第21部分(第2/7 頁)

plete；　butprovided　with　a　distilling　apparatus；　and　the　means　of　poundingdrugs　and　chemicals；　which　the　practised　alchemist　knew　well　how　toturn　to　purpose。　With　such　modiousness　of　situation；　these　twolearned　persons　sat　themselves　down；　each　in　his　own　domain；　yetfamiliarly　passing　from　one　apartment　to　the　other；　and　bestowing　amutual　and　not　incurious　inspection　into　one　another's　business。 And　the　Reverend　Arthur　Dimmesdale's　best　discerning　friends；　aswe　have　intimated；　very　reasonably　imagined　that　the　hand　ofProvidence　had　done　all　this；　for　the　purpose…　besought　in　so　manypublic；　and　domestic；　and　secret　prayers…　of　restoring　the　youngminister　to　health。　But…　it　must　now　be　said…　another　portion　of　themunity　had　latterly　begun　to　take　its　own　view　of　the　relationbetwixt　Mr。　Dimmesdale　and　the　mysterious　old　physician。　When　anuninstructed　multitude　attempts　to　see　with　its　eyes；　it　isexceedingly　apt　to　be　deceived。　When；　however；　it　forms　itsjudgment；　as　it　usually　does；　on　the　intuitions　of　its　great　andwarm　heart；　the　conclusions　thus　attained　are　often　so　profound　and　sounerring；　as　to　possess　the　character　of　truths　supernaturallyrevealed。　The　people；　in　the　case　of　which　we　speak；　could　justify　itsprejudice　against　Roger　Chillingworth　by　no　fact　or　argument　worthy　ofserious　refutation。　There　was　an　aged　handicraftsman；　it　is　true；who　had　been　a　citizen　of　London　at　the　period　of　Sir　ThomasOverbury's　murder；　now　some　thirty　years　agone；　he　testified　to　havingseen　the　physician；　under　some　other　name；　which　the　narrator　of　thestory　had　now　forgotten；　in　pany　with　Doctor　Forman；　the　famous　oldconjurer；　who　was　implicated　in　the　affair　of　Overbury。　Two　or　threeindividuals　hinted；　that　the　man　of　skill；　during　his　Indiancaptivity；　had　enlarged　his　medical　attai