红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)-第23部分

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articles　of　church…discipline。　Doomed　by　his　own　choice；　therefore；　asMr。　Dimmesdale　so　evidently　was；　to　eat　his　unsavoury　morsel　always　atanother's　board；　and　endure　the　lifelong　chill　which　must　be　his　lotwho　seeks　to　warm　himself　only　at　another's　fireside；　it　trulyseemed　that　this　sagacious；　experienced；　benevolent　old　physician；with　his　concord　of　paternal　and　reverential　love　for　the　youngpastor；　was　the　very　man；　of　all　mankind；　to　be　constantly　withinreach　of　his　voice。　　The　new　abode　of　the　two　friends　was　with　a　pious　widow；　of　goodsocial　rank；　who　dwelt　in　a　house　covering　pretty　nearly　the　site　onwhich　the　venerable　structure　of　King's　Chapel　has　since　been　built。It　had　the　graveyard；　originally　Isaac　Johnson's　home…field；　on　oneside；　and　so　was　well　adapted　to　call　up　serious　reflections；　suitedto　their　respective　employments；　in　both　minister　and　man　of　physic。The　motherly　care　of　the　good　widow　assigned　to　Mr。　Dimmesdale　a　frontapartment；　with　a　sunny　exposure；　and　heavy　window…curtains；　to　createa　noon…tide　shadow；　when　desirable。　The　walls　were　hung　round　withtapestry；　said　to　be　from　the　Gobelin　looms；　and；　at　all　events；representing　the　Scriptural　story　of　David　and　Bathsheba；　and　Nathanthe　Prophet；　in　colours　still　unfaded；　but　which　made　the　fair　womanof　the　scene　almost　as　grimly　picturesque　as　the　woe…denouncingseer。　Here；　the　pale　clergyman　piled　up　his　library；　rich　withparchment…bound　folios　of　the　Fathers；　and　the　lore　of　Rabbis；　andmonkish　erudition；　of　which　the　Protestant　divines；　even　while　theyvilified　and　decried　that　class　of　writers；　were　yet　constrained　oftento　avail　themselves。　On　the　other　side　of　the　house；　old　RogerChillingworth　arranged　his　study　and　laboratory；　not　such　as　amodern　man　of　science　would　reckon　even　tolerably　plete；　butprovided　with　a　distilling　apparatus；　and　the　means　of　poundingdrugs　and　chemicals；　which　the　practised　alchemist　knew　well　how　toturn　to　purpose。　With　such　modiousness　of　situation；　these　twolearned　persons　sat　themselves　down；　each　in　his　own　domain；　yetfamiliarly　passing　from　one　apartment　to　the　other；　and　bestowing　amutual　and　not　incurious　inspection　into　one　another's　business。　　And　the　Reverend　Arthur　Dimmesdale's　best　discerning　friends；　aswe　have　intimated；　very　reasonably　imagined　that　the　hand　ofProvidence　had　done　all　this；　for　the　purpose…　besought　in　so　manypublic；　and　domestic；　and　secret　prayers…　of　restoring　the　youngminister　to　health。　But…　it　must　now　be　said…　another　portion　of　themunity　had　latterly　begun　to　take　its　own　view　of　the　relationbetwixt　Mr。　Dimmesdale　and　the　mysterious　old　physician。　When　anuninstructed　multitude　attempts　to　see　with　its　eyes；　it　isexceedingly　apt　to　be　deceived。　When；　however；　it　forms　itsjudgment；　as　it　usually　does；　on　the　intuitions　of　its　great　andwarm　heart；　the　conclusions　thus　attained　are　often　so　profound　and　sounerring；　as　to　possess　the　character　of　truths　supernaturallyrevealed。　The　people；　in　the　case　of　which　we　speak；　could　justify　itsprejudice　against　Roger　Chillingworth　by　no　fact　or　argument　worthy　ofserious　refutation。　There　was　an　aged　handicraftsman；　it　is　true；who　had　been　a　citizen　of　London　at　the　period　of　Sir　ThomasOverbury's　murder；　now　some　thirty　years　agone；　he　testified　to　havingseen　the　physician；　under　some　other　name；　which　the　narrator　of　thestory　had　now　forgotten；　in　pany　with　Doctor　Forman；　the　famous　oldconjurer；　who　was　implicated　in　the　affair　of　Overbury。　Two　or　threeindividuals　hinted；　that　the　man　of　skill；　during　his　Indiancaptivity；　had　enlarged　his　medical　attainments　by　joining　in　theincantations　of　the　savage　priests；　who　were　universallyacknowledged　to　be　powerful　enchanters；　often　performing　seeminglymiraculous　cures　by　their　skill　in　the　black　art。　A　large　number…and　many　of　these　were　persons　of　such　sober　sense　and　practicalobservation　that　their　opinions　would　have　been　valuable　in　othermatters…　affirmed　that　Roger　Chillingworth's　aspect　had　undergone　aremarkable　change　while　he　had　dwelt　in　town；　and　especially　since　hisabode　with　Mr。　Dimmesdale。　At　first；　his　expression　had　been　calm；meditative；　scholar…like。　Now；　there　was　something　ugly　and　evil　inhis　face；　which　they　had　not　previously　noticed；　and　which　grewstill　the　more　obvious　to　sight；　the　oftener　they　looked　upon　him。According　to　the　vulgar　idea；　the　fire　in　his　laboratory　had　beenbrought　from　the　lower　regions；　and　was　fed　with　infernal　fuel；　andso；　as　might　be　expected；　his　visage　was　getting　sooty　with　the　smoke。　　To　sum　up　the　matter；　it　grew　to　be　a　widely　diffused　opinion；that　the　Reverend　Arthur　Dimmesdale；　like　many　other　personages　ofespecial　sanctity；　in　all　ages　of　the　Christian　world；　was　hauntedeither　by　Satan　himself；　or　Satan's　emissary；　in　the　guise　of　oldRoger　Chillingworth。　This　diabolical　agent　had　the　Divinepermission；　for　a　season；　to　burrow　into　the　clergyman's　intimacy；　andplot　against　his　soul。　No　sensible　man；　it　was　confessed；　coulddoubt　on　which　side　the　victory　would　turn。　The　people　looked；　with　anunshaken　hope；　to　see　the　minister　e　forth　out　of　the　conflict；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　w