第21部分(第5/7 頁)

e　of　his　race；　warm　love　of　souls；　pure　sentiments；natural　piety；　strengthened　by　thought　and　study；　and　illuminated　byrevelation…　all　of　which　invaluable　gold　was　perhaps　no　better　thanrubbish　to　the　seeker…　he　would　turn　back；　discouraged；　and　beginhis　quest　towards　another　point。　He　groped　along　as　stealthily；　withas　cautious　a　tread；　and　as　wary　an　outlook；　as　a　thief　entering　achamber　where　a　man　lies　only　half　asleep…　or；　it　may　be；　broad　awake…with　purpose　to　steal　the　very　treasure　which　this　man　guards　as　theapple　of　his　eye。　In　spite　of　his　premeditated　carefulness；　thefloor　would　now　and　then　creak；　his　garments　would　rustle；　theshadow　of　his　presence；　in　a　forbidden　proximity；　would　be　thrownacross　his　victim。　In　other　words；　Mr。　Dimmesdale；　whose　sensibilityof　nerve　often　produced　the　effect　of　spiritual　intuition；　wouldbee　vaguely　aware　that　something　inimical　to　his　peace　had　thrustitself　into　relation　with　him。　But　old　Roger　Chillingworth；　too；　hadperceptions　that　were　almost　intuitive；　and　when　the　minister　threwhis　startled　eyes　towards　him；　there　the　physician　sat；　his　kind；watchful；　sympathising；　but　never　intrusive　friend。 Yet　Mr。　Dimmesdale　would　perhaps　have　seen　this　individual'scharacter　more　perfectly；　if　a　certain　morbidness；　to　which　sickhearts　are　liable；　had　not　rendered　him　suspicious　of　all　mankind。Trusting　no　man　as　his　friend；　he　could　not　recognise　his　enemy　whenthe　latter　actually　appeared。　He　therefore　still　kept　up　a　familiarintercourse　with　him；　daily　receiving　the　old　physician　in　hisstudy；　or　visiting　the　laboratory；　and；　for　recreation's　sake；watching　the　processes　by　which　weeds　were　converted　into　drugs　ofpotency。 One　day；　leaning　his　forehead　on　his　hand；　and　his　elbow　on　the　sillof　the　open　window；　that　looked　towards　the