第36部分(第1/7 页)

ch　hung　its　snowycurtains　about　his　image；　imparting　to　religion　the　warmth　of　love；and　to　love　a　religious　purity。　Satan；　that　afternoon；　had　surelyled　the　poor　young　girl　away　from　her　mother's　side；　and　thrown　herinto　the　pathway　of　this　sorely　tempted；　or…　shall　we　not　rather　say？…this　lost　and　desperate　man。　As　she　drew　nigh；　the　arch…fiendwhispered　him　to　condense　into　small　pass　and　drop　into　hertender　bosom　a　germ　of　evil　that　would　be　sure　to　blossom　darkly　soon；and　bear　black　fruit　betimes。　Such　was　his　sense　of　power　over　thisvirgin　soul；　trusting　him　as　she　did；　that　the　minister　felt　potent　toblight　all　the　field　of　innocence　with　but　one　wicked　look；　anddevelop　all　its　opposite　with　but　a　word。　So…　with　a　mightier　strugglethan　he　had　yet　sustained…　he　held　his　Geneva　cloak　before　his　face；and　hurried　onward；　making　no　sign　of　recognition；　and　leaving　theyoung　sister　to　digest　his　rudeness　as　she　might。　She　ransacked　herconscience…　which　was　full　of　harmless　little　matters；　like　herpocket；　or　her　workbag…　and　took　herself　to　task；　poor　thing！　for　athousand　imaginary　faults；　and　went　about　her　household　duties　withswollen　eyelids　the　next　morning。 Before　the　minister　had　time　to　celebrate　his　victory　over　this　lasttemptation；　he　was　conscious　of　another　impulse；　more　ludicrous；　andalmost　as　horrible。　It　was…　we　blush　to　tell　it…　it　was　to　stopshort　in　the　road；　and　teach　some　very　wicked　words　to　a　knot　oflittle　Puritan　children　who　were　playing　there；　and　had　but　just　begunto　talk。　Denying　himself　this　freak；　as　unworthy　of　his　cloth；　hemet　a　drunken　seaman；　one　of　the　ship's　crew　from　the　Spanish　Main。And　here；　since　he　had　so　valiantly　forborne　all　other　wickedness；poor　Mr。　Dimmesdale　longed；　at　least　to　shake　hands　with　the　tarryblackguard；　and　recr