第26部分(第3/7 頁)

tan　saw　fit　to　steal　it；　your　reverence　must　needshandle　him　without　gloves；　henceforward；〃　remarked　the　old　sexton；grimly　smiling。　〃But　did　your　reverence　hear　of　the　portent　that　wasseen　last　night？…　a　great　red　letter　in　the　sky…　the　letter　A；　whichwe　interpret　to　stand　for　Angel。　For；　as　our　good　Governor　Winthropwas　made　an　angel　this　past　night；　it　was　doubtless　held　fit　thatthere　should　be　some　notice　thereof！〃 〃No；〃　answered　the　minister；　〃I　had　not　heard　of　it。〃 XIII。 ANOTHER　VIEW　OF　HESTER。 IN　her　late　singular　interview　with　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　Hester　Prynnewas　shocked　at　the　condition　to　which　she　found　the　clergyman　reduced。His　nerve　seemed　absolutely　destroyed。　His　moral　force　was　abased　intomore　than　childish　weakness。　It　grovelled　helpless　on　the　ground；　evenwhile　his　intellectual　faculties　retained　their　pristine　strength；or　had　perhaps　acquired　a　morbid　energy；　which　disease　only　could　havegiven　them。　With　her　knowledge　of　a　train　of　circumstances　hidden　fromall　others；　she　could　readily　infer　that；　besides　the　legitimateaction　of　his　own　conscience；　a　terrible　machinery　had　been　brought　tobear；　and　was　still　operating；　on　Mr。　Dimmesdale's　well…being　andrepose。　Knowing　what　this　poor　fallen　man　had　once　been；　her　wholesoul　was　moved　by　the　shuddering　terror　with　which　he　had　appealedto　her…　the　outcast　woman…　for　support　against　his　instinctivelydiscovered　enemy。　She　decided；　moreover；　that　he　had　a　right　to　herutmost　aid。　Little　accustomed；　in　her　long　seclusion　from　society；to　measure　her　ideas　of　right　and　wrong　by　any　standard　external　toherself；　Hester　saw…　or　seemed　to　see…　that　there　lay　aresponsibility　upon　her；　in　reference　to　the　clergyman；　which　she　owedto　no　other；　nor　to　the　whole　world　besides