第27部分(第5/7 頁)

red　worthy　of　any　exertion　andsacrifice　for　its　attainment。　She　had　witnessed　the　intense　miserybeneath　which　the　minister　struggled；　or；　to　speak　more　accurately；had　ceased　to　struggle。　She　saw　that　he　stood　on　the　verge　oflunacy；　if　he　had　not　already　stepped　across　it。　It　was　impossibleto　doubt；　that；　whatever　painful　efficacy　there　might　be　in　the　secretsting　of　remorse；　a　deadlier　venom　had　been　infused　into　it　by　thehand　that　proffered　relief。　A　secret　enemy　had　been　continually　by　hisside；　under　the　semblance　of　a　friend　and　helper；　and　had　availedhimself　of　the　opportunities　thus　afforded　for　tampering　with　thedelicate　springs　of　Mr。　Dimmesdale's　nature。　Hester　could　not　butask　herself；　whether　there　had　not　originally　been　a　defect　oftruth；　courage；　and　loyalty；　on　her　own　part；　in　allowing　the　ministerto　be　thrown　into　a　position　where　so　much　evil　was　to　be　foreboded；and　nothing　auspicious　to　be　hoped。　Her　only　justification　lay　inthe　fact；　that　she　had　been　able　to　discern　no　method　of　rescuinghim　from　a　blacker　ruin　than　had　overwhelmed　herself；　except　byacquiescing　in　Roger　Chillingworth's　scheme　of　disguise。　Under　thatimpulse；　she　had　made　her　choice；　and　had　chosen；　as　it　nowappeared；　the　more　wretched　alternative　of　the　two。　She　determinedto　redeem　her　error；　so　far　as　it　might　yet　be　possible。Strengthened　by　years　of　hard　and　solemn　trial；　she　felt　herself　nolonger　so　inadequate　to　cope　with　Roger　Chillingworth　as　on　thatnight；　abased　by　sin；　and　half　maddened　by　the　ignominy　that　was　stillnew；　when　they　had　talked　together　in　the　prison…chamber。　She　hadclimbed　her　way；　since　then；　to　a　higher　point。　The　old　man；　on　theother　hand；　had　brought　himself　nearer　to　her　level；　or　perhapsbelow　it；　by　the　revenge　which　he　had　stooped　for。 In　fine；　Hester　Pryn