红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第18章

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ports；　childish　quarrels；　and　the　little　domestic　traits　of　hermaiden　years；　came　swarming　back　upon　her；　intermingled　withrecollections　of　whatever　was　gravest　in　her　subsequent　life；　onepicture　precisely　as　vivid　as　another；　as　if　all　were　of　similarimportance；　or　all　alike　a　play。　Possibly；　it　was　an　instinctivedevice　of　her　spirit；　to　relieve　itself；　by　the　exhibition　of　thesephantasmagoric　forms；　from　the　cruel　weight　and　hardness　of　thereality。　　Be　that　as　it　might；　the　scaffold　of　the　pillory　was　a　point　of　viewthat　revealed　to　Hester　Prynne　the　entire　track　along　which　she　hadbeen　treading；　since　her　happy　infancy。　Standing　on　that　miserableeminence；　she　saw　her　native　village；　in　old　England；　and　her　paternalhome；　a　decayed　house　of　grey　stone；　with　a　poverty…stricken　aspect；but　retaining　a　half…obliterated　shield　of　arms　over　the　portal；　intoken　of　antique　gentility。　She　saw　her　father's　face；　with　its　baldbrow；　and　reverend　white　beard；　that　flowed　over　the　old…fashionedElizabethan　ruff；　her　mother's；　too；　with　the　look　of　heedful　andanxious　love　which　it　always　wore　in　her　remembrance；　and　which；even　since　her　death；　had　so　often　laid　the　impediment　of　a　gentleremonstrance　in　her　daughter's　pathway。　She　saw　her　own　face；glowing　with　girlish　beauty；　and　illuminating　all　the　interior　ofthe　dusky　mirror　in　which　she　had　been　wont　to　gaze　at　it。　There　shebeheld　another　countenance；　of　a　man　well　stricken　in　years；　a　pale；thin；　scholar…like　visage；　with　eyes　dim　and　bleared　by　thelamplight　that　had　served　them　to　pore　over　many　ponderous　books。Yet　those　same　bleared　optics　had　a　strange；　perating　power；　whenit　was　their　owner's　purpose　to　read　the　human　soul。　This　figure　ofthe　study　and　the　cloister；　as　Hester　Prynne's　womanly　fancy　failednot　to　recall；　was　slightly　deformed；　with　the　left　shoulder　atrifle　higher　than　the　right。　Next　rose　before　her；　in　memory'spicture…gallery；　the　intricate　and　narrow　thoroughfares；　the　tall　greyhouses；　the　huge　cathedrals；　and　the　public　edifices；　ancient　indate　and　quaint　in　architecture；　of　a　Continental　city；　where　a　newlife　had　awaited　her；　still　in　connection　with　the　misshapenscholar；　a　new　life；　but　feeding　itself　on　time…worn　materials；　like　atuft　of　green　moss　on　a　crumbling　wall。　Lastly；　in　lieu　of　theseshifting　scenes；　came　back　the　rude　market…place　of　the　Puritansettlement；　with　all　the　townspeople　assembled　and　levelling　theirstern　regards　at　Hester　Prynne…　yes；　at　herself…　who　stood　on　thescaffold　of　the　pillory；　an　infant　on　her　arm；　and　the　letter　A；　inscarlet；　fantastically　embroidered　with　gold　thread；　upon　her　bosom！　　Could　it　be　true？　She　clutched　the　child　so　fiercely　to　herbreast；　that　it　sent　forth　a　cry；　she　turned　her　eyes　downward　atthe　scarlet　letter；　and　even　touched　it　with　her　finger；　to　assureherself　that　the　infant　and　the　shame　were　real。　Yes！…　these　wereher　realities…　all　else　had　vanished！　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　III。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　RECOGNITION。　　