第29部分(第6/7 頁)

he　enigma　of　the　scarletletter　seemed　an　innate　quality　of　her　being。　From　the　earliestepoch　of　her　conscious　life；　she　had　entered　upon　this　as　herappointed　mission。　Hester　had　often　fancied　that　Providence　had　adesign　of　justice　and　retribution；　in　endowing　the　child　with　thismarked　propensity；　but　never；　until　now；　had　she　bethought　herselfto　ask；　whether；　linked　with　that　design；　there　might　not　likewisebe　a　purpose　of　mercy　and　beneficence。　If　little　Pearl　wereentertained　with　faith　and　trust；　as　a　spirit　messenger　no　less　thanan　earthly　child；　might　it　not　be　her　errand　to　soothe　away　the　sorrowthat　lay　cold　in　her　mother's　heart；　and　converted　it　into　a　tomb？…and　to　help　her　to　overe　the　passion；　once　so　wild；　and　even　yetneither　dead　nor　asleep；　but　only　imprisoned　within　the　same　tomb…likeheart？ Such　were　some　of　the　thoughts　that　now　stirred　in　Hester's　mind；with　as　much　vivacity　of　impression　as　if　they　had　actually　beenwhispered　into　her　ear。　And　there　was　little　Pearl；　all　this　while；holding　her　mother's　hand　in　both　her　own；　and　turning　her　faceupward；　while　she　put　these　searching　questions；　once；　and　again；and　still　a　third　time。 〃What　does　the　letter　mean；　mother？…　and　why　dost　thou　wear　it？…　andwhy　does　the　minister　keep　his　hand　over　his　heart？〃 〃What　shall　I　say？〃　thought　Hester　to　herself。　〃No！　If　this　be　theprice　of　the　child's　sympathy；　I　cannot　pay　it。〃 Then　she　spoke　aloud。 〃Silly　Pearl；〃　said　she；　〃what　questions　are　these？　There　are　manythings　in　this　world　that　a　child　must　not　ask　about。　What　know　I　ofthe　minister's　heart？　And　as　for　the　scarlet　letter；　I　wear　it　for　thesake　of　its　gold　thread。〃 In　all　the　seven　bygone　years；　Hester　Prynne　had　never　before　beenfalse　to　the　symbol　on　her　bosom。　It　may　be　that　it　was　the　talismanof　a　ste