第28部分(第1/7 页)

tes　to　take　off　thisbadge。〃　calmly　replied　Hester。　〃Were　I　worthy　to　be　quit　of　it；　itwould　fall　away　of　its　own　nature；　or　be　transformed　into　somethingthat　should　speak　a　different　purport。〃 〃Nay；　then；　wear　it；　if　it　suit　you　better；〃　rejoined　he。　〃A　womanmust　needs　follow　her　own　fancy　touching　the　adornment　of　herperson。　The　letter　is　gaily　embroidered；　and　shows　right　bravely　onyour　bosom！〃 All　this　while；　Hester　had　been　looking　steadily　at　the　old　man；　andwas　shocked；　as　well　as　wonder…smitten；　to　discern　what　a　change　hadbeen　wrought　upon　him　within　the　past　seven　years。　It　was　not　somuch　that　he　had　grown　older；　for　though　the　traces　of　advancinglife　were　visible；　he　bore　his　age　well；　and　seemed　to　retain　a　wiryvigour　and　alertness。　But　the　former　aspect　of　an　intellectual　andstudious　man；　calm　and　quiet；　which　was　what　she　best　remembered　inhim；　had　altogether　vanished；　and　been　succeeded　by　an　eager；searching；　almost　fierce；　yet　carefully　guarded　look。　It　seemed　tobe　his　wish　and　purpose　to　mask　this　expression　with　a　smile；　butthe　latter　played　him　false；　and　flickered　over　his　visage　soderisively；　that　the　spectator　could　see　his　blackness　all　thebetter　for　it。　Ever　and　anon；　too；　there　came　a　glare　of　red　light　outof　his　eyes；　as　if　the　old　man's　soul　were　on　fire；　and　kept　onsmouldering　duskily　within　his　breast；　until；　by　some　casual　puff　ofpassion；　it　was　blown　into　a　momentary　flame。　This　he　repressed；　asspeedily　as　possible；　and　strove　to　look　as　if　nothing　of　the　kind　hadhappened。 In　a　word；　old　Roger　Chillingworth　was　a　striking　evidence　ofman's　faculty　of　transforming　himself　into　a　devil；　if　he　will　only；for　a　reasonable　space　of　time；　undertake　a　devil's　office。　Thisunhappy　person　had　effected　such　a　transformation；　by　devotinghimself；　f