红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第26章

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；transfigured　with　the　glory　eanwhile；　nevertheless；　it　was　sad　to　think　of　the　perchance　mortalagony　through　which　he　must　struggle　towards　his　triumph。　　Alas！　to　judge　from　the　gloom　and　terror　in　the　depths　of　the　poorminister's　eyes；　the　battle　was　a　sore　one；　and　the　victory　anythingbut　secure。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　X。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　LEECH　AND　HIS　PATIENT。　　OLD　Roger　Chillingworth；　throughout　life；　had　been　calm　intemperament；　kindly；　though　not　of　warm　affections；　but　ever；　and　inall　his　relations　with　the　world；　a　pure　and　upright　man。　He　had　begunan　investigation；　as　he　imagined；　with　the　severe　and　equalintegrity　of　a　judge；　desirous　only　of　truth；　even　as　if　thequestion　involved　no　more　than　the　air…drawn　lines　and　figures　of　ageometrical　problem；　instead　of　human　passions；　and　wrongs　inflictedon　himself。　But；　as　he　proceeded；　a　terrible　fascination；　a　kind　offierce；　though　still　calm；　necessity　seized　the　old　man　within　itsgripe；　and　never　set　him　free　again；　until　he　had　done　all　itsbidding。　He　now　dug　into　the　poor　clergyman's　heart；　like　a　minersearching　for　gold；　or；　rather；　like　a　sexton　delving　into　a　grave；possibly　in　quest　of　a　jewel　that　had　been　buried　on　the　dead　man'sbosom；　but　likely　to　find　nothing　save　mortality　and　corruption。Alas　for　his　own　soul；　if　these　were　what　he　sought！　　Sometimes；　a　light　glimmered　out　of　the　physician's　eyes；　burningblue　and　ominous；　like　the　reflection　of　a　furnace；　or；　let　us　say；like　one　of　those　gleams　of　ghastly　fire　that　darted　from　Bunyan'sawful　doorway　in　the　hill…side；　and　quivered　on　the　pilgrim's　face。The　soil　where　this　dark　miner　was　working　had　perchance　shownindications　that　encouraged　him。　　〃This　man；〃　said　he；　at　one　such　moment；　to　himself；　〃pure　as　theydeem　him…　all　spiritual　as　he　seems…　hath　inherited　a　strong　animalnature　from　his　father　or　his　mother。　Let　us　dig　a　little　farther　inthe　direction　of　this　vein！〃　　Then；　after　long　search　into　the　minister's　dim　interior；　andturning　over　many　precious　materials；　in　the　shape　of　high　aspirationsfor　the　welfare　of　his　race；　warm　love　of　souls；　pure　sentiments；natural　piety；　strengthened　by　thought　and　study；　and　illuminated　byrevelation…　all　of　which　invaluable　gold　was　perhaps　no　better　thanrubbish　to　the　seeker…　he　would　turn　back；　discouraged；　and　beginhis　quest　towards　another　point。　He　groped　along　as　stealthily；　withas　cautious　a　tread；　and　as　wary　an　outlook；　as　a　thief　entering　achamber　where　a　man　lies　only　half　asleep…　or；　it　may　be；　broad　awake…with　purpose　to　steal　the　very　treasure　which　this　man　guards　as　theapple　of　his　eye。　In　spite　of　his　premeditated　carefulness；　thefloor　would　now　and　then　creak；　his　garments　would　rustle；　theshadow　of　his　presence；　in　a　forbidden　proximity；　would　be　thrownacross　his　victim。　In　other　words；　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　whose　sensibilityof　nerve　often　produced　the　effect　of　spiritual　intuition；　wouldbee　vaguely　aware　that　something　inimical　to　his　peace　had　thrustitself　into　relation　with　him。　