红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)- 第6部分

ts…　had　gone　equally　to　oblivion；　and　that；　moreover；　withoutserving　a　purpose　in　their　day；　as　these　heaped…up　papers　had；　and…saddest　of　all…　without　purchasing　for　their　writers　the　fortablelivelihood　which　the　clerks　of　the　Custom…House　had　gained　by　theseworthless　scratchings　of　the　pen！　Yet　not　altogether　worthless；perhaps；　as　materials　of　local　history。　Here；　no　doubt；　statisticsof　the　former　merce　of　Salem　might　be　discovered；　and　memorialsof　her　princely　merchants…　old　King　Derby；　old　Billy　Gray；　old　SimonForrester；　and　many　another　magnate　in　his　day…　whose　powdered　head；however；　was　scarcely　in　the　tomb；　before　his　mountain…pile　ofwealth　began　to　dwindle。　The　founders　of　the　greater　part　of　thefamilies　which　now　pose　the　aristocracy　of　Salem　might　here　betraced；　from　the　petty　and　obscure　beginnings　of　their　traffic；　atperiods　generally　much　posterior　to　the　Revolution；　upward　to　whattheir　children　look　upon　as　long…established　rank。　　Prior　to　the　Revolution；　there　is　a　dearth　of　records；　the　earlierdocuments　and　archives　of　the　Custom…House　having；　probably；　beencarried　off　to　Halifax；　when　all　the　King's　officials　acpaniedthe　British　army　in　its　flight　from　Boston。　It　has　often　been　a　matterof　regret　with　me；　for；　going　back；　perhaps；　to　the　days　of　theProtectorate；　those　papers　must　have　contained　many　references　toforgotten　or　remembered　men；　and　to　antique　customs；　which　wouldhave　affected　me　with　the　same　pleasure　as　when　I　used　to　pick　upIndian　arrow…heads　in　the　field　near　the　Old　Manse。　　But；　one　idle　and　rainy　day；　it　was　my　fortune　to　make　a　discoveryof　some　little　interest。　Poking　and　burrowing　into　the　heaped…uprubbish　in　the　corner；　unfolding　one　and　another　document；　and　readingthe　names　of　vessels　that　had　long　ago　foundered　at　sea　or　rotted　atthe　wharves；　and　those　of　merchants；　never　heard　of　now　on　'Change；nor　very　readily　decipherable　on　their　mossy　tombstones；　glancing　atsuch　matters　with　the　saddened；　weary；　half…reluctant　interest　whichwe　bestow　on　the　corpse　of　dead　activity…　and　exerting　my　fancy；sluggish　with　little　use；　to　raise　up　from　these　dry　bones　an　image　ofthe　old　town's　brighter　aspect；　when　India　was　a　new　region；　andonly　Salem　knew　the　way　thither…　I　chanced　to　lay　my　hand　on　a　smallpackage；　carefully　done　up　in　a　piece　of　ancient　yellow　parchment。This　envelope　had　the　air　of　an　official　record　of　some　period　longpast；　when　clerks　engrossed　their　stiff　and　formal　chirography　on　moresubstantial　materials　than　at　present。　There　was　something　about　itthat　quickened　an　instinctive　curiosity；　and　made　me　undo　the　fadedred　tape；　that　tied　up　the　package；　with　the　sense　that　a　treasurewould　here　be　brought　to　light。　Unbending　the　rigid　folds　of　theparchment　cover；　I　found　it　to　be　a　mission；　under　the　hand　andseal　of　Governor　Shirley；　in　favour　of　one　Jonathan　Pue；　as　Surveyorof　his　Majesty's　Customs　for　the　port　of　Salem；　in　the　Province　ofMassachusetts　Bay。　I　remembered　to　have　read　（probably　in　Felt'sAnnals）　a　notice　of　the　decease　of　Mr。　Surveyor　Pue；　about　fourscoreyears　ago；　and　likewise；　in　a　newspaper　of　recent　times；　an　account　ofthe　digging　up　of　his　remains　in　the　little　graveyard　of　St。　Peter'sChurch；　during　the　renewal　of　that　edifice。　Nothing；　if　I　rightly　callto　mind；　was　left　of　my　respected　predecessor；　save　an　imperfectskeleton；　and　some　fragments　of　apparel；　and　a　wig　of　majesticfrizzle；　which；　unlike　the　head　that　it　once　adorned；　was　in　verysatisfactory　preservation。　