红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)- 第24节

ow　of　portraits；　representing　the　forefathers　ofthe　Bellingham　lineage；　some　with　armour　on　their　breasts；　andothers　with　stately　ruffs　and　robes　of　peace。　All　were　characterisedby　the　sternness　and　severity　which　old　portraits　so　invariably　puton；　as　if　they　were　the　ghosts；　rather　than　the　pictures；　ofdeparted　worthies；　and　were　gazing　with　harsh　and　intolerant　criticismat　the　pursuits　and　enjoyments　of　living　men。　　At　about　the　centre　of　the　oaken　panels；　that　lined　the　hall；　wassuspended　a　suit　of　mail；　not；　like　the　pictures；　an　ancestralrelic；　but　of　the　most　modern　date；　for　it　had　been　manufactured　bya　skilful　armourer　in　London；　the　same　year　in　which　GovernorBellingham　came　over　to　New　England。　There　was　a　steel　headpiece；　acuirass；　a　gorget；　and　greaves；　with　a　pair　of　gauntlets　and　a　swordhanging　beneath；　all；　and　especially　the　helmet　and　breastplate；　sohighly　burnished　as　to　glow　with　white　radiance；　and　scatter　anillumination　everywhere　about　upon　the　floor。　This　bright　panoplywas　not　meant　for　mere　idle　show；　but　had　been　worn　by　the　Governor　onmany　a　solemn　muster　and　training　field；　and　had　glittered；moreover；　at　the　head　of　a　regiment　in　the　Pequod　war。　For；　thoughbred　a　lawyer；　and　accustomed　to　speak　of　Bacon；　Coke；　Noye；　andFinch；　as　his　professional　associates；　the　exigencies　of　this　newcountry　had　transformed　Governor　Bellingham　into　a　soldier；　as　well　asa　statesman　and　ruler。　　Little　Pearl…　who　was　as　greatly　pleased　with　the　gleaming　armour　asshe　had　been　with　the　glittering　frontispiece　of　the　house…　spent　sometime　looking　into　the　polished　mirror　of　the　breastplate。　　〃Mother；〃　cried　she；　〃I　see　you　here。　Look！　Look！〃　　Hester　looked；　by　way　of　humouring　the　child；　and　she　saw　that；owing　to　the　peculiar　effect　of　this　convex　mirror；　the　scarlet　letterwas　represented　in　exaggerated　and　gigantic　proportions；　so　as　to　begreatly　the　most　prominent　feature　of　her　appearance。　In　truth；　sheseemed　absolutely　hidden　behind　it。　Pearl　pointed　upward；　also；　at　asimilar　picture　in　the　head…piece；　smiling　at　her　mother；　with　theelfish　intelligence　that　was　so　familiar　an　expression　on　her　smallphysiognomy。　That　look　of　naughty　merriment　was　likewise　reflectedin　the　mirror；　with　so　much　breadth　and　intensity　of　effect；　that　itmade　Hester　Prynne　feel　as　if　it　could　not　be　the　image　of　her　ownchild；　but　of　an　imp　who　was　seeking　to　mould　itself　into　Pearl'sshape。　　〃e　along；　Pearl；〃　said　she；　drawing　her　away。　〃e　and　look　intothis　fair　garden。　It　may　be；　we　shall　see　flowers　there；　morebeautiful　ones　than　we　find　in　the　woods。〃　　Pearl；　accordingly；　ran　to　the　bow…window；　at　the　farther　end　of　thehall；　and　looked　along　the　vista　of　a　garden…walk；　carpeted　withclosely　shaven　grass；　and　bordered　with　some　rude　and　immature　attemptat　shrubbery。　But　the　proprietor　appeared　already　to　haverelinquished；　as　hopeless；　the　effort　to　perpetuate　on　this　side　ofthe　Atlantic；　in　a　hard　soil　and　amid　the　close　struggle　forsubsistence；　the　native　English　taste　for　ornamental　gardening。Cabbages　grew　in　plain　sight；　and　a　pumpkin　vine；　rooted　at　somedistance；　had　run　across　the　intervening　space；　and　deposited　one　ofits　gigantic　products　directly　beneath　the　hall…window；　as　if　towarn　the　Governor　that　this　great　lump　of　vegetable　gold　was　as　richan　ornament　as　New　England　earth　would　offer　him。　There　were　a　fewrose…bushes；　however；　and　a　number　of　apple…trees；　probably　thedescendants　of　those　planted　by　the　Reverend　Mr。　Blackstone；　the　firstsettler　of　the　peninsula；　that　half　mythological　personage；　whorides　through　our　early　annals；　seated　on　the　back　of　a　bull。　　Pearl；　seeing　the　rose…bushes；　began　to　cry　for　a　red　rose；　andwould　not　be　pacified。　　〃Hush；　child；　hush！〃　said　her　mother　earnestly。　〃Do　not　cry；　dearlittle　Pearl！　I　hear　voices　in　the　garden。　The　Governor　is　ing；　andgentlemen　along　with　him！〃　　In　fact；　adown　the　vista　of　the　garden　avenue；　a　number　of　personswere　seen　approaching　towards　the　house。　Pearl；　in　utter　scorn　ofher　mother's　attempt　to　quiet　her；　gave　an　eldritch　scream；　and　thenbecame　silent；　not　from　any　notion　of　obedience；　but　because　the　quickand　mobile　curiosity　of　her　disposition　was　excited　by　theappearance　of　these　new　personages。