波波小说

第35部分（第1页）

；　would　whisper　long　of　what　had　passed　there；and　no　mortal　be　the　wiser。　And　the　melancholy　brook　would　add　thisother　tale　to　the　mystery　with　which　its　little　heart　was　alreadyoverburdened；　and　whereof　it　still　kept　up　a　murmuring　babble；　withnot　a　whit　more　cheerfulness　of　tone　than　for　ages　heretofore。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XX。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　MINISTER　IN　A　MAZE。　　AS　the　minister　departed；　in　advance　of　Hester　Prynne　and　littlePearl；　he　threw　a　backward　glance；　half　expecting　that　he　shoulddiscover　only　some　faintly　traced　features　or　outline　of　the　motherand　the　child；　slowly　fading　into　the　twilight　of　the　woods。　Sogreat　a　vicissitude　in　his　life　could　not　at　once　be　received　as　real。But　there　was　Hester；　clad　in　her　grey　robe；　still　standing　beside　thetree…trunk；　which　some　blast　had　overthrown　a　long　antiquity　ago；and　which　time　had　ever　since　been　covering　with　moss；　so　that　thesetwo　fated　ones；　with　earths　heaviest　burden　on　them；　might　theresit　down　together；　and　find　a　single　hours　rest　and　solace。　And　therewas　Pearl；　too；　lightly　dancing　from　the　margin　of　the　brook…　now　thatthe　intrusive　third　person　was　gone…　and　taking　her　old　place　by　hermothers　side。　So　the　minister　had　not　fallen　asleep；　and　dreamed！　　In　order　to　free　his　mind　from　this　indistinctness　and　duplicityof　impression；　which　vexed　it　with　a　strange　disquietude；　herecalled　and　more　thoroughly　defined　the　plans　which　Hester　andhimself　had　sketched　for　their　departure。　It　had　been　determinedbetween　them；　that　the　Old　World；　with　its　crowds　and　cities；offered　them　a　more　eligible　shelter　and　concealment　than　the　wilds　ofNew　England；　or　all　America；　with　its　alternatives　of　an　Indianwigwam；　or　the　few　settlements　of　Europeans；　scattered　thinly　alongthe　seaboard。　Not　to　speak　of　the　clergymans　health；　so　inadequate　tosustain　the　hardships　of　a　forest　life；　his　native　gifts；　his　culture；and　his　entire　development；　would　secure　him　a　home　only　in　themidst　of　civilisation　and　refinement；　the　higher　the　state；　the　moredelicately　adapted　to　it　the　man。　In　furtherance　of　this　choice；　it　sohappened　that　a　ship　lay　in　the　harbour；　one　of　those　questionablecruisers；　frequent　at　that　day；　which；　without　being　absolutelyoutlaws　of　the　deep；　yet　roamed　over　its　surface　with　a　remarkableirresponsibility　of　character。　This　vessel　had　recently　arrived　fromthe　Spanish　Main；　and；　within　three　days　time；　would　sail　forBristol。　Hester　Prynne…　whose　vocation；　as　a　self…enlisted　Sister　ofCharity；　had　brought　her　acquainted　with　the　captain　and　crew…　couldtake　upon　herself　to　secure　the　passage　of　two　individuals　and　achild；　with　all　the　secrecy　which　circumstances　rendered　more　thandesirable。　　The　minister　had　inquired　of　Hester；　with　no　little　interest；　theprecise　time　at　which　the　vessel　might　be　expected　to　depart。　It　wouldprobably　be　on　the　fourth　day　from　the　present。　〃That　is　mostfortunate！〃　he　had　then　said　to　himself。　Now；　why　the　Reverend　Mr。Dimmesdale　considered　it　so　very　fortunate；　we　hesitate　to　reveal。Nevertheless…　to　hold　nothing　back　from　the　reader…　it　was　because；　onthe　third　day　from　the　present；　he　was　to　preach　the　ElectionSermon；　and；　as　such　an　occasion　formed　an　honourable　epoch　in　thelife　of　a　New　England　clergyman；　he　could　not　have　chanced　upon　a　moresuitable　mode　and　time　of　terminating　his　professional　career。　〃Atleast；　they　shall　say　of　me；〃　thought　this　exemplary　man；　〃that　Ileave　no　public　duty　unperformed；　nor　ill　performed！〃　Sad；　indeed；that　an　introspection　so　profound　and　acute　as　this　poor　ministersshould　be　so　miserably　deceived！　We　have　had；　and　may　still　have；worse　things　to　tell　of　him；　but　none；　we　apprehend；　so　pitiably　weak；no　evidence；　at　once　so　slight　and　irrefragable；　of　a　subtledisease；　that　had　long　since　begun　to　eat　into　the　real　substance　ofhis　character。　