第28部分(第3/7 頁)

　the　power　was　leftme　to　be　true！〃 〃What　choice　had　you？〃　asked　Roger　Chillingworth。　〃My　finger；pointed　at　this　man；　would　have　hurled　him　from　his　pulpit　into　adungeon…　thence；　peradventure；　to　the　gallows！〃 〃It　had　been　better　so！〃　said　Hester　Prynne。 〃What　evil　have　I　done　the　man？〃　asked　Roger　Chillingworth　again。　〃Itell　thee；　Hester　Prynne；　the　richest　fee　that　ever　physician　earnedfrom　monarch　could　not　have　bought　such　care　as　I　have　wasted　onthis　miserable　priest！　But　for　my　aid；　his　life　would　have　burned　awayin　torments；　within　the　first　two　years　after　the　perpetration　ofhis　crime　and　thine。　For；　Hester；　his　spirit　lacked　the　strengththat　could　have　borne　up；　as　thine　has；　beneath　a　burden　like　thyscarlet　letter。　Oh；　I　could　reveal　a　goodly　secret！　But　enough！　Whatart　can　do；　I　have　exhausted　on　him。　That　he　now　breathes；　andcreeps　upon　earth；　is　owing　all　to　me！〃 〃Better　he　had　died　at　once！〃　said　Hester　Prynne。 〃Yea；　woman；　thou　sayest　truly！〃　cried　old　Roger　Chillingworth；letting　the　lurid　fire　of　his　heart　blaze　out　before　her　eyes。　〃Betterhad　he　died　at　once！　Never　did　mortal　suffer　what　this　man　hassuffered。　And　all；　all；　in　the　sight　of　his　worst　enemy！　He　has　beenconscious　of　me。　He　has　felt　an　influence　dwelling　always　upon　himlike　a　curse。　He　knew；　by　some　spiritual　sense…　for　the　Creator　nevermade　another　being　so　sensitive　as　this…　he　knew　that　no　friendly　handwas　pulling　at　his　heart…strings；　and　that　an　eye　was　lookingcuriously　into　him；　which　sought　only　evil；　and　found　it。　But　heknew　not　that　the　eye　and　hand　were　mine！　With　the　superstition　monto　his　brotherhood；　he　fancied　himself　given　over　to　a　fiend；　to　betortured　with　frightful　dreams；　and　desperate　thoughts；　the　sting　ofremorse；　and　despair　of　pardon；　as　a　foretaste　of　what　awaits