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红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第14章

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nt 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 southward; and am now brought hither by thisIndian; to be redeemed out of my captivity。 Will it please you;therefore; to tell me of Hester Prynne's… have I her name rightly?… ofthis woman's offences; and what has brought her to yonder scaffold?〃  〃Truly; friend; and methinks it must gladden your heart; afteryour troubles and sojourn in the wilderness;〃 said the townsman; 〃tofind yourself; at length; in a land where iniquity is searched out;and punished in the sight of rulers and people; as here in our godlyNew England。 Yonder woman; sir; you must know; was the wife of acertain learned man; English by birth; but who had long dwelt inAmsterdam; whence; some good time agone; he was minded to cross overand cast in his lot with us of the Massachusetts。 To this purpose;he sent his wife before him; remaining himself to look after somenecessary affairs。 Marry; good sir; in some two years; or less; thatthe woman has been a dweller here in Boston; no tidings have e ofthis learned gentleman; Master Prynne; and his young wife; look you;being left to her own misguidance…〃  〃Ah!… aha!… I conceive you;〃 said the stranger; with a bitter smile。〃So learned a man as you speak of should have learned this; too; inhis books。 And who; by your favour; sir; may be the father of yonderbabe… it is some three or four months old; I should judge… whichMistress Prynne is holding in her arms?〃  〃Of a truth; friend; that matter remaih a riddle; and theDaniel who shall expound it is yet a…wanting;〃 answered thetownsman。 〃Madam Hester absolutely refuseth to speak; and themagistrates have laid their heads together in vain。 Peradventure theguilty one stands looking on at this sad spectacle; unknown of man;and forgetting that God sees him。〃  〃The learned man;〃 observed the stranger; with another smile;〃should e himself; to look into the mystery。〃  〃It behooves him well; if he be still in life;〃 responded thetownsman。 〃Now; good sir; our Massachusetts magistracy; bethinkingthemselves that this woman is youthful and fair; and doubtless wasstrongly tempted to her fall… and that; moreover; as is most likely;her husband may be at the bottom of the sea… they have not been boldto put in force the extremity of our righteous law against her。 Thepenalty thereof is death。 But in their great mercy and tenderness ofheart; they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of threehours on the platform of the pillory; and then and thereafter; for theremainder of her natural life; to wear a mark of shame upon herbosom。〃  〃A wise sentence!〃 remarked the stranger; gravely bowing his head。〃Thus she will be a living sermon against sin; until the ignominiousletter be engraved upon her tombstone。 It irks me; nevertheless;that the partner of her iniquity should not; at least; stand on thescaffold by her side。 But he will be known!… he will be known!… hewill be known!〃  He bowed courteously to the municative townsman; and;whispering a few words to his Indian attendant; they both made theirway through the crowd。  While this passed; Hester Prynne had been standing on herpedestal; still with a fixed gaze towards the stranger; so fixed agaze that; at moments of intense absorption; all other objects inthe visible world seemed to vanish; leaving only him and her。 Suchan interview; perhaps; would have been more terrible than even to meethim as she now did; with the hot; mid…day sun burning down upon herface; and lighting up its shame; with the scarlet token of infamy onher breast; with the sin…born infant in her arms; with a whole people;drawn forth as to a festival; staring at the features that should havebeen seen only in the quiet gleam of the fireside; in the happy shadowof a home; or beneath a matronly veil; at church。 Dreadful as itwas; she was conscious of a shelter in the presence of thesethousand witnesses。 It was better to stand thus; with so manybetwixt him and her; than to greet him; face to face; they twoalone。 She fled for refuge; as it were; to the public exposure; anddreaded the moment when its protection should be withdrawn from her。Involved in these thoughts; she scarcely
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