But　old　Roger　Chillingworth；　too；　hadperceptions　that　were　almost　intuitive；　and　when　the　minister　threwhis　startled　eyes　towards　him；　there　the　physician　sat；　his　kind；watchful；　sympathising；　but　never　intrusive　friend。　　Yet　Mr。　Dimmesdale　would　perhaps　have　seen　this　individual'scharacter　more　perfectly；　if　a　certain　morbidness；　to　which　sickhearts　are　liable；　had　not　rendered　him　suspicious　of　all　mankind。Trusting　no　man　as　his　friend；　he　could　not　recognise　his　enemy　whenthe　latter　actually　appeared。　He　therefore　still　kept　up　a　familiarintercourse　with　him；　daily　receiving　the　old　physician　in　hisstudy；　or　visiting　the　laboratory；　and；　for　recreation's　sake；watching　the　processes　by　which　weeds　were　converted　into　drugs　ofpotency。　　One　day；　leaning　his　forehead　on　his　hand；　and　his　elbow　on　the　sillof　the　open　window；　that　looked　towards　the　graveyard；　he　talkedwith　Roger　Chillingworth；　while　the　old　man　was　examining　a　bundleof　unsightly　plants。　　〃Where；〃　asked　he；　with　a　look　askance　at　them…　for　it　was　theclergyman's　peculiarity　that　he　seldom；　nowadays；　lookedstraight…forth　at　any　object；　whether　human　or　inanimate…　〃where；　mykind　doctor；　did　you　gather　those　herbs；　with　such　a　dark；　flabbyleaf？〃　　〃Even　in　the　graveyard　here　at　hand；〃　answered　the　physician；continuing　his　employment。　〃They　are　new　to　me。　I　found　them　growingon　a　grave；　which　bore　no　tombstone；　nor　other　memorial　of　the　deadman；　save　these　ugly　weeds；　that　have　taken　upon　themselves　to　keephim　in　remembrance。　They　grew　out　of　his　heart；　and　typify；　it　may　be；some　hideous　secret　that　was　buried　with　him；　and　which　he　had　donebetter　to　confess　during　his　lifetime。〃　　〃Perchance；〃　said　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　〃he　earnestly　desired　it；　butcould　not。〃　　〃And　wherefore？〃　rejoined　the　physician。　〃Wherefore　not；　since　allthe　powers　of　nature　call　so　earnestly　for　the　confession　of　sin；　thatthese　black　weeds　have　sprung　up　out　of　a　buried　heart；　to　makemanifest　an　unspoken　crime？〃　　〃That；　good　sir；　is　but　a　fantasy　of　yours；〃　replied　the　minister。〃There　can　be；　if　I　forebode　aright；　no　power；　short　of　the　Divinemercy；　to　disclose；　whether　by　uttered　words；　or　by　type　or　emblem；the　secrets　that　may　be　buried　with　a　human　heart。　The　heart；　makingitself　guilty　of　such　secrets；　must　perforce　hold　them　until　the　daywhen　all　hidden　things　shall　be　revealed。　Nor　have　I　so　read　orinterpreted　Holy　Writ；　as　to　understand　that　the　disclosure　of　humanthoughts　and　deeds；　then　to　be　made；　is　intended　as　a　part　of　theretribution。　That；　surely；　were　a　shallow　view　of　it。　No；　theserevelations；　unless　I　greatly　err；　are　meant　merely　to　promote　theintellectual　satisfaction　of　all　intelligent　beings；　who　will　standwaiting；　on　that　day；　to　see　the　dark　problem　of　this　life　made　plain。A　knowledge　of　men's　hearts　will　be　needful　to　the　pletest　solutionof　that　problem。　And　I　conceive；　moreover；　that　the　hearts　holdingsuch　miserable　secrets　as　you　speak　of　will　yield　them　up；　at　thatlast　day；　not　with　reluctance；　but　with　a　joy　unutterable。〃　　〃Then　why　not　reveal　them　here？〃　asked　Roger　Chillinginister。　