红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第17部分

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task　was　beyond　her　skill。　Aftertesting　both　smiles　and　frowns；　and　proving　that　neither　mode　oftreatment　possessed　any　calculable　influence；　Hester　was　ultimatelypelled　to　stand　aside；　and　permit　the　child　to　be　swayed　by　her　ownimpulses。　Physical　pulsion　or　restraint　was　effectual；　of　course；while　it　lasted。　As　to　any　other　kind　of　discipline；　whether　addressedto　her　mind　or　heart；　little　Pearl　might　or　might　not　be　within　itsreach；　in　accordance　with　the　caprice　that　ruled　the　moment。　Hermother；　while　Pearl　was　yet　an　infant；　grew　acquainted　with　acertain　peculiar　look；　that　warned　her　when　it　would　be　labourthrown　away　to　insist；　persuade；　or　plead。　It　was　a　look　sointelligent；　yet　inexplicable；　so　perverse；　sometimes　so　malicious；but　generally　acpanied　by　a　wild　flow　of　spirits；　that　Hester　couldnot　help　questioning；　at　such　moments；　whether　Pearl　was　a　humanchild。　She　seemed　rather　an　airy　sprite；　which；　after　playing　itsfantastic　sports　for　a　little　while　upon　the　cottage…floor；　would　flitaway　with　a　mocking　smile。　Whenever　that　look　appeared　in　her　wild；bright；　deeply　black　eyes；　it　invested　her　with　a　strange　remotenessand　intangibility；　it　was　as　if　she　were　hovering　in　the　air　and　mightvanish；　like　a　glimmering　light；　that　es　we　know　not　whence；　andgoes　we　know　not　whither。　Beholding　it；　Hester　was　constrained　to　rushtowards　the　child…　to　pursue　the　little　elf　in　the　flight　which　sheinvariably　began…　to　snatch　her　to　her　bosom；　with　a　close　pressureand　earnest　kisses…　not　so　much　from　overflowing　love；　as　to　assureherself　that　Pearl　was　flesh　and　blood；　and　not　utterly　delusive。But　Pearl's　laugh；　when　she　was　caught；　though　full　of　merriment　andmusic；　made　her　mother　more　doubtful　than　before。　　Heart…smitten　at　this　bewildering　and　baffling　spell；　that　sooften　came　between　herself　and　her　sole　treasure；　whom　she　hadbought　so　dear；　and　who　was　all　her　world；　Hester　sometimes　burst　intopassionate　tears。　Then；　perhaps…　for　there　was　no　foreseeing　how　itmight　affect　her…　Pearl　would　frown；　and　clench　her　little　fist；　andharden　her　small　features　into　a　stern；　unsympathising　look　ofdiscontent。　Not　seldom；　she　would　laugh　anew；　and　louder　thanbefore；　like　a　thing　incapable　and　unintelligent　of　human　sorrow。Or…　but　this　more　rarely　happened…　she　would　be　convulsed　with　arage　of　grief；　and　sob　out　her　love　for　her　mother；　in　broken　words；and　seem　intent　on　proving　that　she　had　a　heart；　by　breaking　it。　YetHester　was　hardly　safe　in　confiding　herself　to　that　gustytenderness；　it　passed；　as　suddenly　as　it　came。　Brooding　over　all　thesematters；　the　mother　felt　like　one　who　has　evoked　a　spirit；　but；　bysome　irregularity　in　the　process　of　conjuration；　has　failed　to　win　themaster…word　that　should　control　this　new　and　inprehensibleintelligence。　Her　only　real　fort　was　when　the　child　lay　in　theplacidity　of　sleep。　Then　she　was　sure　of　her；　and　tasted　hours　ofquiet；　sad；　delicious　happiness；　until…　perhaps　with　that　perverseexpression　glimmering　from　beneath　her　opening　lids…　little　Pearlawoke！　　How　soon…　with　what　strange　rapidity；　indeed！…　did　Pearl　arrive　atan　age　that　was　capable　of　social　intercourse；　beyond　the　mother'sever…ready　smile　and　nonsense…words！　And　then　what　a　happiness　wouldit　have　been；　could　Hester　Prynne　have　heard　her　clear；　birdlike　voicemingling　with　the　uproar　of　other　childish　voices；　and　havedistinguished　and　unravelled　her　own　darling's　tones；　amid　all　theentangled　outcry　of　a　group　of　sportive　children！　