twice-told tales- young goodman brown-第3部分

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fell；　a　numerous　congregation　alternately　shone　forth；　then

disappeared　in　shadow；　and　again　grew；　as　it　were；　out　of　the

darkness；　peopling　the　heart　of　the　solitary　woods　at　once。

　　　〃A　grave　and　dark…clad　company！〃　quoth　Goodman　Brown。

　　　In　truth；　they　were　such。　Among　them；　quivering　to　and　fro；　between

gloom　and　splendor；　appeared　faces　that　would　be　seen；　next　day；　at

the　council…board　of　the　province；　and　others　which；　Sabbath　after

Sabbath；　looked　devoutly　heavenward；　and　benignantly　over　the

crowded　pews；　from　the　holiest　pulpits　in　the　land。　Some　affirm；

that　the　lady　of　the　governor　was　there。　At　least；　there　were　high

dames　well　known　to　her；　and　wives　of　honored　husbands；　and　widows；

a　great　multitude；　and　ancient　maidens；　all　of　excellent　repute；　and

fair　young　girls；　who　trembled　lest　their　mothers　should　espy　them。

Either　the　sudden　gleams　of　light；　flashing　over　the　obscure　field；

bedazzled　Goodman　Brown；　or　he　recognized　a　score　of　the

church…members　of　Salem　village；　famous　for　their　especial　sanctity。

Good　old　Deacon　Gookin　had　arrived；　and　waited　at　the　skirts　of　that

venerable　saint；　his　reverend　pastor。　But；　irreverently　consorting

with　these　grave；　reputable；　and　pious　people；　these　elders　of　the

church；　these　chaste　dames　and　dewy　virgins；　there　were　men　of

dissolute　lives　and　women　of　spotted　fame；　wretches　given　over　to

all　mean　and　filthy　vice；　and　suspected　even　of　horrid　crimes。　It

was　strange　to　see；　that　the　good　shrank　not　from　the　wicked；　nor　were

the　sinners　abashed　by　the　saints。　Scattered；　also；　among　their

palefaced　enemies；　were　the　Indian　priests；　or　powows；　who　had　often

scared　their　native　forest　with　more　hideous　incantations　than　any

known　to　English　witchcraft。

　　　〃But；　where　is　Faith？〃　thought　Goodman　Brown；　and；　as　hope　came

into　his　heart；　he　trembled。

　　　Another　verse　of　the　hymn　arose；　a　slow　and　mournful　strain；　such

as　the　pious　love；　but　joined　to　words　which　expressed　all　that　our

nature　can　conceive　of　sin；　and　darkly　hinted　at　far　more。

Unfathomable　to　mere　mortals　is　the　lore　of　fiends。　Verse　after

verse　was　sung；　and　still　the　chorus　of　the　desert　swelled　between；

like　the　deepest　tone　of　a　mighty　organ。　And；　with　the　final　peal　of

that　dreadful　anthem；　there　came　a　sound；　as　if　the　roaring　wind；

the　rushing　streams；　the　howling　beasts；　and　every　other　voice　of

the　unconverted　wilderness；　were　mingling　and　according　with　the　voice

of　guilty　man；　in　homage　to　the　prince　of　all。　The　four　blazing

pines　threw　up　a　loftier　flame；　and　obscurely　discovered　shapes　and

visages　of　horror　on　the　smoke…wreaths；　above　the　impious　assembly。　At

the　same　moment；　the　fire　on　the　rock　shot　redly　forth；　and　formed　a

glowing　arch　above　its　base；　where　now　appeared　a　figure。　With

reverence　be　it　spoken；　the　apparition　bore　no　slight　similitude；　both

in　garb　and　manner；　to　some　grave　divine　of　the　New　England　churches。

　　　〃Bring　forth　the　converts！〃　cried　a　voice；　that　echoed　through

the　field　and　rolled　into　the　forest。

　　　At　the　word；　Goodman　Brown　stepped　forth　from　the　shadow　of　the

trees；　and　approached　the　congregation；　with　whom　he　felt　a　loathful

brotherhood；　by　the　sympathy　of　all　that　was　wicked　in　his　heart。　He

could　have　well　nigh　sworn；　that　the　shape　of　his　own　dead　father