No　man；　for　any　considerable　period；　can　wear　oneface　to　himself　and　another　to　the　multitude；　without　finallygetting　bewildered　as　to　which　may　be　the　true。　　The　excitement　of　Mr。　Dimmesdales　feelings；　as　he　returned　from　hisinterview　with　Hester；　lent　him　unaccustomed　physical　energy；　andhurried　him　townward　at　a　rapid　pace。　The　pathway　among　the　woodsseemed　wilder；　more　uncouth　with　its　rude　natural　obstacles　and　lesstrodden　by　the　foot　of　man　than　he　remembered　it　on　his　outwardjourney。　But　he　leaped　across　the　plashy　places；　thrust　himselfthrough　the　clinging　underbrush；　climbed　the　ascent；　plunged　intothe　hollow；　and　overcame；　in　short；　all　the　difficulties　of　the　track；with　an　unweariable　activity　that　astonished　him。　He　could　not　butrecall　how　feebly；　and　with　what　frequent　pauses　for　breath；　he　hadtoiled　over　the　same　ground；　only　two　days　before。　As　he　drew　near　thetown；　he　took　an　impression　of　change　from　the　series　of　familiarobjects　that　presented　themselves。　It　seemed　not　yesterday；　not　one；nor　two；　but　many　days；　or　even　years　ago；　since　he　had　quittedthem。　There；　indeed；　was　each　former　trace　of　the　street；　as　heremembered　it；　and　all　the　peculiarities　of　the　houses；　with　the　duemultitude　of　gable…peaks；　and　a　weather…cock　at　every　point　wherehis　memory　suggested　one。　Not　the　less；　however；　came　thisimportunately　obtrusive　sense　of　change。　The　same　was　true　as　regardedthe　acquaintances　whom　he　met；　and　all　the　well…known　shapes　ofhuman　life；　about　the　little　town。　They　looked　neither　older　noryounger　now；　the　beards　of　the　aged　were　no　whiter；　nor　could　thecreeping　babe　of　yesterday　walk　on　his　feet　to…day；　it　wasimpossible　to　describe　in　what　respect　they　differed　from　theindividuals　on　whom　he　had　so　recently　bestowed　a　parting　glance；and　yet　the　ministers　deepest　sense　seemed　to　inform　him　of　theirmutability。　A　similar　impression　struck　him　most　remarkably；　as　hepassed　under　the　walls　of　his　own　church。　The　edifice　had　so　verystrange；　and　yet　so　familiar；　an　aspect；　that　Mr。　Dimmesdales　mindvibrated　between　two　ideas；　either　that　he　had　seen　it　only　in　a　dreamhitherto；　or　that　he　was　merely　dreaming　about　it　now。　　This　phenomenon；　in　the　various　shapes　which　it　assumed；　indicatedno　external　change；　but　so　sudden　and　important　a　change　in　thespectator　of　the　familiar　scene；　that　the　intervening　space　of　asingle　day　had　operated　on　his　consciousness　like　the　lapse　ofyears。　The　ministers　own　will；　and　Hesters　will；　and　the　fate　thatgrew　between　them；　had　wrought　this　transformation。　It　was　the　sametown　as　heretofore；　but　the　same　minister　returned　not　from　theforest。　He　might　have　said　to　the　friends　who　greeted　him；　〃I　am　notthe　man　for　whom　you　take　me！　I　left　him　yonder　in　the　forest；withdrawn　into　a　secret　dell；　by　a　mossy　tree…trunk；　and　near　amelancholy　brook！　Go；　seek　your　minister；　and　see　if　his　emaciatedfigure；　his　thin　cheek；　his　white；　heavy；　pain…wrinkled　brow；　be　notflung　down　there；　like　a　cast…off　garment！〃　His　friends；　no　doubt；would　still　have　insisted　with　him…　〃Thou　art　thyself　the　man！〃…　butthe　error　would　have　been　their　own；　not　his。　　Before　Mr。　Dimmesdale　reached　home；　his　inner　man　gave　him　otherevidences　of　a　revolution　in　the　sphere　of　thought　and　feeling。　Intruth；　nothing　short　of　a　total　change　of　dynasty　and　moral　code；　inthat　interior　kingdom；　was　adequate　to　account　for　the　impulses　nowmunicated　to　the　unfortunate　and　startled　minister。　At　every　stephe　was　incited　to　do　some　strange；　wild；　wicked　thing　or　other；　with　asense　that　it　would　be　at　once　involuntary　and　intentional；　in　spiteof　himself；　yet　growing　out　of　a　profounder　self　than　that　whichopposed　the　impulse。　For　instance；　he　met　one　of　his　own　deacons。