But　this　could　neverbe。　Pearl　was　a　born　outcast　of　the　infantile　world。　An　imp　of　evil；emblem　and　product　of　sin；　she　had　no　right　among　christenedinfants。　Nothing　was　more　remarkable　than　the　instinct；　as　itseemed；　with　which　the　child　prehended　her　loneliness；　thedestiny　that　had　drawn　an　inviolable　circle　round　about　her；　the　wholepeculiarity；　in　short；　of　her　position　in　respect　to　other　children。Never；　since　her　release　from　prison；　had　Hester　met　the　public　gazewithout　her。　In　all　her　walks　about　the　town；　Pearl；　too；　was　there；first　as　the　babe　in　arms；　and　afterwards　as　the　little　girl；　smallpanion　of　her　mother；　holding　a　forefinger　with　her　whole　grasp；and　tripping　along　at　the　rate　of　three　or　four　footsteps　to　one　ofHester's。　She　saw　the　children　of　the　settlement；　on　the　grassy　marginof　the　street；　or　at　the　domestic　thresholds；　disporting　themselves　insuch　grim　fashion　as　the　Puritanic　nurture　would　permit；　playing　atgoing　to　church；　perchance；　or　at　scourging　Quakers；　or　takingscalps　in　a　sham…fight　with　the　Indians；　or　scaring　one　another　withfreaks　of　imitative　witchcraft。　Pearl　saw；　and　gazed　intently；　butnever　sought　to　make　acquaintance。　If　spoken　to；　she　would　not　speakagain。　If　the　children　gathered　about　her；　as　they　sometimes　did；Pearl　would　grow　positively　terrible　in　her　puny　wrath；　snatching　upstones　to　fling　at　them；　with　shrill；　incoherent　exclamations；　thatmade　her　mother　tremble；　because　they　had　so　much　the　sound　of　awitch's　anathemas　in　some　unknown　tongue。　　The　truth　was；　that　the　little　Puritans；　being　of　the　mostintolerant　brood　that　ever　lived；　had　a　vague　idea　of　somethingoutlandish；　unearthly；　or　at　variance　with　ordinary　fashions；　in　themother　and　child；　and　therefore　scorned　them　in　their　hearts；　andnot　unfrequently　reviled　them　with　their　tongues。　Pearl　felt　thesentiment；　and　requited　it　with　the　bitterest　hatred　that　can　besupposed　to　rankle　in　a　childish　bosom。　These　outbreaks　of　a　fiercetemper　had　a　kind　of　value；　and　even　fort；　for　her　mother；because　there　was　at　least　an　intelligible　earnestness　in　the　mood；instead　of　the　fitful　caprice　that　so　often　thwarted　her　in　thechild's　manifestations。　It　appalled　her；　nevertheless；　to　discern　hereagain；　a　shadowy　reflection　of　the　evil　that　had　existed　in　herself。All　this　enmity　and　passion　had　Pearl　inherited；　by　inalienable　right；out　of　Hester's　heart。　Mother　and　daughter　stood　together　in　thesame　circle　of　seclusion　from　human　society；　and　in　the　nature　ofthe　child　seemed　to　be　perpetuated　those　unquiet　elements　that　haddistracted　Hester　Prynne　before　Pearl's　birth；　but　had　since　begunto　be　soothed　away　by　the　softening　influences　of　maternity。　　At　home；　within　and　around　her　mother's　cottage；　Pearl　wanted　nota　wide　and　various　circle　of　acquaintance。　The　spell　of　life　wentforth　from　her　ever　creative　spirit；　and　municated　itself　to　athousand　objects；　as　a　torch　kindles　a　flame　wherever　it　may　beapplied。　The　unlikeliest　materials…　a　stick；　a　bunch　of　rags；　aflower…　were　the　puppets　of　Pearl's　witchcraft；　and；　withoutundergoing　any　outward　change；　became　spiritually　adapted　towhatever　drama　occupied　the　stage　of　her　inner　world。　Her　onebaby…voice　served　a　multitude　of　imaginary　personages；　old　andyoung；　to　talk　withal。　