beckoned　him　to　advance；　looking　downward　from　a　smoke…wreath；　while　a

woman；　with　dim　features　of　despair；　threw　out　her　hand　to　warn　him

back。　Was　it　his　mother？　But　he　had　no　power　to　retreat　one　step；

nor　to　resist；　even　in　thought；　when　the　minister　and　good　old

Deacon　Gookin　seized　his　arms；　and　led　him　to　the　blazing　rock。

Thither　came　also　the　slender　form　of　a　veiled　female；　led　between

Goody　Cloyse；　that　pious　teacher　of　the　catechism；　and　Martha　Carrier；

who　had　received　the　devil's　promise　to　be　queen　of　hell。　A　rampant

hag　was　she！　And　there　stood　the　proselytes；　beneath　the　canopy　of

fire。

　　　〃Welcome；　my　children；〃　said　the　dark　figure；　〃to　the　communion

of　your　race！　Ye　have　found；　thus　young；　your　nature　and　your　destiny。

My　children；　look　behind　you！〃

　　　They　turned；　and　flashing　forth；　as　it　were；　in　a　sheet　of　flame；

the　fiend…worshippers　were　seen；　the　smile　of　welcome　gleamed　darkly

on　every　visage。

　　　〃There；〃　resumed　the　sable　form；　〃are　all　whom　ye　have　reverenced

from　youth。　Ye　deemed　them　holier　than　yourselves；　and　shrank　from

your　own　sin；　contrasting　it　with　their　lives　of　righteousness；　and

prayerful　aspirations　heavenward。　Yet；　here　are　they　all；　in　my

worshipping　assembly！　This　night　it　shall　be　granted　you　to　know　their

secret　deeds；　how　hoary…bearded　elders　of　the　church　have　whispered

wanton　words　to　the　young　maids　of　their　households；　how　many　a　woman；

eager　for　widow's　weeds；　has　given　her　husband　a　drink　at　bed…time；

and　let　him　sleep　his　last　sleep　in　her　bosom；　how　beardless　youth

have　made　haste　to　inherit　their　father's　wealth；　and　how　fair

damsels…　blush　not；　sweet　ones…　have　dug　little　graves　in　the

garden；　and　bidden　me；　the　sole　guest；　to　an　infant's　funeral。　By

the　sympathy　of　your　human　hearts　for　sin；　ye　shall　scent　out　all

the　places…whether　in　church；　bed…chamber；　street；　field；　or　forest…

where　crime　has　been　committed；　and　shall　exult　to　behold　the　whole

earth　one　stain　of　guilt；　one　mighty　blood…spot。　Far　more　than　this！

It　shall　be　yours　to　penetrate；　in　every　bosom；　the　deep　mystery　of

sin；　the　fountain　of　all　wicked　arts；　and　which　inexhaustibly　supplies

more　evil　impulses　than　human　power…　than　my　power　at　its　utmost…

can　make　manifest　in　deeds。　And　now；　my　children；　look　upon　each

other。〃

　　　They　did　so；　and；　by　the　blaze　of　the　hell…kindled　torches；　the

wretched　man　beheld　his　Faith；　and　the　wife　her　husband；　trembling

before　that　unhallowed　altar。

　　　〃Lo！　there　ye　stand；　my　children；〃　said　the　figure；　in　a　deep　and

solemn　tone；　almost　sad；　with　its　despairing　awfulness；　as　if　his　once

angelic　nature　could　yet　mourn　for　our　miserable　race。　〃Depending　upon

one　another's　hearts；　ye　had　still　hoped　that　virtue　were　not　all　a

dream！　Now　are　ye　undeceived！　Evil　is　the　nature　of　mankind。　Evil　must

be　your　only　happiness。　Welcome；　again；　my　children；　to　the

communion　of　your　race！〃

　　　〃Welcome！〃　repeated　the　fiend…worshippers；　in　one　cry　of　despair

and　triumph。

　　　And　there　they　stood；　the　only　pair；　as　it　seemed；　who　were　yet

hesitating　on　the　verge　of　wickedness；　in　this　dark　world。　A　basin　was

hollowed；　naturally；　in　the　rock。　Did　it　contain　water；　reddened　by

the　lurid　light？　or　was　it　blood？　or；　perchance；　a　liquid　flame？

Herein　did　the　Shape　of　Evil　dip　his　hand；　and　prepare　to　lay　the　mark

