红字-the scarlet letter(英文版)- 第5部分

tic　speculations；　besideour　fire　of　fallen　boughs；　with　Ellery　Channing；　after　talking　withThoreau　about　pine…trees　and　Indian　relics；　in　his　hermitage　atWalden；　after　growing　fastidious　by　sympathy　with　the　classicrefinement　of　Hillard's　culture；　after　being　imbued　with　poeticsentiment　at　Longfellow's　hearth…stone…　it　was　time；　at　length；　that　Ishould　exercise　other　faculties　of　my　nature；　and　nourish　myselfwith　food　for　which　I　had　hitherto　had　little　appetite。　Even　the　oldInspector　was　desirable；　as　a　change　of　diet；　to　a　man　who　had　knownAlcott。　I　looked　upon　it　as　an　evidence；　in　some　measure；　or　asystem　naturally　well　balanced；　and　lacking　no　essential　part　of　athorough　organisation；　that；　with　such　associates　to　remember；　I　couldmingle　at　once　with　men　of　altogether　different　qualities；　and　nevermurmur　at　the　change。　　Literature；　its　exertions　and　objects；　were　now　of　little　momentin　my　regard。　I　cared　not；　at　this　period；　for　books；　they　wereapart　from　me。　Nature…　except　it　were　human　nature…　the　nature　that　isdeveloped　in　earth　and　sky；　was；　in　one　sense；　hidden　from　me；　and　allthe　imaginative　delight；　wherewith　it　had　been　spiritualised；　passedaway　out　of　my　mind。　A　gift；　a　faculty；　if　it　had　not　departed；　wassuspended　and　inanimate　within　me。　There　would　have　been　somethingsad；　unutterably　dreary；　in　all　this；　had　I　not　been　conscious　that　itlay　at　my　own　option　to　recall　whatever　was　valuable　in　the　past。　Itmight　be　true；　indeed；　that　this　was　a　life　which　could　not；　withimpunity；　be　lived　too　long；　else；　it　might　make　me　permanentlyother　than　I　had　been；　without　transforming　me　into　any　shape　which　itwould　be　worth　my　while　to　take。　But　I　never　considered　it　as　otherthan　a　transitory　life。　There　was　always　a　prophetic　instinct；　a　lowwhisper　in　my　ear；　that；　within　no　long　period；　and　whenever　a　newchange　of　custom　should　be　essential　to　my　good；　a　change　would　e。　　Meanwhile；　there　I　was；　a　Surveyor　of　the　Revenue；　and；　so　far　asI　have　been　able　to　understand；　as　good　a　Surveyor　as　need　be。　A　manof　thought；　fancy；　and　sensibility　（had　he　ten　times　the　Surveyor'sproportion　of　those　qualities）　may；　at　any　time；　be　a　man　ofaffairs；　if　he　will　only　choose　to　give　himself　the　trouble。　Myfellow…officers；　and　the　merchants　and　sea…captains　with　whom　myofficial　duties　brought　me　into　any　manner　of　connection；　viewed　me　inno　other　light；　and　probably　knew　me　in　no　other　character。　None　ofthem；　I　presume；　had　ever　read　a　page　of　my　inditing；　or　would　havecared　a　fig　the　more　for　me；　if　they　had　read　them　all；　nor　would　ithave　mended　the　matter；　in　the　least；　had　those　same　unprofitablepages　been　written　with　a　pen　like　that　of　Burns　or　of　Chaucer；　eachof　whom　was　a　Custom…House　officer　in　his　day；　as　well　as　I。　It　is　agood　lesson…　though　it　may　often　be　a　hard　one…　for　a　man　who　hasdreamed　of　literary　fame；　and　of　making　for　himself　a　rank　among　theworld's　dignitaries　by　such　means；　to　step　aside　out　of　the　narrowcircle　in　which　his　claims　are　recognised；　and　to　find　how　utterlydevoid　of　significance；　beyond　that　circle；　is　all　that　he　achieves；and　all　he　aims　at。　