第34部分(第1/7 页)

strange…　no　passion　nor　eagerness…　in　thy　wayof　accosting　her；〃　whispered　Hester。　〃Our　Pearl　is　a　fitful　andfantastic　little　elf；　sometimes。　Especially；　she　is　seldom　tolerant　ofemotion；　when　she　does　not　fully　prehend　the　why　and　wherefore。　Butthe　child　hath　strong　affections！　She　loves　me；　and　will　love　thee！〃 〃Thou　canst　not　think；〃　said　the　minister；　glancing　aside　atHester　Prynne；　〃how　my　heart　dreads　this　interview；　and　yearns　for　it！But；　in　truth；　as　I　already　told　thee；　children　are　not　readily　won　tobe　familiar　with　me。　They　will　not　climb　my　knee；　nor　prattle　in　myear；　nor　answer　to　my　smile；　but　stand　apart；　and　eye　me　strangely。Even　little　babes；　when　I　take　them　in　my　arms；　weep　bitterly。　YetPearl；　twice　in　her　little　lifetime；　hath　been　kind　to　me！　The　firsttime…　thou　knowest　it　well！　The　last　was　when　thou　ledst　her　with　theeto　the　house　of　yonder　stern　old　Governor。〃 〃And　thou　didst　plead　so　bravely　in　her　behalf　and　mine！〃　answeredthe　mother。　〃I　remember　it；　and　so　shall　little　Pearl。　Fear　nothing！She　may　be　strange　and　shy　at　first；　but　will　soon　learn　to　lovethee！〃 By　this　time　Pearl　had　reached　the　margin　of　the　brook；　and　stood　onthe　farther　side；　gazing　silently　at　Hester　and　the　clergyman；　whostill　sat　together　on　the　mossy　tree…trunk；　waiting　to　receive　her。Just　where　she　had　paused；　the　brook　chanced　to　form　a　pool；　so　smoothand　quiet　that　it　reflected　a　perfect　image　of　her　little　figure；　withall　the　brilliant　picturesqueness　of　her　beauty；　in　its　adornment　offlowers　and　wreathed　foliage；　but　more　refined　and　spiritualisedthan　the　reality。　This　image；　so　nearly　identical　with　the　livingPearl；　seemed　to　municate　somewhat　of　its　own　shadowy　andintangible　quality　to　the　child　herself。　It　was　strange；　the　way　inwhich　Pearl　stood；　looking　so