第31部分(第2/7 頁)

d；　he　had　almost　gone　by；　beforeHester　Prynne　could　gather　voice　enough　to　attract　his　observation。　Atlength；　she　succeeded。 〃Arthur　Dimmesdale！〃　she　said；　faintly　at　first；　then　louder；　buthoarsely：　〃Arthur　Dimmesdale！〃 〃Who　speaks？〃　answered　the　minister。 Gathering　himself　quickly　up；　he　stood　more　erect；　like　a　mantaken　by　surprise　in　a　mood　to　which　he　was　reluctant　to　havewitnesses。　Throwing　his　eyes　anxiously　in　the　direction　of　thevoice；　he　indistinctly　beheld　a　form　under　the　trees；　clad　in　garmentsso；　sombre；　and　so　little　relieved　from　the　grey　twilight　into　whichthe　clouded　sky　and　the　heavy　foliage　had　darkened　the　noontide；that　he　knew　not　whether　it　were　a　woman　or　a　shadow。　It　may　be；that　his　pathway　through　life　was　haunted　thus；　by　a　spectre　thathad　stolen　out　from　among　his　thoughts。 He　made　a　step　nigher；　and　discovered　the　scarlet　letter。 〃Hester！　Hester　Prynne！〃　said　he。　〃Is　it　thou？　Art　thou　in　life？〃 〃Even　so！〃　she　answered。　〃In　such　life　as　has　been　mine　theseseven　years　past！　And　thou；　Arthur　Dimmesdale；　dost　thou　yet　live？〃 It　was　no　wonder　that　they　thus　questioned　one　another's　actualand　bodily　existence；　and　even　doubted　of　their　own。　So　strangelydid　they　meet；　in　the　dim　wood；　that　it　was　like　the　firstencounter；　in　the　world　beyond　the　grave；　of　two　spirits　who　hadbeen　intimately　connected　in　their　former　life；　but　now　stood　coldlyshuddering；　in　mutual　dread；　as　not　yet　familiar　with　their　state；　norwonted　to　the　panionship　of　disembodied　beings。　Each　a　ghost；　andawe…stricken　at　the　other　ghost！　They　were　awe…stricken　likewise　atthemselves；　because　the　crisis　flung　back　to　them　their　consciousness；and　revealed　to　each　heart　its　history　and　experience；　as　life　neverdoes；　except　at　such　breathless　epochs。　The　soul　beheld　its　featuresi