第12部分(第4/7 頁)

d　were　it　my　child…yea；　mine　own；　as　well　as　thine！…　I　could　do　no　better　for　it。〃 As　she　still　hesitated；　being；　in　fact；　in　no　reasonable　state　ofmind；　he　took　the　infant　in　his　arms；　and　himself　administered　thedraught。　It　soon　proved　its　efficacy；　and　redeemed　the　leech's　pledge。The　moans　of　the　little　patient　subsided；　its　convulsive　tossingsgradually　ceased；　and；　in　a　few　moments；　as　is　the　custom　of　youngchildren　after　relief　from　pain；　it　sank　into　a　profound　and　dewyslumber。　The　physician；　as　he　had　a　fair　right　to　be　termed；　nextbestowed　his　attention　on　the　mother。　With　calm　and　intent　scrutiny；he　felt　her　pulse；　looked　into　her　eyes…　a　gaze　that　made　her　heartshrink　and　shudder；　because　so　familiar；　and　yet　so　strange　andcold…　and；　finally；　satisfied　with　his　investigation；　proceeded　tomingle　another　draught。 〃I　know　not　Lethe　nor　Nepenthe；〃　remarked　he；　〃but　I　have　learnedmany　new　secrets　in　the　wilderness；　and　here　is　one　of　them…　arecipe　that　an　Indian　taught　me；　in　requital　of　some　lessons　of　myown；　that　were　as　old　as　Paracelsus。　Drink　it！　It　may　be　less　soothingthan　a　sinless　conscience。　That　I　cannot　give　thee。　But　it　will　calmthe　swell　and　heaving　of　thy　passion；　like　oil　thrown　on　the　wavesof　a　tempestuous　sea。〃 He　presented　the　cup　to　Hester；　who　received　it　with　a　slow；　earnestlook　into　his　face；　not　precisely　a　look　of　fear；　yet　full　of　doubtand　questioning；　as　to　what　his　purposes　might　be。　She　looked　alsoat　her　slumbering　child。 〃I　have　thought　of　death；〃　said　she…　〃have　wished　for　it…　wouldeven　have　prayed　for　it；　were　it　fit　that　such　as　I　should　pray　foranything。　Yet；　if　death　be　in　this　cup；　I　bid　thee　think　again；　erethou　beholdest　me　quaff　it。　See！　It　is　even　now　at　my　lips。〃 〃Drink；　then；〃　replied　he；　still　with　the　same　cold　posure