红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第32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！


　　　　　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　external　toherself；　Hester　saw…　or　seemed　to　see…　that　there　lay　aresponsibility　upon　her；　in　reference　to　the　clergyman；　which　she　owedto　no　other；　nor　to　the　whole　world　besides。　The　links　that　united　herto　the　rest　of　human　kind…　links　of　flowers；　or　silk；　or　gold；　orwhatever　the　material…　had　all　been　broken。　Here　was　the　iron　linkof　mutual　crime；　which　neither　he　nor　she　could　break。　Like　allother　ties；　it　brought　along　with　it　its　obligations。　　Hester　Prynne　did　not　now　occupy　precisely　the　same　position　inwhich　we　beheld　her　during　the　earlier　periods　of　her　ignominy。Years　had　e　and　gone。　Pearl　was　now　seven　years　old。　Her　mother；with　the　scarlet　letter　on　her　breast；　glittering　in　its　fantasticembroidery；　had　long　been　a　familiar　object　to　the　townspeople。　Asis　apt　to　be　the　case　when　a　person　stands　out　in　any　prominencebefore　the　munity；　and；　at　the　same　time；　interferes　neither　withpublic　nor　individual　interests　and　convenience；　a　species　ofgeneral　regard　had　ultimately　grown　up　in　reference　to　HesterPrynne。　It　is　to　the　credit　of　human　nature；　that；　except　where　itsselfishness　is　brought　into　play；　it　loves　more　readily　than　it　hates。Hatred；　by　a　gradual　and　quiet　process；　will　even　be　transformed　tolove；　unless　the　change　be　impeded　by　a　continually　new　irritationof　the　original　feeling　of　hostility。　In　this　matter　of　Hester　Prynne；there　was　neither　irritation　nor　irksomeness。　She　never　battled　withthe　public；　but　submitted；　unplainingly；　to　its　worst　usage；　shemade　no　claim　upon　it；　in　requital　for　what　she　suffered；　she　didnot　weigh　upon　its　sympathies。　Then；　also；　the　blameless　purity　of　herlife　during　all　these　years　in　which　she　had　been　set　apart　to　infamy；was　reckoned　largely　in　her　favour。　With　nothing　now　to　lose；　in　thesight　of　mankind；　and　with　no　hope；　and　seemingly　no　wish；　ofgaining　anything；　it　could　only　be　a　genuine　regard　for　virtue　thathad　brought　back　the　poor　wanderer　to　its　paths。　　It　was　perceived；　too；　that　while　Hester　never　put　forward　eventhe　humblest　title　to　share　in　the　world's　privileges…　further　than　tobreathe　the　mon　air；　and　earn　daily　bread　for　little　Pearl　andherself　by　the　faithful　labour　of　her　hands…　she　was　quick　toacknowledge　her　sisterhood　with　the　race　of　man；　whenever　benefitswere　to　be　conferred。　None　so　ready　as　she　to　give　of　her　littlesubstance　to　every　demand　of　poverty；　even　though　the　bitter…heartedpauper　threw　back　a　gibe　in　requital　of　the　food　brought　regularlyto　his　door；　or　the　garments　wrought　for　him　by　the　fingers　that　couldhave　embroidered　a　monarch's　robe。　None　so　self…devoted　as　Hester；when　pestilence　stalked　through　the　town。　In　all　seasons　ofcalamity；　indeed；　whether　general　or　of　individuals；　the　outcast　ofsociety　at　once　found　her　place。　She　came；　not　as　a　guest；　but　as　arightful　inmate　into　the　household　that　was　darkened　by　trouble；　as　ifits　gloomy　twilight　were　a　medium　in　which　she　was　entitled　to　holdintercourse　with　her　fellow…creatures。　There　glimmered　the　embroideredletter；　with　fort　in　its　unearthly　ray。　Elsewhere　the　token　of　sin；it　was　the　taper　of　the　sick…chamber。　It　had　even　thrown　its　gleam；　inthe　sufferer's　hard　extremity；　across　the　verge　of　time。　It　hadshown　him　where　to　set　his　foot；　while　the　light　of　earth　was　fastbeing　dim；　and　ere　the　light　of　futurity　could　reach　him。　In　suchemergencies；　Hester's　nature　showed　itself　warm　and　rich；　awell…spring　of　human　tenderness；　unfailing　to　every　real　demand；　andinexhaustible　by　the　largest。　Her　breast；　with　its　badge　of　shame；　wasbut　the　softer　pillow　for　the　head　that　needed　one。　She　wasself…ordained　a　Sister　of　Mercy；　or；　we　may　rather　say；　the　world'sheavy　hand　had　so　ordained　her；　when　neither　the　world　nor　shelooked　forward　to　this　result。　The　letter　was　the　symbol　of　hercalling。　Such　helpfulness　was　found　in　her…　so　much　power　to　do；　andpower　to　sympathise…　that　many　people　refused　to　interpret　the　scarletA　by　its　original　signification。　They　said　that　it　meant　Able；　sostrong　was　Hester　Prynne；　with　a　woman's　strength。　　