But；　on　examining　the　papers　which　theparchment　mission　served　to　envelop；　I　found　more　traces　of　Mr。Pue's　mental　part；　and　the　internal　operations　of　his　head；　than　thefrizzled　wig　had　contained　of　the　venerable　skull　itself。　　They　were　documents；　in　short；　not　official；　but　of　a　privatenature；　or；　at　least；　written　in　his　private　capacity；　andapparently　with　his　own　hand。　I　could　account　for　their　being　includedin　the　heap　of　Custom…House　lumber　only　by　the　fact；　that　Mr。　Pue'sdeath　had　happened　suddenly；　and　that　these　papers；　which　heprobably　kept　in　his　official　desk；　had　never　e　to　the　knowledge　ofhis　heirs；　or　were　supposed　to　relate　to　the　business　of　therevenue。　On　the　transfer　of　the　archives　to　Halifax；　this　package；proving　to　be　of　no　public　concern；　was　left　behind；　and　hadremained　ever　since　unopened。　　The　ancient　Surveyor…　being　little　molested；　I　suppose；　at　thatearly　day；　with　business　pertaining　to　his　office…　seems　to　havedevoted　some　of　his　many　leisure　hours　to　researches　as　a　localantiquarian；　and　other　inquisitions　of　a　similar　nature。　Thesesupplied　material　for　petty　activity　to　a　mind　that　would　otherwisehave　been　eaten　up　with　rust。　A　portion　of　his　facts；　by…the…bye；did　me　good　service　in　the　preparation　of　the　article　entitled　〃MAINSTREET；〃　included　in　the　present　volume。　The　remainder　may　perhapsbe　applied　to　purposes　equally　valuable；　hereafter；　or　notimpossibly　may　be　worked　up；　so　far　as　they　go；　into　a　regular　historyof　Salem；　should　my　veneration　for　the　natal　soil　ever　impel　me　toso　pious　a　task。　Meanwhile；　they　shall　be　at　the　mand　of　anygentleman；　inclined；　and　petent；　to　take　the　unprofitable　labouroff　my　hands。　As　a　final　disposition；　I　contemplate　depositing　themwith　the　Essex　Historical　Society。　　But　the　object　that　most　drew　my　attention；　in　the　mysteriouspackage；　was　a　certain　affair　of　fine　red　cloth；　much　worn　andfaded。　There　were　traces　about　it　of　gold　embroidery；　which；however；　was　greatly　frayed　and　defaced；　so　that　none；　or　very　little；of　the　glitter　was　left。　It　had　been　wrought；　as　was　easy　to　perceive；with　wonderful　skill　of　needlework；　and　the　stitch　（as　I　am　assured　byladies　conversant　with　such　mysteries）…　gives　evidence　of　a　nowforgotten　art；　not　to　be　recovered　even　by　the　process　of　pickingout　the　threads。　This　rag　of　scarlet　cloth…　for　time；　and　wear；　anda　sacrilegious　moth；　had　reduced　it　to　little　other　than　a　rag…　oncareful　examination；　assumed　the　shape　of　a　letter。　It　was　the　capitalletter　A。　By　an　accurate　measurement；　each　limb　proved　to　be　preciselythree　inches　and　a　quarter　in　length。　It　had　been　intended；　therecould　be　no　doubt；　as　an　ornamental　article　of　dress；　but　how　it　wasto　be　worn；　or　what　rank；　honour；　and　dignity；　in　by…past　times；were　signified　by　it；　was　a　riddle　which　（so　evanescent　are　thefashions　of　the　world　in　these　particulars）　I　saw　little　hope　ofsolving。　And　yet　it　strangely　interested　me。　My　eyes　fastenedthemselves　upon　the　old　scarlet　letter；　and　would　not　be　turned　aside。Certainly；　there　was　some　deep　meaning　in　it；　most　worthy　ofinterpretation；　and　which；　as　it　were；　streamed　forth　from　themystic　symbol；　subtly　municating　itself　to　my　sensibilities；　butevading　the　analysis　of　my　mind。　　While　thus　perplexed…　and　cogitating；　among　other　hypotheses；whether　the　letter　might　not　have　been　one　of　those　decorationswhich　the　white　men　used　to　contrive；　in　order　to　take　the　eyes　ofIndians…　I　happened　to　place　it　on　my　breast。　