The　good　old　man　addressed　him　with　the　paternal　affection　andpatriarchal　privilege；　which　his　venerable　age；　his　upright　and　holycharacter；　and　his　station　in　the　Church；　entitled　him　to　use；　and；conjoined　with　this；　the　deep；　almost　worshipping　respect；　which　theministers　professional　and　private　claims　alike　demanded。　Never　wasthere　a　more　beautiful　example　of　how　the　majesty　of　age　and　wisdommay　port　with　the　obeisance　and　respect　enjoined　upon　it；　as　from　alower　social　rank；　and　inferior　order　of　endowment；　towards　ahigher。　Now；　during　a　conversation　of　some　two　or　three　momentsbetween　the　Reverend　Mr。　Dimmesdale　and　this　excellent　andhoary…bearded　deacon；　it　was　only　by　the　most　careful　self…controlthat　the　former　could　refrain　from　uttering　certain　blasphemoussuggestions　that　rose　into　his　mind；　respecting　themunion…supper。　He　absolutely　trembled　and　turned　pale　as　ashes；lest　his　tongue　should　wag　itself；　in　utterance　of　these　horriblematters；　and　plead　his　own　consent　for　so　doing；　without　his　havingfairly　given　it。　And；　even　with　this　terror　in　his　heart；　he　couldhardly　avoid　laughing；　to　imagine　how　the　sanctified　old　patriarchaldeacon　would　have　been　petrified　by　his　ministers　impiety。　　Again；　another　incident　of　the　same　nature。　Hurrying　along　thestreet；　the　Reverend　Mr。　Dimmesdale　encountered　the　eldest　femalemember　of　his　church；　a　most　pious　and　exemplary　old　dame；　poor；widowed；　lonely；　and　with　a　heart　as　full　of　reminiscences　about　herdead　husband　and　children；　and　her　dead　friends　of　long　ago；　as　aburial…ground　is　full　of　storied　gravestones。　Yet　all　this；　whichwould　else　have　been　such　heavy　sorrow；　was　made　almost　a　solemn　joyto　her　devout　old　soul；　by　religious　consolations　and　the　truths　ofScripture；　wherewith　she　had　fed　herself　continually　for　more　thanthirty　years。　And；　since　Mr。　Dimmesdale　had　taken　her　in　charge；　thegood　grandams　chief　earthly　fort…　which；　unless　it　had　beenlikewise　a　heavenly　fort；　could　have　been　none　at　all…　was　tomeet　her　pastor；　whether　casually；　or　of　set　purpose；　and　be　refreshedwith　a　word　of　warm；　fragrant；　heaven…breathing　Gospel　truth；　from　hisbeloved　lips；　into　her　dulled；　but　rapturously　attentive　ear。　But；on　this　occasion；　up　to　the　moment　of　putting　his　lips　to　the　oldwomans　ear；　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　as　the　great　enemy　of　souls　would　haveit；　could　recall　no　text　of　Scripture；　nor　aught　else；　except　a　brief；pithy；　and；　as　it　then　appeared　to　him；　unanswerable　argumentagainst　the　immortality　of　the　human　soul。　The　instilment　thereof　intoher　mind　would　probably　have　caused　this　aged　sister　to　drop　downdead；　at　once；　as　by　the　effect　of　an　intensely　poisonous　infusion。What　he　really　did　whisper；　the　minister　could　never　afterwardsrecollect。　There　was；　perhaps；　a　fortunate　disorder　in　hisutterance；　which　failed　to　impart　any　distinct　idea　to　the　goodwidows　prehension；　or　which　Providence　interpreted　after　amethod　of　its　own。　Assuredly；　as　the　minister　looked　back；　he　beheldan　expression　of　divine　gratitude　and　ecstasy　that　seemed　like　theshine　of　the　celestial　city　on　her　face；　so　wrinkled　and　ashy　pale。　　Again；　a　third　instance。　After　parting　from　the　old　church…member；he　met　the　youngest　sister　of　them　all。　It　was　a　maiden　newly　won…　andwon　by　the　Reverend　Mr。　Dimmesdales　own　sermon；　on　the　Sabbathafter　his　vigil；　to　barter　the　transitory　pleasures　of　the　world　forthe　heavenly　hope；　that　was　to　assume　brighter　substance　as　lifegrew　dark　around　her；　and　which　would　gild　the　utter　gloom　withfinal　glory。　She　was　fair　and　pure　as　a　lily　that　had　bloomed　inParadise。　The　minister　knew　well　that　he　was　himself　enshrinedwithin　the　stainless　sanctity　of　her　heart；　which　hung　its　snowycurtains　about　his　image；　imparting　to　religion　the　warmth　of　love；and　to　love　a　re

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