第32部分(第6/7 頁)

ranged；　but　outlawed；　from　society；had　habituated　herself　to　such　latitude　of　speculation　as　wasaltogether　foreign　to　the　clergyman。　She　had　wandered；　without　rule　orguidance；　in　a　moral　wilderness；　as　vast；　as　intricate　and　shadowy；　asthe　untamed　forest；　amid　the　gloom　of　which　they　were　now　holding　acolloquy　that　was　to　decide　their　fate。　Her　intellect　and　heart　hadtheir　home；　as　it　were；　in　desert　places；　where　she　roamed　as　freelyas　the　wild　Indian　in　his　woods。　For　years　past　she　had　looked　fromthis　estranged　point　of　view　at　human　institutions；　and　whateverpriests　or　legislators　had　established；　criticising　all　with　hardlymore　reverence　than　the　Indian　would　feel　for　the　clerical　band；　thejudicial　robe；　the　pillory；　the　gallows；　the　fireside；　or　thechurch。　The　tendency　of　her　fate　and　fortunes　had　been　to　set　herfree。　The　scarlet　letter　was　her　passport　into　regions　where　otherwomen　dared　not　tread。　Shame；　Despair；　Solitude！　These　had　been　herteachers…　stern　and　wild　ones…　and　they　had　made　her　strong；　buttaught　her　much　amiss。 The　minister；　on　the　other　hand；　had　never　gone　through　anexperience　calculated　to　lead　him　beyond　the　scope　of　generallyreceived　laws；　although；　in　a　single　instance；　he　had　so　fearfullytransgressed　one　of　the　most　sacred　of　them。　But　this　had　been　a　sinof　passion；　not　of　principle；　nor　even　purpose。　Since　that　wretchedepoch；　he　had　watched；　with　morbid　zeal　and　minuteness；　not　hisacts…　for　those　it　was　easy　to　arrange…　but　each　breath　of　emotion；and　his　every　thought。　At　the　head　of　the　social　system；　as　theclergyman　of　that　day　stood；　he　was　only　the　more　trammelled　by　itsregulations；　its　principles；　and　even　its　prejudices。　As　a　priest；　theframework　of　his　order　inevitably　hemmed　him　in。　As　a　man　who　had　oncesinned；　but　who　kept　his　co