第15部分(第5/7 頁)

look　appeared　in　her　wild；bright；　deeply　black　eyes；　it　invested　her　with　a　strange　remotenessand　intangibility；　it　was　as　if　she　were　hovering　in　the　air　and　mightvanish；　like　a　glimmering　light；　that　es　we　know　not　whence；　andgoes　we　know　not　whither。　Beholding　it；　Hester　was　constrained　to　rushtowards　the　child…　to　pursue　the　little　elf　in　the　flight　which　sheinvariably　began…　to　snatch　her　to　her　bosom；　with　a　close　pressureand　earnest　kisses…　not　so　much　from　overflowing　love；　as　to　assureherself　that　Pearl　was　flesh　and　blood；　and　not　utterly　delusive。But　Pearl's　laugh；　when　she　was　caught；　though　full　of　merriment　andmusic；　made　her　mother　more　doubtful　than　before。 Heart…smitten　at　this　bewildering　and　baffling　spell；　that　sooften　came　between　herself　and　her　sole　treasure；　whom　she　hadbought　so　dear；　and　who　was　all　her　world；　Hester　sometimes　burst　intopassionate　tears。　Then；　perhaps…　for　there　was　no　foreseeing　how　itmight　affect　her…　Pearl　would　frown；　and　clench　her　little　fist；　andharden　her　small　features　into　a　stern；　unsympathising　look　ofdiscontent。　Not　seldom；　she　would　laugh　anew；　and　louder　thanbefore；　like　a　thing　incapable　and　unintelligent　of　human　sorrow。Or…　but　this　more　rarely　happened…　she　would　be　convulsed　with　arage　of　grief；　and　sob　out　her　love　for　her　mother；　in　broken　words；and　seem　intent　on　proving　that　she　had　a　heart；　by　breaking　it。　YetHester　was　hardly　safe　in　confiding　herself　to　that　gustytenderness；　it　passed；　as　suddenly　as　it　came。　Brooding　over　all　thesematters；　the　mother　felt　like　one　who　has　evoked　a　spirit；　but；　bysome　irregularity　in　the　process　of　conjuration；　has　failed　to　win　themaster…word　that　should　control　this　new　and　inprehensibleintelligence。　Her　only　real　fort　was　when　the　child　lay　in　theplacidity　of　sleep