红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第67章

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Prynne　andlittle　Pearl　came　into　the　market…place。　It　was　already　throngedwith　the　craftsmen　and　other　plebeian　inhabitants　of　the　town；　inconsiderable　numbers；　among　whom；　likewise；　were　many　rough　figures；whose　attire　of　deer…skins　marked　them　as　belonging　to　some　of　theforest　settlements；　which　surrounded　the　little　metropolis　of　thecolony。　　On　this　public　holiday；　as　on　all　other　occasions；　for　seven　yearspast；　Hester　was　clad　in　a　garment　of　coarse　grey　cloth。　Not　more　byits　hue　than　by　some　indescribable　peculiarity　in　its　fashion；　ithad　the　effect　of　making　her　fade　personally　out　of　sight　and　outline；while；　again；　the　scarlet　letter　brought　her　back　from　this　twilightindistinctness；　and　revealed　her　under　the　moral　aspect　of　its　ownillumination。　Her　face；　so　long　familiar　to　the　townspeople；　showedthe　marble　quietude　which　they　were　accustomed　to　behold　there。　It　waslike　a　mask；　or；　rather；　like　the　frozen　calmness　of　a　dead　woman'sfeatures；　owing　this　dreary　resemblance　to　the　fact　that　Hester　wasactually　dead；　in　respect　to　any　claim　of　sympathy；　and　had　departedout　of　the　world　with　which　she　still　seemed　to　mingle。　　It　might　be；　on　this　one　day；　that　there　was　an　expression　unseenbefore；　nor；　indeed；　vivid　enough　to　be　detected　now；　unless　somepreternaturally　gifted　observer　should　have　first　read　the　heart；and　have　afterwards　sought　a　corresponding　development　in　thecountenance　and　mien。　Such　a　spiritual　seer　might　have　conceived；that；　after　sustaining　the　gaze　of　the　multitude　through　sevenmiserable　years　as　a　necessity；　a　penance；　and　something　which　itwas　a　stern　religion　to　endure；　she　now；　for　one　last　time　more；encountered　it　freely　and　voluntarily；　in　order　to　convert　what　had　solong　been　agony　into　a　kind　of　triumph。　〃Look　your　last　on　the　scarletletter　and　its　wearer！〃…　the　people's　victim　and　life…long　bond…slave；as　they　fancied　her；　might　say　to　them。　〃Yet　a　little　while；　and　shewill　be　beyond　your　reach！　A　few　hours　longer；　and　the　deep；mysterious　ocean　will　quench　and　hide　for　ever　the　symbol　which　yehave　caused　to　burn　upon　her　bosom！〃　Nor　were　it　an　inconsistencytoo　improbable　to　be　assigned　to　human　nature；　should　we　suppose　afeeling　of　regret　in　Hester's　mind；　at　the　moment　when　she　was　aboutto　win　her　freedom　from　the　pain　which　had　been　thus　deeplyincorporated　with　her　being。　Might　there　not　be　an　irresistible　desireto　quaff　a　last；　long；　breathless　draught　of　the　cup　of　wormwood　andaloes；　with　which　nearly　all　her　years　of　womanhood　had　beenperpetually　flavoured？　The　wine　of　life；　henceforth　to　be　presented　toher　lips；　must　be　indeed　rich；　delicious；　and　exhilarating；　in　itschased　and　golden　beaker；　or　else　leave　an　inevitable　and　wearylanguor；　after　the　lees　of　bitterness　wherewith　she　had　beendrugged；　as　with　a　cordial　of　intensest　potency。　　Pearl　was　decked　out　with　airy　gaiety。　It　would　have　been　impossibleto　guess　that　this　bright　and　sunny　apparition　owed　its　existence　tothe　shape　of　gloomy　grey；　or　that　a　fancy；　at　once　so　gorgeous　andso　delicate　as　must　have　been　requisite　to　contrive　the　child'sapparel；　was　the　same　that　had　achieved　a　task　perhaps　more　difficult；in　imparting　so　distinct　a　peculiarity　to　Hester's　simple　robe。　