I　know　not　that　I　especially　needed　the　lesson；either　in　the　way　of　warning　or　rebuke；　but；　at　any　rate；　I　learned　itthoroughly：　nor；　it　gives　me　pleasure　to　reflect；　did　the　truth；　as　itcame　home　to　my　perception；　ever　cost　me　a　pang；　or　require　to　bethrown　off　in　a　sigh。　In　the　way　of　literary　talk；　it　is　true；　theNaval　Officer…　an　excellent　fellow；　who　came　into　office　with　me　andwent　out　only　a　little　later…　would　often　engage　me　in　a　discussionabout　one　or　the　other　of　his　favourite　topics；　Napoleon　orShakespeare。　The　Collector's　junior　clerk；　too…　a　young　gentleman　who；it　was　whispered；　occasionally　covered　a　sheet　of　Uncle　Sam'sletter…paper　with　what　（at　the　distance　of　a　few　yards）　looked　verymuch　like　poetry…　used　now　and　then　to　speak　to　me　of　books；　asmatters　with　which　I　might　possibly　be　conversant。　This　was　my　allof　lettered　intercourse；　and　it　ynecessities。　　No　longer　seeking　nor　caring　that　my　name　should　be　blazonedabroad　on　title…pages；　I　smiled　to　think　that　it　had　now　anotherkind　of　vogue。　The　Custom…House　marker　imprinted　it；　with　a　stenciland　black　paint；　on　pepper…bags；　and　baskets　of　anatto；　andcigar…boxes；　and　bales　of　all　kinds　of　dutiable　merchandise；　intestimony　that　these　modities　had　paid　the　impost；　and　goneregularly　through　the　office。　Borne　on　such　queer　vehicle　of　fame；　aknowledge　of　my　existence；　so　far　as　a　name　conveys　it；　was　carriedwhere　it　had　never　been　before；　and；　I　hope；　will　never　go　again。　　But　the　past　was　not　dead。　Once　in　a　great　while；　the　thoughts；　thathad　seemed　so　vital　and　so　active；　yet　had　been　put　to　rest　soquietly；　revived　again。　One　of　the　most　remarkable　occasions；　when　thehabit　of　bygone　days　awoke　in　me；　was　that　which　brings　it　withinthe　law　of　literary　propriety　to　offer　the　public　the　sketch　which　Iam　now　writing。　　In　the　second　story　of　the　Custom…House；　there　is　a　large　room；　inwhich　the　brick…work　and　naked　rafters　have　never　been　covered　withpanelling　and　plaster。　The　edifice…　originally　projected　on　a　scaleadapted　to　the　old　mercial　enterprise　of　the　port；　and　with　an　ideaof　subsequent　prosperity　destined　never　to　be　realised…　contains　farmore　space　than　its　occupants　know　what　to　do　with。　This　airy　hall；therefore；　over　the　Collector's　apartments；　remains　unfinished　to　thisday；　and；　in　spite　of　the　aged　cobwebs　that　festoon　its　dusky　beams；appears　still　to　await　the　labour　of　the　carpenter　and　mason。　At　oneend　of　the　room；　in　a　recess；　were　a　number　of　barrels；　piled　one　uponanother；　containing　bundles　of　official　documents。　Large　quantities　ofsimilar　rubbish　lay　lumbering　the　floor。　It　was　sorrowful　to　think　howmany　days；　and　weeks；　and　months；　and　years　of　toil；　had　been　wastedon　these　musty　papers；　which　were　now　only　an　encumbrance　on　earth；and　were　hidden　away　in　this　forgotten　corner；　never　more　to　beglanced　at　by　human　eyes。　But；　then；　what　reams　of　othermanuscripts…　filled　not　with　the　dulness　of　official　formalities；but　with　the　thought　of　inventive　brains　and　the　rich　effusion　of　deephearts…　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　t