It　was　only　the　darkened　house　that　could　contain　her。　When　sunshinecame　again；　she　was　not　there。　Her　shadow　had　faded　across　thethreshold。　The　helpful　inmate　had　departed；　without　one　backwardglance　to　gather　up　the　meed　of　gratitude；　if　any　were　in　the　heartsof　those　whom　she　had　served　so　zealously。　Meeting　them　in　the　street；she　never　raised　her　head　to　receive　their　greeting。　If　they　wereresolute　to　accost　her；　she　laid　her　finger　on　the　scarlet　letterand　passed　on。　This　might　be　pride；　but　was　so　like　humility；　thatit　produced　all　the　softening　influence　of　the　latter　quality　on　thepublic　mind。　The　public　is　despotic　in　its　temper；　it　is　capable　ofdenying　mon　justice；　when　too　strenuously　demanded　as　a　right；but　quite　as　frequently　it　awards　more　than　justice　when　the　appeal　ismade；　as　despots　love　to　have　it　made；　entirely　to　its　generosity。Interpreting　Hester　Prynne's　deportment　as　an　appeal　of　this　nature；society　was　inclined　to　show　its　former　victim　a　more　benigncountenance　than　she　cared　to　be　favoured　with；　or；　perchance；　thanshe　deserved。　　The　rulers；　and　the　wise　and　learned　men　of　the　munity；　werelonger　in　acknowledging　the　influence　of　Hester's　good　qualitiesthan　the　people。　The　prejudices　which　they　shared　in　mon　with　thelatter　were　fortified　in　themselves　by　an　iron　framework　of　reasoning；that　made　it　a　far　tougher　labour　to　expel　them。　Day　by　day；nevertheless；　their　sour　and　rigid　wrinkles　were　relaxing　intosomething　which；　in　the　due　course　of　years；　might　grow　to　be　anexpression　of　almost　benevolence。　Thus　it　was　with　the　men　of　rank；　onwhom　their　eminent　position　imposed　the　guardianship　of　the　publicmorals。　Individuals　in　private　life；　meanwhile；　had　quite　forgivenHester　Prynne　for　her　frailty；　nay；　more；　they　had　begun　to　lookupon　the　scarlet　letter　as　the　token；　not　of　that　one　sin；　for　whichshe　had　borne　so　long　and　dreary　a　penance；　but　of　her　many　good　deedssince。　〃Do　you　see　that　woman　with　the　embroidered　badge？〃　theywould　say　to　strangers。　〃It　is　our　Hester…　the　town's　own　Hester…who　is　so　kind　to　the　poor；　so　helpful　to　the　sick；　so　fortableto　the　afflicted！〃　Then；　it　is　true；　the　propensity　of　human　nature　totell　the　very　worst　of　itself；　when　embodied　in　the　person　of　another；would　constrain　them　to　whisper　the　black　scandal　of　bygone　years。It　was　none　the　less　a　fact；　however；　that；　in　the　eyes　of　the　verymen　who　spoke　thus；　the　scarlet　letter　had　the　effect　of　the　crosson　a　nun's　bosom。　It　imparted　to　the　wearer　a　kind　of　sacredness；which　enabled　her　to　walk　securely　amid　all　peril。　Had　she　fallenamong　thieves；　it　would　have　kept　her　safe。　It　was　reported；　andbelieved　by　many；　that　an　Indian　had　drawn　his　arrow　against　thebadge；　and　that　the　missile　struck　it；　but　fell　harmless　to　theground。　　The　effect　of　the　symbol…　or；　rather；　of　the　position　in　respectto　society　that　was　indicated　by　it…　on　the　mind　of　Hester　Prynneherself；　was　powerful　and　peculiar。　All　the　light　and　graceful　foliageof　her　character　had　been　withered　up　by　this　red…hot　brand；　and　hadlong　ago　fallen　away；　leaving　a　bare　and　harsh　outline；　which　mighthave　been　repulsive；　had　she　possessed　friends　or　panions　to　berepelled　by　it。　Even　the　attractiveness　of　her　person　had　undergonea　similar　change。　It　might　be　partly　owing　to　the　studied　austerity　ofher　dress；　and　partly　to　the　lack　of　demonstration　in　her　manners。It　was　a　sad　transformation；　too；　that　her　rich　and　luxuriant　hair　hadeither　been　cut　off；　or　was　so　pletely　hidden　by　a　cap；　that　nota　shining　lock　of　it　ever　once　gushed　into　the　sunshine。　It　was　due　inpart　to　all　these　causes；　but　still　more　to　something　else；　that　thereseemed　to　be　no　longer　anything　in　Hester's　face　for　Love　to　dwellupon；　nothing　in　Hester's　form；　though　majestic　and　statue…like；that　Passion　would　ever　dream　of　clasping　in　its　embrace；　nothing　inHester's　bosom；　to　make　it　ever　again　the　pillow　of　Affection。　Someattribute　had　departed　from　her；　the　permanence　of　which　had　beenessential　to　keep　her　a　woman。　Such　is　frequently　the　fate；　and　suchthe　stern　development；　of　the　feminine　character　and　person；　whenthe　woman　has　encountered；　and　lived