第16部分(第3/7 頁)

mother；　smile　with　sprite…like　intelligence；　and　resume　her　play。 One　peculiarity　of　the　child's　deportment　remains　yet　to　be　told。The　very　first　thing　which　she　had　noticed；　in　her　life；　was…　what？…not　the　mother's　smile；　responding　to　it；　as　other　babies　do；　bythat　faint；　embryo　smile　of　the　little　mouth；　remembered　so　doubtfullyafterwards；　and　with　such　fond　discussion　whether　it　were　indeed　asmile。　By　no　means！　But　that　first　object　of　which　Pearl　seemed　tobee　aware　was…　shall　we　say　it？…　the　scarlet　letter　on　Hester'sbosom！　One　day；　as　her　mother　stooped　over　the　cradle；　the　infant'seyes　had　been　caught　by　the　glimmering　of　the　gold　embroidery　aboutthe　letter；　and；　putting　up　her　little　hand；　she　grasped　at　it；smiling；　not　doubtfully；　but　with　a　decided　gleam；　that　gave　herface　the　look　of　a　much　older　child。　Then；　gasping　for　breath；　didHester　Prynne　clutch　the　fatal　token；　instinctively　endeavouring　totear　it　away；　so　infinite　was　the　torture　inflicted　by　the　intelligenttouch　of　Pearl's　baby　hand。　Again；　as　if　her　mother's　agonised　gesturewere　meant　only　to　make　sport　for　her；　did　little　Pearl　look　intoher　eyes；　and　smile！　From　that　epoch；　except　when　the　child　wasasleep；　Hester　had　never　felt　a　moment's　safety；　not　a　moment's　calmenjoyment　of　her。　Weeks；　it　is　true；　would　sometimes　elapse；　duringwhich　Pearl's　gaze　might　never　once　be　fixed　upon　the　scarletletter；　but　then；　again；　it　would　e　at　unawares；　like　the　stroke　ofsudden　death；　and　always　with　that　peculiar　smile；　and　oddexpression　of　the　eyes。 Once；　this　freakish；　elvish　cast　came　into　the　child's　eyes；　whileHester　was　looking　at　her　own　image　in　them；　as　mothers　are　fond　ofdoing；　and；　suddenly…　for　women　in　solitude；　and　with　troubled　hearts；are　pestered　with　unaccountable　delusions…　she　fancied　that