第26部分(第4/7 頁)

。　The　links　that　united　herto　the　rest　of　human　kind…　links　of　flowers；　or　silk；　or　gold；　orwhatever　the　material…　had　all　been　broken。　Here　was　the　iron　linkof　mutual　crime；　which　neither　he　nor　she　could　break。　Like　allother　ties；　it　brought　along　with　it　its　obligations。 Hester　Prynne　did　not　now　occupy　precisely　the　same　position　inwhich　we　beheld　her　during　the　earlier　periods　of　her　ignominy。Years　had　e　and　gone。　Pearl　was　now　seven　years　old。　Her　mother；with　the　scarlet　letter　on　her　breast；　glittering　in　its　fantasticembroidery；　had　long　been　a　familiar　object　to　the　townspeople。　Asis　apt　to　be　the　case　when　a　person　stands　out　in　any　prominencebefore　the　munity；　and；　at　the　same　time；　interferes　neither　withpublic　nor　individual　interests　and　convenience；　a　species　ofgeneral　regard　had　ultimately　grown　up　in　reference　to　HesterPrynne。　It　is　to　the　credit　of　human　nature；　that；　except　where　itsselfishness　is　brought　into　play；　it　loves　more　readily　than　it　hates。Hatred；　by　a　gradual　and　quiet　process；　will　even　be　transformed　tolove；　unless　the　change　be　impeded　by　a　continually　new　irritationof　the　original　feeling　of　hostility。　In　this　matter　of　Hester　Prynne；there　was　neither　irritation　nor　irksomeness。　She　never　battled　withthe　public；　but　submitted；　unplainingly；　to　its　worst　usage；　shemade　no　claim　upon　it；　in　requital　for　what　she　suffered；　she　didnot　weigh　upon　its　sympathies。　Then；　also；　the　blameless　purity　of　herlife　during　all　these　years　in　which　she　had　been　set　apart　to　infamy；was　reckoned　largely　in　her　favour。　With　nothing　now　to　lose；　in　thesight　of　mankind；　and　with　no　hope；　and　seemingly　no　wish；　ofgaining　anything；　it　could　only　be　a　genuine　regard　for　virtue　thathad　brought　back　the　poor　wanderer　to　its　paths。 It　was　perceived；　too；　that