第15部分(第1/7 頁)

was　guilty　like　herself。 The　vulgar；　who；　in　those　dreary　old　times；　were　always　contributinga　grotesque　horror　to　what　interested　their　imaginations；　had　astory　about　the　scarlet　letter　which　we　might　readily　work　up　into　aterrific　legend。　They　averred；　that　the　symbol　was　not　mere　scarletcloth；　tinged　in　an　earthly　dye…pot；　but　was　red…hot　with　infernalfire；　and　could　be　seen　glowing　all　alight；　whenever　Hester　Prynnewalked　abroad　in　the　night…time。　And　we　must　needs　say；　it　searedHester's　bosom　so　deeply；　that　perhaps　there　was　more　truth　in　therumour　than　our　modern　incredulity　may　be　inclined　to　admit。 VI。 PEARL。 WE　have　as　yet　hardly　spoken　of　the　infant；　that　little　creature；whose　innocent　life　had　sprung；　by　the　inscrutable　decree　ofProvidence；　a　lovely　and　immortal　flower；　out　of　the　rank　luxurianceof　a　passion。　How　strange　it　seemed　to　the　sad　woman；　as　she　watchedthe　growth；　and　the　beauty　that　became　every　day　more　brilliant；　andthe　intelligence　that　threw　its　quivering　sunshine　over　the　tinyfeatures　of　this　child！　Her　Pearl！…　For　so　had　Hester　called　her；not　as　a　name　expressive　of　her　aspect；　which　had　nothing　of　the　calm；white；　unimpassioned　lustre　that　would　be　indicated　by　the　parison。But　she　named　the　infant　〃Pearl；〃　as　being　of　great　price…　purchasedwith　all　she　had…　her　mother's　only　treasure！　How　strange；　indeed！　Manhad　marked　this　woman's　sin　by　a　scarlet　letter；　which　had　such　potentand　disastrous　efficacy　that　no　human　sympathy　could　reach　her；　saveit　were　sinful　like　herself。　God；　as　a　direct　consequence　of　the　sinwhich　man　thus　punished；　had　given　her　a　lovely　child；　whose　place　wason　that　same　dishonoured　bosom；　to　connect　her　parent　for　ever　withthe　race　and　descent　of　mortals；　and