第35部分(第4/7 頁)

；　the　beards　of　the　aged　were　no　whiter；　nor　could　thecreeping　babe　of　yesterday　walk　on　his　feet　to…day；　it　wasimpossible　to　describe　in　what　respect　they　differed　from　theindividuals　on　whom　he　had　so　recently　bestowed　a　parting　glance；and　yet　the　minister's　deepest　sense　seemed　to　inform　him　of　theirmutability。　A　similar　impression　struck　him　most　remarkably；　as　hepassed　under　the　walls　of　his　own　church。　The　edifice　had　so　verystrange；　and　yet　so　familiar；　an　aspect；　that　Mr。　Dimmesdale's　mindvibrated　between　two　ideas；　either　that　he　had　seen　it　only　in　a　dreamhitherto；　or　that　he　was　merely　dreaming　about　it　now。 This　phenomenon；　in　the　various　shapes　which　it　assumed；　indicatedno　external　change；　but　so　sudden　and　important　a　change　in　thespectator　of　the　familiar　scene；　that　the　intervening　space　of　asingle　day　had　operated　on　his　consciousness　like　the　lapse　ofyears。　The　minister's　own　will；　and　Hester's　will；　and　the　fate　thatgrew　between　them；　had　wrought　this　transformation。　It　was　the　sametown　as　heretofore；　but　the　same　minister　returned　not　from　theforest。　He　might　have　said　to　the　friends　who　greeted　him；　〃I　am　notthe　man　for　whom　you　take　me！　I　left　him　yonder　in　the　forest；withdrawn　into　a　secret　dell；　by　a　mossy　tree…trunk；　and　near　amelancholy　brook！　Go；　seek　your　minister；　and　see　if　his　emaciatedfigure；　his　thin　cheek；　his　white；　heavy；　pain…wrinkled　brow；　be　notflung　down　there；　like　a　cast…off　garment！〃　His　friends；　no　doubt；would　still　have　insisted　with　him…　〃Thou　art　thyself　the　man！〃…　butthe　error　would　have　been　their　own；　not　his。 Before　Mr。　Dimmesdale　reached　home；　his　inner　man　gave　him　otherevidences　of　a　revolution　in　the　sphere　of　thought　and　feeling。　Intruth；　nothing　short　of　a　total　change　of　dynasty　and　moral　code；　inthat　interior