It　seemed　to　me…　thereader　may　smile；　but　must　not　doubt　my　word…　it　seemed　to　me；　then；that　I　experienced　a　sensation　not　altogether　physical；　yet　almost　so；as　of　burning　heat；　and　as　if　the　letter　were　not　of　red　cloth；　butred…hot　iron。　I　shuddered；　and　involuntarily　let　it　fall　upon　thefloor。　　In　the　absorbing　contemplation　of　the　scarlet　letter；　I　had　hithertoneglected　to　examine　a　small　roll　of　dingy　paper；　around　which　ithad　been　twisted。　This　I　now　opened；　and　had　the　satisfaction　to　find；recorded　by　the　old　Surveyor's　pen；　a　reasonably　pleteexplanation　of　the　whole　affair。　There　were　several　foolscap　sheets；containing　many　particulars　respecting　the　life　and　conversation　ofone　Hester　Prynne；　who　appeared　to　have　been　rather　a　noteworthypersonage　in　the　view　of　our　ancestors。　She　had　flourished　duringthe　period　between　the　early　days　of　Massachusetts　and　the　close　ofthe　seventeenth　century。　Aged　persons；　alive　in　the　time　of　Mr。Surveyor　Pue；　and　from　whose　oral　testimony　he　had　made　up　hisnarrative；　remembered　her；　in　their　youth；　as　a　very　old；　but　notdecrepit　woman；　of　a　stately　and　solemn　aspect。　It　had　been　her　habit；from　an　almost　immemorial　date；　to　go　about　the　country　as　a　kind　ofvoluntary　nurse；　and　doing　whatever　miscellaneous　good　she　might；taking　upon　herself；　likewise；　to　give　advice　in　all　matters；especially　those　of　the　heart；　by　which　means；　as　a　person　of　suchpropensities　inevitably　must；　she　gained　from　many　people　thereverence　due　to　an　angel；　but；　I　should　imagine；　was　looked　upon　byothers　as　an　intruder　and　a　nuisance。　Prying　further　into　themanuscript；　I　found　the　record　of　other　doings　and　sufferings　ofthis　singular　woman；　for　most　of　which　the　reader　is　referred　to　thestory　entitled　〃THE　SCARLET　LETTER〃；　and　it　should　be　bornecarefully　in　mind；　that　the　main　facts　of　that　story　are　authorisedand　authenticated　by　the　document　of　Mr　Surveyor　Pue。　The　originalpapers；　together　with　the　scarlet　letter　itself…　a　most　curious　relic…are　still　in　my　possession；　and　shall　be　freely　exhibited　towhomsoever；　induced　by　the　great　interest　of　the　narrative；　may　desirea　sight　of　them。　I　must　not　be　understood　as　affirming；　that；　in　thedressing　up　of　the　tale；　and　imagining　the　motives　and　modes　ofpassion　that　influenced　the　characters　who　figure　in　it；　I　haveinvariably　confined　myself　within　the　limits　of　the　old　Surveyor'shalf…a…dozen　sheets　of　foolscap。　On　the　contrary；　I　have　allowedmyself；　as　to　such　points；　nearly　or　altogether　as　much　license　asif　the　facts　had　been　entirely　of　my　own　invention。　What　I　contend　foris　the　authenticity　of　the　outline。　　This　incident　recalled　my　mind；　in　some　degree；　to　its　old　track。There　seemed　to　be　here　the　groundwork　of　a　tale。　It　impressed　me　asif　the　ancient　Surveyor；　in　his　garb　of　a　hundred　years　gone　by；　andwearing　his　immortal　wig…　which　was　buried　with　him；　but　did　notperish　in　the　grave…　had　met　me　in　the　deserted　chamber　of　theCustom…House。　In　his　port　was　the　dignity　of　one　who　had　borne　hisMajesty's　mission；　and　who　was　therefore　illuminated　by　a　ray　ofthe　splendour　that　shone　so　dazzlingly　about　the　throne。　How　unlike；alas！　the　hang…dog　look　of　a　republican　official；　who；　as　theservant　of　the　people；　feels　himself　less　than　the　least；　and　belowthe　lowest　of　his　masters。　With　his　own　ghostly　hand；　the　obscurelyseen　but　majestic　figure　had　imparted　t