红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第3章

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ed；　like　the　bad　halfpenny；　or　as　ifSalem　were　for　me　the　inevitable　centre　of　the　universe。　So；　onefine　morning；　I　ascended　the　flight　of　granite　steps；　with　thePresident's　mission　in　my　pocket；　and　was　introduced　to　the　corpsof　gentlemen　who　were　to　aid　me　in　my　weighty　responsibility；　as　chiefexecutive　officer　of　the　Custom…House。　　I　doubt　greatly…　or；　rather；　I　do　not　doubt　at　all…　whether　anypublic　functionary　of　the　United　States；　either　in　the　civil　ormilitary　line；　has　ever　had　such　a　patriarchal　body　of　veteransunder　his　orders　as　myself。　The　whereabouts　of　the　Oldest　Inhabitantwas　at　once　settled；　when　I　looked　at　them。　For　upwards　of　twentyyears　before　this　epoch；　the　independent　position　of　the　Collector　hadkept　the　Salem　Custom…House　out　of　the　whirlpool　of　politicalvicissitude；　which　makes　the　tenure　of　office　generally　so　fragile。A　soldier…　New　England's　most　distinguished　soldier…　he　stood　firmlyon　the　pedestal　of　his　gallant　services；　and；　himself　secure　in　thewise　liberality　of　the　successive　administrations　through　which　he　hadheld　office；　he　had　been　the　safety　of　his　subordinates　in　many　anhour　of　danger　and　heartquake。　General　Miller　was　radicallyconservative；　a　man　over　whose　kindly　nature　habit　had　no　slightinfluence；　attaching　himself　strongly　to　familiar　faces；　and　withdifficulty　moved　to　change；　even　when　change　might　have　broughtunquestionable　improvement。　Thus；　on　taking　charge　of　my　department；　Ifound　few　but　aged　men。　They　were　ancient　sea…captains；　for　the　mostpart；　who；　after　being　tossed　on　every　sea；　and　standing　up　sturdilyagainst　life's　tempestuous　blast；　had　finally　drifted　into　thisquiet　nook；　where；　with　little　to　disturb　them；　except　theperiodical　terrors　of　a　Presidential　election；　they　one　and　allacquired　a　new　lease　of　existence。　Though　by　no　means　less　liable　thantheir　fellow…men　to　age　and　infirmity；　they　had　evidently　sometalisman　or　other　that　kept　death　at　bay。　Two　or　three　of　theirnumber；　as　I　was　assured；　being　gouty　and　rheumatic；　or　perhapsbed…ridden；　never　dreamed　of　making　their　appearance　at　theCustom…House　during　a　large　part　of　the　year；　but；　after　a　torpidwinter；　would　creep　out　into　the　warm　sunshine　of　May　or　June；　golazily　about　what　they　termed　duty；　and；　at　their　own　leisure　andconvenience；　betake　themselves　to　bed　again。　I　must　plead　guilty　tothe　charge　of　abbreviating　the　official　breath　of　more　than　one　ofthese　venerable　servants　of　the　republic。　They　were　allowed；　on　myrepresentation；　to　rest　from　their　arduous　labours；　and　soonafterwards…　as　if　their　sole　principle　of　life　had　been　zeal　for　theircountry's　service；　as　I　verily　believe　it　was…　withdrew　to　a　betterworld。　It　is　a　pious　consolation　to　me；　that；　through　my　interference；a　sufficient　space　was　allowed　them　for　repentance　of　the　evil　andcorrupt　practices；　into　which；　as　a　matter　of　course；　everyCustom…House　officer　must　be　supposed　to　fall。　Neither　the　front　northe　back　entrance　of　the　Custom…House　opens　on　the　road　to　Paradise。　　The　greater　part　of　my　officers　were　Whigs。　It　was　well　for　theirvenerable　brotherhood　that　the　new　Surveyor　was　not　a　politician；　and；though　a　faithful　Democrat　in　principle；　neither　received　nor　held　hisoffice　with　any　reference　to　political　services。　Had　it　beenotherwise…　had　an　active　politician　been　put　into　this　influentialpost；　to　assume　the　easy　task　of　making　head　against　a　Whig　Collector；whose　infirmities　withheld　him　from　the　personal　administration　of　hisoffice…　hardly　a　man　of　the　old　corps　would　have　drawn　the　breath　ofofficial　life　within　a　month　after　the　exterminating　angel　had　e　upthe　Custom…House　steps。　According　to　the　received　code　in　suchmatters；　it　would　have　been　nothing　short　of　duty；　in　a　politician；　tobring　every　one　of　those　white　heads　under　the　axe　of　theguillotine。　It　was　plain　enough　to　discern；　that　the　old　fellowsdreaded　some　such　discourtesy　at　my　hands。　It　pained；　and　at　thesame　time　amused　me；　to　behold　the　terrors　that　attended　my　advent；　tosee　a　furrowed　cheek；　weather…beaten　by　half　a　century　of　storm；turn　ashy　pale　at　the　glance　of　so　harmless　an　individual　as　myself；to　detect；　as　one　or　another　addressed　me；　the　tremor　of　a　voice；which；　in　long…past　days；　had　been　wont　to　bellow　through　aspeaking…trumpet；　hoarsely　enough　to　frighten　Boreas　himself　tosilence。　They　knew；　these　excellent　old　persons；　that；　by　allestablished　rule…　and；　as　regarded　some　of　them；　weighed　by　their　ownlack　of　efficiency　for　business…　they　ought　to　have　given　place　toyounger　men；　more　orthodox　in　politics；　and　altogether　fitter　thanthemselves　to　serve　our　mon　Uncle。　