〃Why　should　not　the　guilty　onessooner　avail　themselves　of　this　unutterable　solace？〃　　〃They　mostly　do；〃　said　the　clergyman；　griping　hard　at　his　breast；　asif　afflicted　with　an　importunate　throb　of　pain。　〃Many；　many　a　poorsoul　hath　given　its　confidence　to　me；　not　only　on　the　deathbed；　butwhile　strong　in　life；　and　fair　in　reputation。　And　ever；　after　suchan　outpouring；　oh；　what　a　relief　have　I　witnessed　in　those　sinfulbrethren！　even　as　in　one　who　at　last　draws　free　air；　after　longstifling　with　his　own　polluted　breath。　How　can　it　be　otherwise？　Whyshould　a　wretched　man；　guilty；　we　will　say；　of　murder；　prefer　tokeep　the　dead　corpse　buried　in　his　own　heart；　rather　than　fling　itforth　at　once；　and　let　the　universe　take　care　of　it？〃　　〃Yet　some　men　bury　their　secrets　thus；〃　observed　the　calm　physician。　　〃True；　there　are　such　men；〃　answered　Mr。　Dimmesdale。　〃But；　not　tosuggest　more　obvious　reasons；　it　may　be　that　they　are　kept　silent　bythe　very　constitution　of　their　nature。　Or…　can　we　not　suppose　it？…guilty　as　they　may　be；　retaining；　nevertheless；　a　zeal　for　God's　gloryand　man's　welfare；　they　shrink　from　displaying　themselves　black　andfilthy　in　the　view　of　men；　because；　thenceforward；　no　good　can　beachieved　by　them；　no　evil　of　the　past　be　redeemed　by　better　service。So；　to　their　own　unutterable　torment；　they　go　about　among　theirfellow…creatures；　looking　pure　as　new…fallen　snow；　while　theirhearts　are　all　speckled　and　spotted　with　iniquity　of　which　they　cannotrid　themselves。〃　　〃These　men　deceive　themselves；〃　said　Roger　Chillingworth；　withsomewhat　more　emphasis　than　usual；　and　making　a　slight　gesture　withhis　forefinger。　〃They　fear　to　take　up　the　shame　that　rightfullybelongs　to　them。　Their　love　for　man；　their　zeal　for　God's　service…these　holy　impulses　may　or　may　not　coexist　in　their　hearts　with　theevil　inmates　to　which　their　guilt　has　unbarred　the　door；　and　whichmust　needs　propagate　a　hellish　breed　within　them。　But；　if　they　seek　toglorify　God；　let　them　not　lift　heavenward　their　unclean　hands！　If　theywould　serve　their　fellow…men；　let　them　do　it　by　making　manifest　thepower　and　reality　of　conscience；　in　constraining　them　to　penitentialself…abasement！　Wouldst　thou　have　me　to　believe；　O　wise　and　piousfriend；　that　a　false　show　can　be　better…　can　be　more　for　God'sglory；　or　man's　welfare…　than　God's　own　truth？　Trust　me；　such　mendeceive　themselves！〃　　〃It　may　be　so；〃　said　the　young　clergyman；　indifferently；　aswaiving　a　discussion　that　he　considered　irrelevant　or　unseasonable。　Hehad　a　ready　faculty；　indeed；　of　escaping　from　any　topic　thatagitated　his　too　sensitive　and　nervous　temperament。　〃But；　now；　I　wouldask　of　my　well…skilled　physician；　whether；　in　good　sooth；　he　deemsme　to　have　profited　by　his　kindly　care　of　this　weak　frame　of　mine？〃　　Before　Roger　Chillingworth　could　answer；　they　heard　the　clear；wild　laughter　of　a　young　child's　voice；　proceeding　from　the　adjacentburial…ground。　Looking　instinctively　from　the　open　window…　for　itwas　summer…time…　the　minister　beheld　Hester　Prynne　and　little　Pearlpassing　along　the　footpath　that　traversed　the　enclosure。　Pearllooked　as　beautiful　as　the　day；　but　was　in　one　of　those　moods　ofperverse　merriment　which；　whenever　they　occurred；　seemed　to　re