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红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第49章

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s infusion。What he really did whisper; the minister could never afterwardsrecollect。 There was; perhaps; a fortunate disorder in hisutterance; which failed to impart any distinct idea to the goodwidow's prehension; or which Providence interpreted after amethod of its own。 Assuredly; as the minister looked back; he beheldan expression of divine gratitude and ecstasy that seemed like theshine of the celestial city on her face; so wrinkled and ashy pale。  Again; a third instance。 After parting from the old church…member;he met the youngest sister of them all。 It was a maiden newly won… andwon by the Reverend Mr。 Dimmesdale's own sermon; on the Sabbathafter his vigil; to barter the transitory pleasures of the world forthe heavenly hope; that was to assume brighter substance as lifegrew dark around her; and which would gild the utter gloom withfinal glory。 She was fair and pure as a lily that had bloomed inParadise。 The minister knew well that he was himself enshrinedwithin the stainless sanctity of her heart; which hung its snowycurtains about his image; imparting to religion the warmth of love;and to love a religious purity。 Satan; that afternoon; had surelyled the poor young girl away from her mother's side; and thrown herinto the pathway of this sorely tempted; or… shall we not rather say?…this lost and desperate man。 As she drew nigh; the arch…fiendwhispered him to condense into small pass and drop into hertender bosom a germ of evil that would be sure to blossom darkly soon;and bear black fruit betimes。 Such was his sense of power over thisvirgin soul; trusting him as she did; that the minister felt potent toblight all the field of innocence with but one wicked look; anddevelop all its opposite with but a word。 So… with a mightier strugglethan he had yet sustained… he held his Geneva cloak before his face;and hurried onward; making no sign of recognition; and leaving theyoung sister to digest his rudeness as she might。 She ransacked herconscience… which was full of harmless little matters; like herpocket; or her workbag… and took herself to task; poor thing! for athousand imaginary faults; and went about her household duties withswollen eyelids the next morning。  Before the minister had time to celebrate his victory over this lasttemptation; he was conscious of another impulse; more ludicrous; andalmost as horrible。 It was… we blush to tell it… it was to stopshort in the road; and teach some very wicked words to a knot oflittle Puritan children who were playing there; and had but just begunto talk。 Denying himself this freak; as unworthy of his cloth; hemet a drunken seaman; one of the ship's crew from the Spanish Main。And here; since he had so valiantly forborne all other wickedness;poor Mr。 Dimmesdale longed; at least to shake hands with the tarryblackguard; and recreate himself with a few improper jests; such asdissolute sailors so abound with; and a volley of good; round;solid; satisfactory; and heaven…defying oaths! It was not so much abetter principle; as partly his natural good taste; and still more hisbuckramed habit of clerical decorum; that carried him safely throughthe latter crisis。  〃What is it that haunts and tempts me thus?〃 cried the minister tohimself; at length; pausing in the street; and striking his handagainst his forehead。 〃Am I mad? or am I given over utterly to thefiend? Did I make a contract with him in the forest; and sign itwith my blood? And does he now summon me to its fulfilment; bysuggesting the performance of every wickedness which his most foulimagination can conceive?〃  At the moment when the Reverend Mr。 Dimmesdale thus muned withhimself; and struck his forehead with his hand; old MistressHibbins; the reputed witch…lady; is said to have been passing by。She made a very grand appearance; having on a high head…dress; arich gown of velvet; and a ruff done up with the famous yellow starch;of which Ann Turner; her especial friend; had taught her the secret;before this last good lady had been hanged for Sir Thomas Overbury'smurder。 Whether the witch had read the minister's thoughts; or no; shecame to a full stop; looked shrewdly into his face; smiled craftily;and… though little given to converse with clergymen… began aconversation。  〃So; reverend sir; you have made a visit into the forest;〃observed the witch…lady; nodding her high head…dress at him。 〃The nexttime; I pray you to allow me only a fair warning; and I shall be proudto bear you pany。 Without taking overmuch upon myself; my good wordwill go far towards gaining any strange gentleman a fair receptionfrom yonder potentate you wot of!〃  〃I profess; madam;〃 answered the clergyman; with a graveobeisance; such as the lady's rank demanded; and his own good…breedingmade imperative… 〃I profess; on my conscience and character; that Iam utterly bewildered as touching the purport of your words! I wentnot into the forest to seek a potentate; neither do I; at any futuretime; design a visit thither; with a view to gaining the favour ofsuch personage。 My one sufficient object was to greet that piousfriend of mine; the Apostle Eliot; and rejoice with him over themany precious souls he hath won from heathendom!〃  〃Ha; ha; ha!〃 cackled the old witch…lady; still nodding her highhead…dress at the minister。 〃Well; well; we must needs talk thus inthe daytime! You carry it off like an old hand! But at midnight; andin the forest; we shall have other talk together!〃  She passed on with her aged stateliness; but often turning backher head and smiling at him; like one willing to recognise a secretintimacy of connection。  〃Have I then sold myself;〃 thought the minister; 〃to the fiend whom;if men say true; this yellow…starched and velveted old hag haschosen for her prince and master!〃  The wretched minister! He had made a bargain very like it! Temptedby a dream of happiness; he had yielded himself; with deliberatechoice; as he had never done before; to what he knew was deadly sin。And the infectious poison of that sin had been thus rapidly diffusedthroughout his moral system。 It had stupefied all blessed impulses;and awakened into vivid life the whole brotherhood of bad ones。 Scorn;bitterness; unprovoked malignity; gratuitous desire of ill; ridiculeof whatever was good and holy; all awoke; to tempt; even while theyfrightened him。 And his encounter with old Mistress Hibbins; if itwere a real incident; did but show his sympathy and fellowship withwicked mortals; and the world of perverted spirits。  He had; by this time; reached his dwelling; on the edge of theburial…ground; and; hastening up the stairs; took refuge in his study。The minister was glad to have reached this shelter; without firstbetraying himself to the world by any of those strange and wickedeccentricities to which he had been continually impelled while passingthrough the streets。 He entered the accustomed room; and looked aroundhim on its books; its windows; its fireplace; and the tapestriedfort of the walls; with the same perception of strangeness that hadhaunted him throughout his walk from the forest…dell into the town;and thitherward。 Here he had studied and written; here; gone throughfast and vigil; and e forth half alive; here striven to pray; here;borne a hundred thousand agonies! There was the Bible; in its rich oldHebrew; with Moses and the Prophets speaking to him; and God's voicethrough all! There; on the table; with the inky pen beside it; wasan unfinished sermon; with a sentence broken in the midst; where histhoughts had ceased to gush out upon the page; two days before。 Heknew that it was himself; the thin and white…cheeked minister; who haddone and suffered these things; and written thus far into the ElectionSermon! But he seemed to stand apart; and eye this former self withscornful; pitying; but half…envious curiosity。 That self was gone。Another man had returned out of the forest; a wiser one; with aknowledge of hidden mysteries which the simplicity of the former nevercould have reached。 A bitter kind of knowledge that!  While occupied with these reflections; a knock came at the door ofthe study; and the minister said; 〃e in!〃… not wholly devoid ofan idea that he might behold an evil spirit。 And so he did! It was oldRoger Chillingworth that entered。 The minister stood; white andspeechless; with one 
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