红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第44章

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form　orscaffold；　black　and　weather…stained　with　the　storm　or　sunshine　ofseven　long　years；　and　foot…worn；　too；　with　the　tread　of　manyculprits　who　had　since　ascended　it；　remained　standing　beneath　thebalcony　of　the　meeting…house。　The　minister　went　up　the　steps。　　It　was　an　obscure　night　of　early　May。　An　unvaried　pall　of　cloudmuffled　the　whole　expanse　of　sky　from　zenith　to　horizon。　If　the　samemultitude　which　had　stood　as　eye…witnesses　while　Hester　Prynnesustained　her　punishment　could　now　have　been　summoned　forth；　theywould　have　discerned　no　face　above　the　platform；　nor　hardly　theoutline　of　a　human　shape；　in　the　dark　grey　of　the　midnight。　But　thetown　was　all　asleep。　There　was　no　peril　of　discovery。　The　ministermight　stand　there；　if　it　so　pleased　him；　until　morning　should　reddenin　the　east；　without　other　risk　than　that　the　dank　and　chill　night…airwould　creep　into　his　frame；　and　stiffen　his　joints　with　rheumatism；and　clog　his　throat　with　catarrh　and　cough；　thereby　defrauding　theexpectant　audience　of　to…morrow's　prayer　and　sermon。　No　eye　couldsee　him；　save　that　ever…wakeful　one　which　had　seen　him　in　hiscloset；　wielding　the　bloody　scourge。　Why；　then；　had　he　e　hither？Was　it　but　the　mockery　of　penitence？　A　mockery；　indeed；　but　in　whichhis　soul　trifled　with　itself！　A　mockery　at　which　angels　blushed　andwept；　while　fiends　rejoiced；　with　jeering　laughter！　He　had　been　drivenhither　by　the　impulse　of　that　Remorse　which　dogged　him　everywhere；　andwhose　own　sister　and　closely　linked　panion　was　that　Cowardice　whichinvariably　drew　him　back；　with　her　tremulous　gripe；　just　when　theother　impulse　had　hurried　him　to　the　verge　of　a　disclosure。　Poor；miserable　man！　what　right　had　infirmity　like　his　to　burden　itself　withcrime？　Crime　is　for　the　iron…nerved；　who　have　their　choice　either　toendure　it；　or；　if　it　press　too　hard；　to　exert　their　fierce　andsavage　strength　for　a　good　purpose；　and　fling　it　off　at　once！　Thisfeeble　and　most　sensitive　of　spirits　could　do　neither；　yet　continuallydid　one　thing　or　another；　which　intertwined；　in　the　sameinextricable　knot；　the　agony　of　heaven…defying　guilt　and　vainrepentance。　　And　thus；　while　standing　on　the　scaffold；　in　this　vain　show　ofexpiation；　Mr。　Dimmesdale　was　overe　with　a　great　horror　of　mind；　asif　the　universe　were　gazing　at　a　scarlet　token　on　his　naked　breast；right　over　his　heart。　On　that　spot；　in　very　truth；　there　was；　andthere　had　long　been；　the　gnawing　and　poisonous　tooth　of　bodily　pain。Without　any　effort　of　his　will；　or　power　to　restrain　himself；　heshrieked　aloud；　an　outcry　that　went　pealing　through　the　night；　and　wasbeaten　back　from　one　house　to　another；　and　reverberated　from　the　hillsin　the　background；　as　if　a　pany　of　devils；　detecting　so　much　miseryand　terror　in　it；　had　made　a　plaything　of　the　sound；　and　were　bandyingit　to　and　fro。　　〃It　is　done！〃　muttered　the　minister；　covering　his　face　with　hishands。　〃The　whole　town　will　awake；　and　hurry　forth；　and　find　me　here！〃　　　But　it　was　not　so。　The　shriek　had　perhaps　sounded　with　a　fargreater　power；　to　his　own　startled　ears；　than　it　actually　possessed。