红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第11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！


west　of　his　masters。　With　his　own　ghostly　hand；　the　obscurelyseen　but　majestic　figure　had　imparted　to　me　the　scarlet　symbol；　andthe　little　roll　of　explanatory　manuscript。　With　his　own　ghostly　voice；he　had　exhorted　me；　on　the　sacred　consideration　of　my　filial　dutyand　reverence　towards　him…　who　might　reasonably　regard　himself　as　myofficial　ancestor…　to　bring　his　mouldy　and　moth…eaten　lucubrationsbefore　the　public。　〃Do　this；〃　said　the　ghost　of　Mr。　Surveyor　Pue；emphatically　nodding　the　head　that　looked　so　imposing　within　itsmemorable　wig；　〃do　this；　and　the　profit　shall　be　all　your　own！　Youwill　shortly　need　it；　for　it　is　not　in　your　days　as　it　was　in　mine；when　a　man's　office　was　a　life…lease；　and　oftentimes　an　heirloom。　But；I　charge　you；　in　this　matter　of　old　Mistress　Prynne；　give　to　yourpredecessor's　memory　the　credit　which　will　be　rightfully　due！〃　And　Isaid　to　the　ghost　of　Mr。　Surveyor　Pue；　〃I　will！〃　　On　Hester　Prynne's　story；　therefore；　I　bestowed　much　thought。　It　wasthe　subject　of　my　meditations　for　many　an　hour；　while　pacing　to　andfro　across　my　room；　or　traversing；　with　a　hundred…fold　repetition；　thelong　extent　from　the　front…door　of　the　Custom…House　to　theside…entrance；　and　back　again。　Great　were　the　weariness　andannoyance　of　the　old　Inspector　and　the　Weighers　and　Gaugers；　whoseslumbers　were　disturbed　by　the　unmercifully　lengthened　tramp　of　mypassing　and　returning　footsteps。　Remembering　their　own　formerhabits；　they　used　to　say　that　the　Surveyor　was　walking　thequarter…deck。　They　probably　fancied　that　my　sole　object…　and；indeed；　the　sole　object　for　which　a　sane　man　could　ever　put　himselfinto　voluntary　motion…　was；　to　get　an　appetite　for　dinner。　And　tosay　the　truth；　an　appetite；　sharpened　by　the　east　wind　thatgenerally　blew　along　the　passage；　was　the　only　valuable　result　ofso　much　indefatigable　exercise。　So　little　adapted　is　the　atmosphere　ofa　Custom…House　to　the　delicate　harvest　of　fancy　and　sensibility；　that；had　I　remained　there　through　ten　Presidencies　yet　to　e；　I　doubtwhether　the　tale　of　〃The　Scarlet　Letter〃　would　ever　have　beenbrought　before　the　public　eye。　My　imagination　was　a　tarnishedmirror。　It　would　not　reflect；　or　only　with　miserable　dimness；　thefigures　with　which　I　did　my　best　to　people　it。　The　characters　of　thenarrative　would　not　be　warmed　and　rendered　malleable　by　any　heatthat　I　could　kindle　at　my　intellectual　forge。　They　would　takeneither　the　glow　of　passion　nor　the　tenderness　of　sentiment；　butretained　all　the　rigidity　of　dead　corpses；　and　stared　me　in　the　facewith　a　fixed　and　ghastly　grin　of　contemptuous　defiance。　〃What　have　youto　do　with　us？〃　that　expression　seemed　to　say。　〃The　little　power　youmight　once　have　possessed　over　the　tribe　of　unrealities　is　gone！　Youhave　bartered　it　for　a　pittance　of　the　public　gold。　Go；　then；　and　earnyour　wages！〃　In　short；　the　almost　torpid　creatures　of　my　own　fancytwitted　me　with　imbecility；　and　not　without　fair　occasion。　　It　was　not　merely　during　the　three　hours　and　a　half　which　UncleSam　claimed　as　his　share　of　my　daily　life；　that　this　wretched　numbnessheld　possession　of　me。　