast thou enticed me into a bond that willprove the ruin of my soul？〃 〃Not thy soul；〃 he answered； with another smile。 〃No； not thy soul。〃 V。 HESTER AT HER NEEDLE。 HESTER PRYNNE'S term of confinement was now at an end。 Herprison…door was thrown open； and she came forth into the sunshine；which； falling on all alike； seemed； to her sick and morbid heart；as if meant for no other purpose than to reveal the scarlet letteron her breast。 Perhaps there was a more real torture in her firstunattended footsteps from the threshold of the prison； than even inthe procession and spectacle that have been described； where she wasmade the mon infamy； at which all mankind was summoned to point itsfinger。 Then； she was supported by an unnatural tension of the nerves；and by all the bative energy of her character； which enabled her toconvert the scene into a kind of lurid triumph。 It was； moreover； aseparate and insulated event； to occur but once in her lifetime； andto meet which； therefore； reckless of economy； she might call up thevital strength that would have sufficed for many quiet years。 The verylaw that condemned her… a giant of stern features； but with vigourto support； as well as to annihilate； in his iron arm… had held herup； through the terrible ordeal of her ignominy。 But now； with thisunattended walk from her prison…door； began the daily custom； andshe must either sustain and carry it forward by the ordinary resourcesof her nature； or sink beneath it。 She could no longer borrow from thefuture to help her through the present grief。 To…morrow would bringits own trial with it； so would the next day； and so would the next；each its own trial； and yet the very same that was now sounutterably grievous to be borne。 The days of the far…off future wouldtoil onward； still with the same burden for her to take up； and bearalong with her； but never to fling down； for the accumulating days；and added years； would pile up their misery upon the heap of shame。Throughout them all； giving up her individuality； she would bee thegeneral symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point； andin which they might vivify and embody their images of woman'sfrailty and sinful passion。 Thus the young and pure would be taught tolook at her； with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast… at her；the child of honourable parents… at her； the mother of a babe； thatwould hereafter be a woman… at her； who had once been innocent… as thefigure； the body； the reality of sin。 And over her grave； the infamythat she must carry thither would be her only monument。 It may seem marvellous； that； with the world before her… kept byno restrictive clause of her condemnation within the limits of thePuritan settlement； so remote and so obscure… free to return to herbirthplace； or to any other European land； and there hide hercharacter and identity under a new exterior； as pletely as ifemerging into another state of being… and having also the passes ofthe dark； inscrutable forest open to her； where the wildness of hernature might assimilate itself with a people whose customs and lifewere alien from the law that had condemned her… it may seemmarvellous； that this woman should still call that place her home；where； and where only； she must needs be the type of shame。 Butthere is a fatality； a feeling so irresistible and inevitable thatit has the force of doom； which almost invariably pels human beingsto linger around and haunt； ghost…like； the spot where some greatand marked event has given the colour to their lifetime； and still themore irresistibly； the darker the tinge that saddens it。 Her sin；her ignominy； were the roots which she had struck into the soil。 Itwas as if a new birth； with stronger assimilations than the first； hadconverted the forest…land； still so uncongenial to every other pilgrimand wanderer； into Hester Prynne's wild and dreary； but life…longhome。 All other scenes of earth… even that village of rural England；where happy infancy and stainless maidenhood seemed yet to be in hermother's keeping； like garments put off long ago… were foreign to her；in parison。 The chain that bound her here was of iron links； andgalling to her inmost soul； but could never be broken。 It might be； too… doubtless it was so； although she hid the secretfrom herself； and grew pale whenever it struggled out of her heart；like a serpent from its hole… it might be that another feeling kepther within the scene and pathway that had been so fatal。 There dwelt；there trode the feet of one with whom she deemed herself connectedin a union； that； unrecognised on earth； would bring them togetherbefore the bar of final judgment； and make that theirmarriage…altar； for a joint futurity of endless retribution。 Overand over again； the tempter of souls had thrust this idea uponHester's contemplation； and laughed at the passionate and desperatejoy with which she seized； and then strove to cast it from her。 Shebarely looked the idea in the