FROM　this　intense　consciousness　of　being　the　object　of　severe　anduniversal　observation；　the　wearer　of　the　scarlet　letter　was　atlength　relieved；　by　discerning；　on　the　outskirts　of　the　crowd；　afigure　which　irresistibly　took　possession　of　her　thoughts。　AnIndian；　in　his　native　garb；　was　standing　there；　but　the　red　men　werenot　so　infrequent　visitors　of　the　English　settlements；　that　one　ofthem　would　have　attracted　any　notice　from　Hester　Prynne；　at　such　atime；　much　less　would　he　have　excluded　all　other　objects　and　ideasfrom　her　mind。　By　the　Indian's　side；　and　evidently　sustaining　apanionship　with　him；　stood　a　white　man；　clad　in　a　strangedisarray　of　civilised　and　savage　costume。　　He　was　small　in　stature；　with　a　furrowed　visage；　which；　as　yet；could　hardly　be　termed　aged。　There　was　a　remarkable　intelligence　inhis　features；　as　of　a　person　who　had　so　cultivated　his　mental　partthat　it　could　not　fail　to　mould　the　physical　to　itself；　and　beemanifest　by　unmistakable　tokens。　Although；　by　a　seemingly　carelessarrangement　of　his　heterogeneous　garb；　he　had　endeavoured　to　concealor　abate　the　peculiarity；　it　was　sufficiently　evident　to　HesterPrynne；　that　one　of　this　man's　shoulders　rose　higher　than　the　other。Again；　at　the　first　instant　of　perceiving　that　thin　visage；　and　theslight　deformity　of　the　figure；　she　pressed　her　infant　to　her　bosomwith　so　convulsive　a　force　that　the　poor　babe　uttered　another　cry　ofpain。　But　the　mother　did　not　seem　to　hear　it。　　At　his　arrival　in　the　market…place；　and　some　time　before　she　sawhim；　the　stranger　had　bent　his　eyes　on　Hester　Prynne。　It　wascarelessly；　at　first；　like　a　man　chiefly　accustomed　to　look　inward；and　to　whom　external　matters　are　of　little　value　and　import；　unlessthey　bear　relation　to　something　within　his　mind。　Very　soon；　however；his　look　became　keen　and　perative。　A　writhing　horror　twisted　itselfacross　his　features；　like　a　snake　gliding　swiftly　over　them；　andmaking　one　little　pause；　with　all　its　wreathed　intervolutions；　in　opensight。　His　face　darkened　with　some　powerful　emotion；　which；nevertheless；　he　so　instantaneously　controlled　by　an　effort　of　hiswill；　that；　save　at　a　single　moment；　its　expression　might　havepassed　for　calmness。　After　a　brief　space；　the　convulsion　grew　almostimperceptible；　and　finally　subsided　into　the　depths　of　his　nature。When　he　found　the　eyes　of　Hester　Prynne　fastened　on　his　own；　and　sawthat　she　appeared　to　recognise　him；　he　slowly　and　calmly　raised　hisfinger；　made　a　gesture　with　it　in　the　air；　and　laid　it　on　his　lips。　　Then；　touching　the　shoulder　of　a　townsman　who　stood　next　to　him；he　addressed　him；　in　a　formal　and　courteous　manner。　　〃I　pray　you；　good　sir；〃　said　he；　〃who　is　this　woman？…　andwherefore　is　she　here　set　up　to　public　shame？〃　　〃You　must　needs　be　a　stranger　in　this　region；　friend；〃　answeredthe　townsman；　looking　curiously　at　the　questioner　and　his　savagepanion；　〃else　you　would　surely　have　heard　of　Mistress　HesterPrynne；　and　her　evil　doings。　She　hath　raised　a　great　scandal；　Ipromise　you；　in　godly　Master　Dimmesdale's　church。〃　　〃You　say　truly；〃　replied　the　other。　〃I　am　a　stranger；　and　havebeen　a　wanderer；　sorely　against　my　will。　I　have　met　with　grievousmishaps　by　sea　and　land；　and　have　been　long　held　in　bonds　among　theheathen　folk；　to　the　southw