第12部分(第6/7 頁)

l　deformity　in　a　young　girl's　fantasy！　Men　call　me　wise。　Ifsages　were　ever　wise　in　their　own　behoof；　I　might　have　foreseen　allthis。　I　might　have　known　that；　as　I　came　out　of　the　vast　and　dismalforest；　and　entered　this　settlement　of　Christian　men；　the　very　firstobject　to　meet　my　eyes　would　be　thyself；　Hester　Prynne；　standing　up；　astatue　of　ignominy；　before　the　people。　Nay；　from　the　moment　when　wecame　down　the　old　churchsteps　together；　a　married　pair；　I　might　havebeheld　the　bale…fire　of　that　scarlet　letter　blazing　at　the　end　ofour　path！〃 〃Thou　knowest；〃　said　Hester…　for；　depressed　as　she　was；　she　couldnot　endure　this　last　quiet　stab　at　the　token　of　her　shame… 〃thouknowest　that　I　was　frank　with　thee。　I　felt　no　love；　nor　feigned　any。〃 〃True；〃　replied　he。　〃It　was　my　folly！　I　have　said　it。　But；　up　tothat　epoch　of　my　life；　I　had　lived　in　vain。　The　world　had　been　socheerless！　My　heart　was　a　habitation　large　enough　for　many　guests；　butlonely　and　chill；　and　without　a　household　fire。　I　longed　to　kindleone！　It　seemed　not　so　wild　a　dream…　old　as　I　was；　and　sombre　as　I　was；and　misshapen　as　I　was…　that　the　simple　bliss；　which　is　scatteredfar　and　wide；　for　all　mankind　to　gather　up；　might　yet　be　mine。　And　so；Hester；　I　drew　thee　into　my　heart；　into　its　innermost　chamber；　andsought　to　warm　thee　by　the　warmth　which　thy　presence　made　there！〃 〃I　have　greatly　wronged　thee；〃　murmured　Hester。 〃We　have　wronged　each　other；〃　answered　he。　〃Mine　was　the　firstwrong；　when　I　betrayed　thy　budding　youth　into　a　false　and　unnaturalrelation　with　my　decay。　Therefore；　as　a　man　who　has　not　thought　andphilosophised　in　vain；　I　seek　no　vengeance；　plot　no　evil　against　thee。Between　thee　and　me　the　scale　hangs　fairly　balanced。　But；　Hester；the　man　lives　who　has　wronged　us　both！　Who　is　he？〃 〃Ask　me　not！〃　replied