果茶小说网 > 名著电子书 > 红字-the scarlet letter(英文版) >

第44章

红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第44章

小说: 红字-the scarlet letter(英文版) 字数: 每页3500字

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!



med 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 hand on the Hebrew Scriptures; and the otherspread upon his breast。  〃Wele home; reverend sir;〃 said the physician。 〃And how found youthat godly man; the Apostle Eliot? But methinks; dear sir; you lookpale; as if the travel through the wilderness had been too sore foryou。 Will not my aid be requisite to put you in heart and strengthto preach your Election Sermon?〃  〃Nay; I think not so;〃 rejoined the Reverend Mr。 Dimmesdale。 〃Myjourney; and the sight of the holy Apostle yonder; and the free airwhich I have breathed; have done me good; after so long confinement inmy study。 I think to need no more of your drugs; my kind physician;good though they be; and administered by a friendly hand。〃  All this time; Roger Chillingworth was looking at the ministerwith the grave and intent regard of a physician towards his patient。But; in spite of his outward show; the latter was almost convincedof the old man's knowledge; or; at least; his confident suspicion;with respect to his own interview with Hester Prynne。 The physicianknew then; that; in the minister's regard; he was no longer atrusted friend; but his bitterest enemy。 So much being known; it wouldappear natural that a part of it should be expressed。 It issingular; however; how long a time often passes before words embodythings; and with what security two persons; who choose to avoid acertain subject; may approach its very verge; and retire withoutdisturbing it。 Thus; the minister felt no apprehension that RogerChillingworth would touch; in express words; upon the real positionwhich they sustained towards one another。 Yet did the physician; inhis dark way; creep frightfully near the secret。  〃Were it not better;〃 said he; 〃that you use my poor skill to…night?Verily; dear sir; we must take pains to make you strong and vigorousfor this occasion of the Election discourse。 The people look for greatthings from you; apprehending that another year may e about; andfind their pastor gone。〃  〃Yea; to another world;〃 replied the minister; with piousresignation。 〃Heaven grant it be a better one; for; in good sooth; Ihardly think to tarry with my flock through the flitting seasons ofanother year! But; touching your medicine; kind sir; in my presentframe of body; I need it not。〃  〃I joy to hear it;〃 answered the physician。 〃It may be that myremedies; so long administered in vain; begin now to take dueeffect。 Happy man were I; and well deserving of New England'sgratitude; could I achieve this cure!〃  〃I thank you from my heart; most watchful friend;〃 said the ReverendMr。 Dimmesdale; with a solemn smile。 〃I thank you; and can but requiteyour good deeds with my prayers。〃  〃A good man's prayers are golden repense!〃 rejoined old RogerChillingworth; as he took his leave。 〃Yea; they are the current goldcoin of the New Jerusalem; with the King's own mint; mark on them!〃  Left alone; the minister summoned a servant of the house; andrequested food; which; being set before him; he ate with ravenousappetite。 Then; flinging the already written pages of the ElectionSermon into the fire; he forthwith began another; which he wrotewith such an impulsive flow of thought and emotion; that he fanciedhimself inspired; and only wondered that Heaven should see fit totransmit the grand and solemn music of its oracles through so foulan organ…pipe as he。 However; leaving that mystery to solve itself; orgo unsolved for ever; he drove his task onward; with earnest haste andecstasy。 Thus the night fled away; as if it were winged steed; andhe careering on it; morning came; and peeped; blushing; through thecurtains; and at last sunrise threw a golden beam into the study andlaid it right across the minister's bedazzled eyes。 There he was; withthe pen still between his fingers; and a vast immeasurable tract ofwritten space behind him!                             XXI。                   THE NEW ENGLAND HOLIDAY。  BETIMES in the morning of the day on which the new Governor was toreceive his office at the hands of the people; Hester Prynne andlittle Pearl came into the market…place。 It was already throngedwith the craftsmen and oth

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的