The　pine…trees；　aged；　black　and　solemn；　andflinging　groans　and　other　melancholy　utterances　on　the　breeze；needed　little　transformation　to　figure　as　Puritan　elders；　theugliest　weeds　of　the　garden　were　their　children；　whom　Pearl　smote　downand　uprooted；　most　unmercifully。　It　was　wonderful；　the　vast　variety　offorms　into　which　she　threw　her　intellect；　with　no　continuity；indeed；　but　darting　up　and　dancing；　always　in　a　state　of　preternaturalactivity…　soon　sinking　down；　as　if　exhausted　by　so　rapid　andfeverish　a　tide　of　life…　and　succeeded　by　other　shapes　of　a　similarwild　energy。　It　was　like　nothing　so　much　as　the　phantasmagoric　play　ofthe　northern　lights。　In　the　mere　exercise　of　the　fancy；　however；　andthe　sportiveness　of　a　growing　mind；　there　might　be　little　more　thanwas　observable　in　other　children　of　bright　faculties；　except　as　Pearl；in　the　dearth　of　human　playmates；　was　thrown　more　upon　the　visionarythrong　which　she　created。　The　singularity　lay　in　the　hostilefeelings　with　which　the　child　regarded　all　these　offspring　of　herown　heart　and　mind。　She　never　created　a　friend；　but　seemed　always　tobe　sowing　broadcast　the　dragon's　teeth；　whence　sprung　a　harvest　ofarmed　enemies；　against　whom　she　rushed　to　battle。　It　was　inexpressiblysad…　then　what　depth　of　sorrow　to　a　mother；　who　felt　in　her　ownheart　the　cause！…　to　observe；　in　one　so　young；　this　constantrecognition　of　an　adverse　world；　and　so　fierce　a　training　of　theenergies　that　were　to　make　good　her　cause；　in　the　contest　that　mustensue。　　Gazing　at　Pearl；　Hester　Prynne　often　dropped　her　work　upon　herknees；　and　cried　out　with　an　agony　which　she　would　fain　have　hidden；but　which　made　utterance　for　itself；　betwixt　speech　and　a　groan；　〃OFather　in　heaven…　if　Thou　art　still　my　Father…　what　is　this　beingwhich　I　have　brought　into　the　world！〃　And　Pearl；　overbearing　theejaculation；　or　aware；　through　some　more　subtile　channel；　of　thosethrobs　of　anguish；　would　turn　her　vivid　and　beautiful　little　face　uponher　mother；　smile　with　sprite…like　intelligence；　and　resume　her　play。　　One　peculiarity　of　the　child's　deportment　remains　yet　to　be　told。The　very　first　thing　which　she　had　noticed；　in　her　life；　was…　what？…not　the　mother's　smile；　responding　to　it；　as　other　babies　do；　bythat　faint；　embryo　smile　of　the　little　mouth；　remembered　so　doubtfullyafterwards；　and　with　such　fond　discussion　whether　it　were　indeed　asmile。　By　no　means！　But　that　first　object　of　which　Pearl　seemed　tobee　aware　was…　shall　we　say　it？…　the　scarlet　letter　on　Hester'sbosom！　One　day；　as　her　mother　stooped　over　the　cradle；　the　infant'seyes　had　been　caught　by　the　glimmering　of　the　gold　embroidery　aboutthe　letter；　and；　putting　up　her　little　hand；　she　grasped　at　it；smiling；　not　doubtfully；　but　with　a　decided　gleam；　that　gave　herface　the　look　of　a　much　older　child。　Then；　gasping　for　breath；　didHester　Prynne　clutch　the　fatal　token；　instinctively　endeavouring　totear　it　away；　so　infinite　was　the　torture　inflicted　by　the　intelligenttouch　of　Pearl's　baby　hand。　Again；　as　if　her　mother's　agonised　gesturewere　meant　only　to　make　sport　for　her；　did　little　Pearl　look　intoher　eyes；　and　smile！　From　that　epoch；　except　when　the　child　wasasleep；　Hester　had　never　felt　a　moment's　safety；　not　a　moment's　calmenjoyment　of　her。　Weeks；　it　is　true；　would　sometimes　elapse；　duringwhich　Pearl's　gaze　might　never　once　be　fixed　upon　the　scarletletter；　but　then；　again；　it　would　e　at　unawares；　like　the　stroke　ofsudden　death；　and　always　with　that　peculiar　smile；　and　oddexpression　of　the　eyes。　　Once；　this　freakish；　elvish　cast　came　into　the　child's　eyes；　whileHester　was　looking　at