Thedress；　so　proper　was　it　to　little　Pearl；　seemed　an　effluence；　orinevitable　development　and　outward　manifestation　of　her　character；no　more　to　be　separated　from　her　than　the　many…hued　brilliancy　froma　butterfly's　wing；　or　the　painted　glory　from　the　leaf　of　a　brightflower。　As　with　these；　so　with　the　child；　her　garb　was　all　of　one　ideawith　her　nature。　On　this　eventful　day；　moreover；　there　was　a　certainsingular　inquietude　and　excitement　in　her　mood；　resembling　nothingso　much　as　the　shimmer　of　a　diamond；　that　sparkles　and　flashes　withthe　varied　throbbings　of　the　breast　on　which　it　is　displayed。　Childrenhave　always　a　sympathy　in　the　agitations　of　those　connected　with　them；always；　especially；　a　sense　of　any　trouble　or　impending　revolution；　ofwhatever　kind；　in　domestic　circumstances；　and　therefore　Pearl；　who　wasthe　gem　on　her　mother's　unquiet　bosom；　betrayed；　by　the　very　danceof　her　spirits；　the　emotions　which　none　could　detect　in　the　marblepassiveness　of　Hester's　brow。　　This　effervescence　made　her　flit　with　a　birdlike　movement；　ratherthan　walk　by　her　mother's　side。　She　broke　continually　into　shouts　of　awild；　inarticulate；　and　sometimes　piercing　music。　When　they　reachedthe　market…place；　she　became　still　more　restless；　on　perceiving　thestir　and　bustle　that　enlivened　the　spot；　for　it　was　usually　morelike　the　broad　and　lonesome　green　before　a　village　meetinghouse；than　the　centre　of　a　town's　business。　　〃Why；　what　is　this；　mother？〃　cried　she。　〃Wherefore　have　all　thepeople　left　their　work　to…day？　Is　it　a　play…day　for　the　whole　world？See；　there　is　the　blacksmith！　He　has　washed　his　sooty　face；　and　put　onhis　Sabbath…day　clothes；　and　looks　as　if　he　would　gladly　be　merry；if　any　kind　body　would　only　teach　him　how！　And　there　is　MasterBrackett；　the　old　jailer；　nodding　and　smiling　at　me。　Why　does　he　doso；　mother？〃　　〃He　remembers　thee　a　little　babe；　my　child；〃　answered　Hester。　　〃He　should　not　nod　and　smile　at　me　for　all　that…　the　black；　grim；ugly…eyed　old　man！〃　said　Pearl。　〃He　may　nod　at　thee；　if　he　will；　forthou　art　clad　in　grey；　and　wearest　the　scarlet　letter。　But　see；mother；　how　many　faces　of　strange　people；　and　Indians　among　them；and　sailors！　What　have　they　all　e　to　do；　here　in　the　market…place？〃　　〃They　wait　to　see　the　procession　pass；〃　said　Hester。　〃For　theGovernor　and　the　magistrates　are　to　go　by；　and　the　ministers；　andall　the　great　people　and　good　people；　with　the　music　and　thesoldiers　marching　before　them。〃　　〃And　will　the　minister　be　there？〃　asked　Pearl。　〃And　will　he　hold　outboth　his　hands　to　me；　as　when　thou　ledst　me　to　him　from　thebrook…side？〃　　〃He　will　be　there；　child；〃　answered　her　mother。　〃But　he　will　notgreet　thee　to…day；　nor　must　thou　greet　him。〃　　〃What　a　strange；　sad　man　is　he！〃　said　the　child；　as　if　speakingpartly　to　herself。　〃In　the　dark　night…time　he　calls　us　to　him；　andholds　thy　hand　and　mine；　as　when　we　stood　with　him　on　the　scaffoldyonder！　And　in　the　deep　forest；　where　only　the　old　trees　can　hear；　andthe　strip　of　sky　see　it；　he　talks　with　thee；　sitting　on　a　heap　o