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　VIII。　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　ELF…CHILD　AND　THE　MINISTER。　　GOVERNOR　BELLINGHAM；　in　a　loose　gown　and　easy　cap…　much　as　elderlygentlemen　loved　to　endue　themselves　with；　in　their　domestic　privacy…walked　foremost；　and　appeared　to　be　showing　off　his　estate；　andexpatiating　on　his　projected　improvements。　The　wide　circumference　ofan　elaborate　ruff；　beneath　his　grey　beard；　in　the　antiquated　fashionof　King　James'　reign；　caused　his　head　to　look　not　a　little　like　thatof　John　the　Baptist　in　a　charger。　The　impression　made　by　his　aspect；so　rigid　and　severe；　and　frost…bitten　with　more　than　autumnal　age；　washardly　in　keeping　with　the　appliances　of　worldly　enjoyment　wherewithhe　had　evidently　done　his　utmost　to　surround　himself。　But　it　is　anerror　to　suppose　that　our　grave　forefathers…　though　accustomed　tospeak　and　think　of　human　existence　as　a　state　merely　of　trial　andwarfare；　and　though　unfeignedly　prepared　to　sacrifice　goods　and　lifeat　the　behest　of　duty…　made　it　a　matter　of　conscience　to　reject　suchmeans　of　fort；　or　even　luxury；　as　lay　fairly　within　their　grasp。This　creed　was　never　taught；　for　instance；　by　the　venerable　pastor；John　Wilson；　whose　beard；　white　as　a　snow…drift；　was　seen　overGovernor　Bellingham's　shoulder；　while　its　wearer　suggested　thatpears　and　peaches　might　yet　be　naturalised　in　the　New　England　climate；and　that　purple　grapes　might　possibly　be　pelled　to　flourish；against　the　sunny　garden…wall。　The　old　clergyman；　nurtured　at　the　richbosom　of　the　English　Church；　had　a　long…established　and　legitimatetaste　for　all　good　and　fortable　things；　and　however　stern　hemight　show　himself　in　the　pulpit；　or　in　his　public　reproof　of　suchtransgressions　as　that　of　Hester　Prynne；　still；　the　genial　benevolenceof　his　private　life　had　won　him　warmer　affection　than　was　accordedto　any　of　his　professional　contemporaries。　　Behind　the　Governor　and　Mr。　Wilson　came　two　other　guests；　one　theReverend　Arthur　Dimmesdale；　whom　the　reader　may　remember　as　havingtaken　a　brief　and　reluctant　part　in　the　scene　of　Hester　Prynne'sdisgrace；　and；　in　close　panionship　with　him；　old　RogerChillingworth；　a　person　of　great　skill　in　physic；　who；　for　two　orthree　years　past；　had　been　settled　in　the　town。　It　was　understood　thatthis　learned　man　was　the　physician　as　well　as　friend　of　the　youngminister；　whose　health　had　severely　suffered；　of　late；　by　his　toounreserved　self…sacrifice　to　the　labours　and　duties　of　the　pastoralrelation。　　The　Governor；　in　advance　of　his　visitors；　ascended　one　or　two　steps；and；　throwing　open　the　leaves　of　the　great　hall…window；　foundhimself　close　to　little　Pearl。　The　shadow　of　the　curtain　fell　onHester　Prynne；　and　partially　concealed　her。　　〃What　have　we　here？〃　said　Governor　Bellingham；　looking　with　surpriseat　the　scarlet　little　figure　before　him。　〃I　profess；　I　have　never　seenthe　like；　since　my　days　of　vanity；　in　old　King　James'　time；　when　I　waswont　to　esteem　it　a　high　favour　to　be　admitted　to　a　court　mask！There　used　to　be　a　swarm　of　these　small　apparitions；　in　holidaytime；　and　we　called　them　children　of　the　Lord　of　Misrule。　But　howgat　such　a　guest　into　my　hall？〃　　〃Ay；　indeed！〃　cried　good　old　Mr。　Wilson。　〃What　little　bird　ofscarlet　plumage　may　this　be？　Methinks　I　have　seen　just　such　figures；when　the　sun　has　been　shining　through　a　richly　painted　window；　andtracing　out　the　golden　and　crimson　images　across　the　floor。　But　thatwas　in　the　old　land。　Prithee；　young　one；　who　art　thou；　and　what　hasailed　thy　mother　to　bedizen　thee　in　this　strange　fashion？　Art　thou　aChristian　child…　ha？　Dost　know　thy　catechism？　Or　art　thou　one　of　thosenaughty　elfs　or　fairies；　whom　we　thought　to　have　left　behind　us；with　other　relics　of　Papistry；　in　merry　old　England？〃　　〃I　am　mother's　child；〃　answered　the　scarlet　vision；　〃and　my　nameis　Pearl！〃　　〃Pearl？…　Ruby；　rather！…　or　Coral！…　or　Red　Rose；　at　the　very　least；judging　from　thy　hue！〃　responded　the　old　minister；　putting　forth　hishand　in　a　vain　attempt　to　pat　little　Pearl　on　the　cheek。　〃But　where　isthis　mother　of　thine？　Ah！　I　see；〃　he　added；　and；　turning　to　GovernorBellingham；　w