The　town　did　not　awake；　or；　if　it　did；　the　drowsy　slumberers　mistookthe　cry　either　for　something　frightful　in　a　dream；　or　for　the　noise　ofwitches；　whose　voices；　at　that　period；　were　often　heard　to　pass　overthe　settlements　or　lonely　cottages；　as　they　rode　with　Satan　throughthe　air。　The　clergyman；　therefore；　hearing　no　symptoms　of　disturbance；uncovered　his　eyes　and　looked　about　him。　At　one　of　the　chamber…windowsof　Governor　Bellingham's　mansion；　which　stood　at　some　distance；　on　theline　of　another　street；　he　beheld　the　appearance　of　the　old　magistratehimself；　with　a　lamp　in　his　hand；　a　white　night…cap　on　his　head；　and　along　white　gown　enveloping　his　figure。　He　looked　like　a　ghost；evoked　unseasonably　from　the　grave。　The　cry　had　evidently　startledhim。　At　another　window　of　the　same　house；　moreover；　appeared　oldMistress　Hibbins；　the　Governor's　sister；　also　with　a　lamp；　which；　eventhus　far　off；　revealed　the　expression　of　her　sour　and　discontentedface。　She　thrust　forth　her　head　from　the　lattice；　and　looked　anxiouslyupward。　Beyond　the　shadow　of　a　doubt；　this　venerable　witch…lady　hadheard　Mr。　Dimmesdale's　outcry；　and　interpreted　it；　with　itsmultitudinous　echoes　and　reverberations；　as　the　clamour　of　thefiends　and　night…hags；　with　whom　she　was　well　known　to　make　excursionsinto　the　forest。　　Detecting　the　gleam　of　Governor　Bellingham's　lamp；　the　old　ladyquickly　extinguished　her　own；　and　vanished。　Possibly；　she　went　upamong　the　clouds。　The　minister　saw　nothing　further　of　her　motions。　Themagistrate；　after　a　wary　observation　of　the　darkness…　into　which；nevertheless；　he　could　see　but　little　farther　than　he　might　into　amill…stone…　retired　from　the　window。　　The　minister　grew　paratively　calm。　His　eyes；　however；　were　soongreeted　by　a　little；　glimmering　light；　which；　at　first　a　long　way　off；was　approaching　up　the　street。　It　threw　a　gleam　of　recognition　on　herea　post；　and　there　a　garden…fence；　and　here　a　latticed　windowpane；and　there　a　pump；　with　its　full　trough　of　water；　and　here；　again；　anarched　door　of　oak；　with　an　iron　knocker；　and　a　rough　log　for　thedoor…step。　The　Reverend　Mr。　Dimmesdale　noted　all　these　minuteparticulars；　even　while　firmly　convinced　that　the　doom　of　hisexistence　was　stealing　onward；　in　the　footsteps　which　he　now　heard；and　that　the　gleam　of　the　lantern　would　fall　upon　him；　in　a　fewmoments　more；　and　reveal　his　long…hidden　secret。　As　the　light　grewnearer；　he　beheld；　within　its　illuminated　circle；　his　brotherclergyman…　or；　to　speak　more　accurately；　his　professional　father；　aswell　as　highly　valued　friend…　the　Reverend　Mr。　Wilson；　who；　as　Mr。Dimmesdale　now　conjectured；　had　been　praying　at　the　bedside　of　somedying　man。　And　so　he　had。　The　good　old　minister　came　freshly　fromthe　death…chamber　of　Governor　Winthrop；　who　had　passed　from　earth　toheaven　within　that　very　hour。　And　now；　surrounded；　like　the　saint…likepersonages　of　olden　times；　with　a　radiant　halo；　that　glorified　himamid　this　gloomy　night　of　sin…　as　if　the　departed　Governor　had　lefthim　an　inheritance　of　his　glory；　or　as　if　he　had　caught　upon　himselfthe　distant　shine　of　the　celestial　city；　while　looking　thitherwardto　see　the　triumphant　pilgrim　pass　within　its　gates…　now；　in　short