I　knew　it　too；　but　could　neverquite　find　in　my　heart　to　act　upon　the　knowledge。　Much　anddeservedly　to　my　own　discredit；　therefore；　and　considerably　to　thedetriment　of　my　official　conscience；　they　continued；　during　myincumbency；　to　creep　about　the　wharves；　and　loiter　up　and　down　theCustom…House　steps。　They　spent　a　good　deal　of　time；　also；　asleep　intheir　accustomed　corners；　with　their　chairs　tilted　back　against　thewall；　awaking；　however；　once　or　twice　in　a　forenoon；　to　bore　oneanother　with　the　several　thousandth　repetition　of　old　sea…stories；　andmouldy　jokes；　that　had　grown　to　be　passwords　and　countersigns　amongthem。　　The　discovery　was　soon　made；　I　imagine；　that　the　new　Surveyor　had　nogreat　harm　in　him。　So；　with　lightsome　hearts；　and　the　happyconsciousness　of　being　usefully　employed…　in　their　own　behalf；　atleast；　if　not　for　our　beloved　country…　these　good　old　gentlemen　wentthrough　the　various　formalities　of　office。　Sagaciously　under　theirspectacles；　did　they　peep　into　the　holds　of　vessels！　Mighty　wastheir　fuss　about　little　matters；　and　marvellous；　sometimes；　theobtuseness　that　allowed　greater　ones　to　slip　between　their　fingers！Whenever　such　a　mischance　occurred…　when　a　waggon…load　of　valuablemerchandise　had　been　smuggled　ashore；　at　noonday；　perhaps；　anddirectly　beneath　their　unsuspicious　noses…　nothing　could　exceed　thevigilance　and　alacrity　with　which　they　proceeded　to　lock；　anddouble…lock；　and　secure　with　tape　and　sealing…wax；　all　the　avenuesof　the　delinquent　vessel。　Instead　of　a　reprimand　for　their　previousnegligence；　the　case　seemed　rather　to　require　an　eulogium　on　theirpraiseworthy　caution；　after　the　mischief　had　happened；　a　gratefulrecognition　of　the　promptitude　of　their　zeal；　the　moment　that　therewas　no　longer　any　remedy。　　Unless　people　are　more　than　monly　disagreeable；　it　is　myfoolish　habit　to　contract　a　kindness　for　them。　The　better　part　of　mypanion's　character；　if　it　have　a　better　part；　is　that　which　usuallyes　uppermost　in　my　regard；　and　forms　the　type　whereby　I　recognisethe　man。　As　most　of　these　old　Custom…House　officers　had　good　traits；and　as　my　position　in　reference　to　them；　being　paternal　andprotective；　was　favourable　to　the　growth　of　friendly　sentiments；　Isoon　grew　to　like　them　all。　It　was　pleasant；　in　the　summerforenoons…　when　the　fervent　heat；　that　almost　liquefied　the　rest　ofthe　human　family；　merely　municated　a　genial　warmth　to　theirhalf…torpid　systems…　it　was　pleasant　to　hear　them　chatting　in　the　backentry；　a　row　of　them　all　tipped　against　the　wall；　as　usual；　whilethe　frozen　witticisms　of　past　generations　were　thawed　out；　and　camebubbling　with　laughter　from　their　lips。　Externally；　the　jollity　ofaged　men　has　much　in　mon　with　the　mirth　of　children；　the　intellect；any　more　than　a　deep　sense　of　humour；　has　little　to　do　with　thematter；　it　is；　with　both；　a　gleam　that　plays　upon　the　surface；　andimparts　a　sunny　and　cheery　aspect　alike　to　the　green　branch；　and　grey；mouldering　trunk。　In　one　case；　however；　it　is　real　sunshine；　in　theother；　it　more　resembles　the　phosphorescent　glow　of　decaying　wood。　　It　would　be　sad　injustice；　the　reader　must　understand；　torepresent　all　my　excellent　old　friends　as　in　their　dotage。　In　thefirst　place；　my　coadjutors　were　not　invariably　old；　there　were　menamong　them　in　their　strength　and　prime；　of　marked　ability　andenergy；　and　altogether　superior　to　the　sluggish　and　dependent　modeof　life　on　which　their　evil　stars　had　cast　them。　Then；　moreover；　thewhite　locks　of　age　were　sometimes　found　to　be　the　thatch　of　anintellectual　tenement　in　good　repair。　But；　as　respects　the　majority　ofmy　corps　of　veterans；　there　will　be　no　wrong　done；　if　I　characterisethem　generally　as　a　set　of　wearisome　old　souls；　who　had　gatherednothing　worth　preservation　from　their　varied　experience　of　life。They　seemed　to　have　flung　away　all　the　golden　grain　of　practicalwisdom；　which　they　had　enjoyed　so　many　opportunities　of　harvesting；and　most　carefully　to　have　stored　their　memories　with　the　husks。They　spoke　with　far　more　interest　and　unction　of　their　morning'sbreakfast；　or　yesterday's；　to…day's；　or　to…morrow's　dinner；　than　ofthe　shipwreck　of　forty　or　fifty　years　ago；　and　all　the　world's　wonderswhich　they　had　witnessed　with　their　youthful　eyes。　　The　father　of　the　Custom…House…　the　patriarch；　not　only　of　thislittle　squad　of　officials；　but；　I　am　bold　to　say；　of　the　respectablebody　of　tide…waiters　all　over　the　United　States…　was　a　certainpermanent　Inspector。　He　might　truly　be　termed　a　legitimate　son　ofthe　revenue　system；　dyed　in　the　wool；　or；　rather；　born　in　thepurple；　since　his　sire；　a　Revolutionary　colonel；　and　formerlycollector　of　the　port；　had　created　an　office　for　him；　and　appointedhim　to　fill　it；　at　a　period　of　t