第12部分(第1/7 页)

rt；　had　awaited　the　result　of　hisappeal。　He　now　drew　back；　with　a　long　respiration。　〃Wondrousstrength　and　generosity　of　a　woman's　heart！　She　will　not　speak！〃 Discerning　the　impractible　state　of　the　poor　culprit's　mind；　theelder　clergyman；　who　had　carefully　prepared　himself　for　theoccasion；　addressed　to　the　multitude　a　discourse　on　sin；　in　all　itsbranches；　but　with　continual　reference　to　the　ignominious　letter。　Soforcibly　did　he　dwell　upon　this　symbol；　for　the　hour　or　more　duringwhich　his　periods　were　rolling　over　the　people's　heads；　that　itassumed　new　terrors　in　their　imagination；　and　seemed　to　derive　itsscarlet　hue　from　the　flames　of　the　infernal　pit。　Hester　Prynne；meanwhile；　kept　her　place　upon　the　pedestal　of　shame；　with　glazedeyes；　and　an　air　of　weary　indifference。　She　had　borne；　that　morning；all　that　nature　could　endure；　and　as　her　temperament　was　not　of　theorder　that　escapes　from　too　intense　suffering　by　a　swoon；　her　spiritcould　only　shelter　itself　beneath　a　stony　crust　of　insensibility；while　the　faculties　of　animal　life　remained　entire。　In　this　state；　thevoice　of　the　preacher　thundered　remorselessly；　but　unavailingly；upon　her　ears。　The　infant；　during　the　latter　portion　of　her　ordeal；pierced　the　air　with　its　wailings　and　screams；　she　strove　to　hushit；　mechanically；　but　seemed　scarcely　to　sympathise　with　itstrouble。　With　the　same　hard　demeanour；　she　was　led　back　to　prison；　andvanished　from　the　public　gaze　within　its　iron…clamped　portal。　It　waswhispered；　by　those　who　peered　after　her；　that　the　scarlet　letterthrew　a　lurid　gleam　along　the　dark　passage…way　of　the　interior。 IV。 THE　INTERVIEW。 AFTER　her　return　to　the　prison；　Hester　Prynne　was　found　to　be　in　astate　of　nervous　excitement　that　demanded　constant　watchfu