第15部分(第2/7 頁)

to　be　finally　a　blessed　soul　inheaven！　Yet　these　thoughts　affected　Hester　Prynne　less　with　hopethan　apprehension。　She　knew　that　her　deed　had　been　evil；　she　couldhave　no　faith；　therefore；　that　its　result　would　be　good。　Day　afterday；　she　looked　fearfully　into　the　child's　expanding　nature；　everdreading　to　detect　some　dark　and　wild　peculiarity；　that　shouldcorrespond　with　the　guiltiness　to　which　she　owed　her　being。 Certainly；　there　was　no　physical　defect。　By　its　perfect　shape；　itsvigour；　and　its　natural　dexterity　in　the　use　of　all　its　untried　limbs；the　infant　was　worthy　to　have　been　brought　forth　in　Eden；　worthy　tohave　been　left　there；　to　be　the　plaything　of　the　angels　after　theworld's　first　parents　were　driven　out。　The　child　had　a　native　gracewhich　does　not　invariably　coexist　with　faultless　beauty；　its　attire；however　simple；　always　impressed　the　beholder　as　if　it　were　the　verygarb　that　precisely　became　it　best。　But　little　Pearl　was　not　clad　inrustic　weeds。　Her　mother；　with　a　morbid　purpose　that　may　be　betterunderstood　hereafter；　had　bought　the　richest　tissues　that　could　beprocured；　and　allowed　her　imaginative　faculty　its　full　play　in　thearrangement　and　decoration　of　the　dresses　which　the　child　wore；　beforethe　public　eye。　So　magnificent　was　the　small　figure；　when　thusarrayed；　and　such　was　the　splendour　of　Pearl's　own　proper　beauty；shining　through　the　gorgeous　robes　which　might　have　extinguished　apaler　loveliness；　that　there　was　an　absolute　circle　of　radiance　aroundher；　on　the　darksome　cottage　floor。　And　yet　a　russet　gown；　torn　andsoiled　with　the　child's　rude　play；　made　a　picture　of　her　just　asperfect。　Pearl's　aspect　was　imbued　with　a　spell　of　infinite　variety；in　this　one　child　there　were　many　children；　prehending　the　fullscope　between　the　wild…flower　prettiness　of　a　peasant