of　baptism　upon　their　foreheads；　that　they　might　be　partakers　of　the

mystery　of　sin；　more　conscious　of　the　secret　guilt　of　others；　both

in　deed　and　thought；　than　they　could　now　be　of　their　own。　The

husband　cast　one　look　at　his　pale　wife；　and　Faith　at　him。　What

polluted　wretches　would　the　next　glance　show　them　to　each　other；

shuddering　alike　at　what　they　disclosed　and　what　they　saw！

　　　〃Faith！　Faith！〃　cried　the　husband。　〃Look　up　to　Heaven；　and　resist

the　Wicked　One！〃

　　　Whether　Faith　obeyed；　he　knew　not。　Hardly　had　he　spoken；　when　he

found　himself　amid　calm　night　and　solitude；　listening　to　a　roar　of　the

wind；　which　died　heavily　away　through　the　forest。　He　staggered　against

the　rock；　and　felt　it　chill　and　damp；　while　a　hanging　twig；　that　had

been　all　on　fire；　besprinkled　his　cheek　with　the　coldest　dew。

　　　The　next　morning；　young　Goodman　Brown　came　slowly　into　the　street

of　Salem　village；　staring　around　him　like　a　bewildered　man。　The　good

old　minister　was　taking　a　walk　along　the　graveyard；　to　get　an　appetite

for　breakfast　and　meditate　his　sermon；　and　bestowed　a　blessing；　as

he　passed；　on　Goodman　Brown。　He　shrank　from　the　venerable　saint；　as　if

to　avoid　an　anathema。　Old　Deacon　Gookin　was　at　domestic　worship；　and

the　holy　words　of　his　prayer　were　heard　through　the　open　window。　〃What

God　doth　the　wizard　pray　to？〃　quoth　Goodman　Brown。　Goody　Cloyse；

that　excellent　old　Christian；　stood　in　the　early　sunshine；　at　her

own　lattice；　catechising　a　little　girl；　who　had　brought　her　a　pint

of　morning's　milk。　Goodman　Brown　snatched　away　the　child；　as　from

the　grasp　of　the　fiend　himself。　Turning　the　corner　by　the

meeting…house；　he　spied　the　head　of　Faith；　with　the　pink　ribbons；

gazing　anxiously　forth；　and　bursting　into　such　joy　at　sight　of　him；

that　she　skipt　along　the　street；　and　almost　kissed　her　husband

before　the　whole　village。　But　Goodman　Brown　looked　sternly　and　sadly

into　her　face；　and　passed　on　without　a　greeting。

　　　Had　Goodman　Brown　fallen　asleep　in　the　forest；　and　only　dreamed　a

wild　dream　of　a　witch…meeting？

　　　Be　it　so；　if　you　will。　But；　alas！　it　was　a　dream　of　evil　omen　for

young　Goodman　Brown。　A　stern；　a　sad；　a　darkly　meditative；　a

distrustful；　if　not　a　desperate　man；　did　he　become；　from　the　night

of　that　fearful　dream。　On　the　Sabbath…day；　when　the　congregation

were　singing　a　holy　psalm；　he　could　not　listen；　because　an　anthem　of

sin　rushed　loudly　upon　his　ear；　and　drowned　all　the　blessed　strain。

When　the　minister　spoke　from　the　pulpit；　with　power　and　fervid

eloquence；　and　with　his　hand　on　the　open　Bible；　of　the　sacred　truths

of　our　religion；　and　of　saint…like　lives　and　triumphant　deaths；　and　of

future　bliss　or　misery　unutterable；　then　did　Goodman　Brown　turn

pale；　dreading　lest　the　roof　should　thunder　down　upon　the　gray

blasphemer　and　his　hearers。　Often；　awaking　suddenly　at　midnight；　he

shrank　from　the　bosom　of　Faith；　and　at　morning　or　eventide；　when　the

family　knelt　down　at　prayer；　he　scowled；　and　muttered　to　himself；

and　gazed　sternly　at　his　wife；　and　turned　away。　And　when　he　had

lived　long；　and　was　borne　to　his　grave；　a　hoary　corpse；　followed　by

Faith；　an　aged　woman；　and　children　and　grandchildren；　a　goodly

procession；　besides　neighbors；　not　a　few；　they　carved　no　hopeful　verse

upon　his　tombstone；　for　his　dying　hour　was　gloom。

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　THE　END

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