第27部分(第2/7 頁)

ever　dream　of　clasping　in　its　embrace；　nothing　inHester's　bosom；　to　make　it　ever　again　the　pillow　of　Affection。　Someattribute　had　departed　from　her；　the　permanence　of　which　had　beenessential　to　keep　her　a　woman。　Such　is　frequently　the　fate；　and　suchthe　stern　development；　of　the　feminine　character　and　person；　whenthe　woman　has　encountered；　and　lived　through；　an　experience　ofpeculiar　severity。　If　she　be　all　tenderness；　she　will　die。　If　shesurvive；　the　tenderness　will　either　be　crushed　out　of　her；　or…　and　theoutward　semblance　is　the　same…　crushed　so　deeply　into　her　heart　thatit　can　never　show　itself　more。　The　latter　is　perhaps　the　truesttheory。　She　who　has　once　been　woman；　and　ceased　to　be　so；　might　at　anymoment　bee　a　woman　again；　if　there　were　only　the　magic　touch　toeffect　the　transfiguration。　We　shall　see　whether　Hester　Prynne　wereafterwards　so　touched；　and　so　transfigured。 Much　of　the　marble　coldness　of　Hester's　impression　was　to　beattributed　to　the　circumstance；　that　her　life　had　turned；　in　a　greatmeasure；　from　passion　and　feeling；　to　thought。　Standing　alone　in　theworld…　alone；　as　to　any　dependence　on　society；　and　with　little　Pearlto　be　guided　and　protected…　alone；　and　hopeless　of　retrieving　herposition；　even　had　she　not　scorned　to　consider　it　desirable…　shecast　away　the　fragments　of　a　broken　chain。　The　world's　law　was　nolaw　for　her　mind。　It　was　an　age　in　which　the　human　intellect；　newlyemancipated；　had　taken　a　more　active　and　a　wider　range　than　for　manycenturies　before。　Men　of　the　sword　had　overthrown　nobles　and　kings。Men　bolder　than　these　had　overthrown　and　rearranged…　not　actually；　butwithin　the　sphere　of　theory；　which　was　their　most　real　abode…　thewhole　system　of　ancient　prejudice；　wherewith　was　linked　much　ofancient　principle。　Hester　Prynne　imbibed　this　spirit。　S