第29部分(第2/7 頁)

by　RogerChillingworth；　than　any　which　had　since　been　done　him；　that；　in　thetime　when　her　heart　knew　no　better；　he　had　persuaded　her　to　fancyherself　happy　by　his　side。 〃Yes；　I　hate　him！〃　repeated　Hester；　more　bitterly　than　before。　〃Hebetrayed　me！　He　has　done　me　worse　wrong　than　I　did　him！〃 Let　men　tremble　to　win　the　hand　of　woman；　unless　they　win　along　withit　the　utmost　passion　of　her　heart！　Else　it　may　be　their　miserablefortune；　as　it　was　Roger　Chillingworth's；　when　some　mightier　touchthan　their　own　may　have　awakened　all　her　sensibilities；　to　bereproached　even　for　the　calm　content；　the　marble　image　of　happiness；which　they　will　have　imposed　upon　her　as　the　warm　reality。　ButHester　ought　long　ago　to　have　done　with　this　injustice。　What　did　itbetoken？　Had　seven　long　years；　under　the　torture　of　the　scarletletter；　inflicted　so　much　of　misery；　and　wrought　out　no　repentance？ The　emotions　of　that　brief　space；　while　she　stood　gazing　after　thecrooked　figure　of　old　Roger　Chillingworth；　threw　a　dark　light　onHester's　state　of　mind；　revealing　much　that　she　might　not　otherwisehave　acknowledged　to　herself。 He　being　gone；　she　summoned　back　her　child。 〃Pearl！　Little　Pearl！　Where　are　you？〃 Pearl；　whose　activity　of　spirit　never　flagged；　had　been　at　no　lossfor　amusement　while　her　mother　talked　with　the　old　gatherer　ofherbs。　At　first；　as　already　told；　she　had　flirted　fancifully　withher　own　image　in　a　pool　of　water；　beckoning　the　phantom　forth；　and…　asit　declined　to　venture…　seeking　a　passage　for　herself　into　itssphere　of　impalpable　earth　and　unattainable　sky。　Soon　finding；however；　that　either　she　or　the　image　was　unreal；　she　turned　elsewherefor　better　pastime。　She　made　little　boats　out　of　birch…bark；　andfreighted　them　with　snail…shells；　and　sent　out　more　ventures　on　themighty　deep　than　a