第23部分(第1/7 頁)

ed　the　threshold。 〃A　rare　case！〃　he　muttered。　〃I　must　needs　look　deeper　into　it。　Astrange　sympathy　betwixt　soul　and　body！　Were　it　only　for　the　art'ssake；　I　must　search　this　matter　to　the　bottom！〃 It　came　to　pass；　not　long　after　the　scene　above　recorded；　that　theReverend　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　at　noon…day；　and　entirely　unawares；　fell　intoa　deep；　deep　slumber；　sitting　in　his　chair；　with　a　largeblack…letter　volume　open　before　him　on　the　table。　It　must　have　beena　work　of　vast　ability　in　the　somniferous　school　of　literature。　Theprofound　depth　of　the　minister's　repose　was　the　more　remarkable；inasmuch　as　he　was　one　of　those　persons　whose　sleep；　ordinarily；　is　aslight；　as　fitful；　and　as　easily　scared　away；　as　a　small　bird　hoppingon　a　twig。　To　such　an　unwonted　remoteness；　however；　had　his　spirit　nowwithdrawn　into　itself；　that　he　stirred　not　in　his　chair；　when　oldRoger　Chillingworth；　without　any　extraordinary　precaution；　came　intothe　room。　The　physician　advanced　directly　in　front　of　his　patient；laid　his　hand　upon　his　bosom；　and　thrust　aside　the　vestment；　that；hitherto；　had　always　covered　it　even　from　the　professional　eye。 Then；　indeed；　Mr。　Dimmesdale　shuddered；　and　slightly　stirred。 After　a　brief　pause；　the　physician　turned　away。 But；　with　what　a　wild　look　of　wonder；　joy；　and　horror！　With　what　aghastly　rapture；　as　it　were；　too　mighty　to　be　expressed　only　by　theeye　and　features；　and　therefore　bursting　forth　through　the　wholeugliness　of　his　figure；　and　making　itself　even　riotously　manifest　bythe　extravagant　gestures　with　which　he　threw　up　his　arms　towards　theceiling；　and　stamped　his　foot　upon　the　floor！　Had　a　man　seen　old　RogerChillingworth；　at　that　moment　of　his　ecstasy；　he　would　have　had　noneed　to　ask　how　Satan　ports　himself；　when　a　precious　human　soulis　lost　to　heaven；　and　won