It　went　with　me　on　my　sea…shore　walks；　andrambles　into　the　country；　whenever…　which　was　seldom　andreluctantly…　I　bestirred　myself　to　seek　that　invigorating　charm　ofNature；　which　used　to　give　me　such　freshness　and　activity　ofthought；　the　moment　that　I　stepped　across　the　threshold　of　the　OldManse。　The　same　torpor；　as　regarded　the　capacity　for　intellectualeffort；　acpanied　me　home；　and　weighed　upon　me　in　the　chamberwhich　I　most　absurdly　termed　my　study。　Nor　did　it　quit　me；　when；late　at　night；　I　sat　in　the　deserted　parlour；　lighted　only　by　theglimmering　coal…fire　and　the　moon；　striving　to　picture　forth　imaginaryscenes；　which；　the　next　day；　might　flow　out　on　the　brightening　page　inmany…hued　description。　　If　the　imaginative　faculty　refused　to　act　at　such　an　hour；　itmight　well　be　deemed　a　hopeless　case。　Moonlight；　in　a　familiar　room；falling　so　white　upon　the　carpet；　and　showing　all　its　figures　sodistinctly…　making　every　object　so　minutely　visible；　yet　so　unlike　amorning　or　noontide　visibility…　is　a　medium　the　most　suitable　for　aromance…writer　to　get　acquainted　with　his　illusive　guests。　There　isthe　little　domestic　scenery　of　the　well…known　apartment；　the　chairs；with　each　its　separate　individuality；　the　centre…table；　sustaining　aworkbasket；　a　volume　or　two；　and　an　extinguished　lamp；　the　sofa；　thebookcase；　the　picture　on　the　wall…　all　these　details；　so　pletelyseen；　are　so　spiritualised　by　the　unusual　light；　that　they　seem　tolose　their　actual　substance；　and　bee　things　of　intellect。　Nothingis　too　small　or　too　trifling　to　undergo　this　change；　and　acquiredignity　thereby。　A　child's　shoe；　the　doll；　seated　in　her　little　wickercarriage；　the　hobby…horse…　whatever；　in　a　word；　has　been　used　orplayed　with；　during　the　day；　is　now　invested　with　a　quality　ofstrangeness　and　remoteness；　though　still　almost　as　vividly　present　asby　daylight。　Thus；　therefore；　the　floor　of　our　familiar　room　hasbee　a　neutral　territory；　somewhere　between　the　real　world　andfairyland；　where　the　Actual　and　the　Imaginary　may　meet；　and　each　imbueitself　with　the　nature　of　the　other。　Ghosts　might　enter　here　withoutaffrighting　us。　It　would　be　too　much　in　keeping　with　the　scene　toexcite　surprise；　were　we　to　look　about　us　and　discover　a　form；beloved；　but　gone　hence；　now　sitting　quietly　in　a　streak　of　this　magicmoonshine；　with　an　aspect　that　would　make　us　doubt　whether　it　hadreturned　from　afar；　or　had　never　once　stirred　from　our　fireside。　　The　somewhat　dim　coal…fire　has　an　essential　influence　in　producingthe　effect　which　I　would　describe。　It　throws　its　unobtrusive　tingethroughout　the　room；　with　a　faint　ruddiness　upon　the　walls　andceiling；　and　a　reflected　gleam　from　the　polish　of　the　furniture。This　warmer　light　mingles　itself　with　the　cold　spirituality　of　themoonbeams；　and　municates；　as　it　were；　a　heart　and　sensibilitiesof　human　tenderness　to　the　forms　which　fancy　summons　up。　It　convertsthem　from　snow…images　into　men　and　women。　Glancing　at　thelooking…glass；　we　behold…　deep　within　its　haunted　verge…　thesmouldering　glow　of　the　half…extinguished　anthracite；　the　whitemoonbeams　on　the　floor；　and　a　repetition　of　all　the　gleam　and　shadowof　the　picture；　with　one　remove　farther　from