第17部分(第2/7 頁)

ed　toPearl's　beauty；　and　made　her　the　very　brightest　little　jet　of　flamethat　ever　danced　upon　the　earth。 But　it　was　a　remarkable　attribute　of　this　garb；　and；　indeed；　ofthe　child's　whole　appearance；　that　it　irresistibly　and　inevitablyreminded　the　beholder　of　the　token　which　Hester　Prynne　was　doomed　towear　upon　her　bosom。　It　was　the　scarlet　letter　in　another　form；　thescarlet　letter　endowed　with　life！　The　mother　herself…　as　if　the　redignominy　were　so　deeply　scorched　into　her　brain　that　all　herconceptions　assumed　its　form…　had　carefully　wrought　out　thesimilitude；　lavishing　many　hours　of　morbid　ingenuity；　to　create　ananalogy　between　the　object　of　her　affection　and　the　emblem　of　herguilt　and　torture。　But；　in　truth；　Pearl　was　the　one；　as　well　as　theother；　and　only　in　consequence　of　that　identity　had　Hester　contrivedso　perfectly　to　represent　the　scarlet　letter　in　her　appearance。 As　the　two　wayfarers　came　within　the　precincts　of　the　town；　thechildren　of　the　Puritans　looked　up　from　their　play…　or　what　passed　forplay　with　those　sombre　little　urchins…　and　spake　gravely　one　toanother… 〃Behold；　verily；　there　is　the　woman　of　the　scarlet　letter；　and；　of　atruth；　moreover；　there　is　the　likeness　of　the　scarlet　letter　runningalong　by　her　side！　e；　therefore；　and　let　us　fling　mud　at　them！〃 But　Pearl；　who　was　a　dauntless　child；　after　frowning；　stamping　herfoot；　and　shaking　her　little　hand　with　a　variety　of　threateninggestures；　suddenly　made　a　rush　at　the　knot　of　her　enemies；　and　putthem　all　to　flight。　She　resembled；　in　her　fierce　pursuit　of　them；　aninfant　pestilence…　the　scarlet　fever；　or　some　such　half…fledgedangel　of　judgment…　whose　mission　was　to　punish　the　sins　of　therising　generation。　She　screamed　and　shouted；　too；　with　a　terrificvolume　of　sound；　which；　doubtless；　caused　the　hearts　o