introductory-第8节

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myself；　as　to　such　points；　nearly　or　altogether　as　much　license　as

if　the　facts　had　been　entirely　of　my　own　invention。　What　I　contend　for

is　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　as

if　the　ancient　Surveyor；　in　his　garb　of　a　hundred　years　gone　by；　and

wearing　his　immortal　wig…　which　was　buried　with　him；　but　did　not

perish　in　the　grave…　had　met　me　in　the　deserted　chamber　of　the

Custom…House。　In　his　port　was　the　dignity　of　one　who　had　borne　his

Majesty's　commission；　and　who　was　therefore　illuminated　by　a　ray　of

the　splendour　that　shone　so　dazzlingly　about　the　throne。　How　unlike；

alas！　the　hang…dog　look　of　a　republican　official；　who；　as　the

servant　of　the　people；　feels　himself　less　than　the　least；　and　below

the　lowest　of　his　masters。　With　his　own　ghostly　hand；　the　obscurely

seen　but　majestic　figure　had　imparted　to　me　the　scarlet　symbol；　and

the　little　roll　of　explanatory　manuscript。　With　his　own　ghostly　voice；

he　had　exhorted　me；　on　the　sacred　consideration　of　my　filial　duty

and　reverence　towards　him…　who　might　reasonably　regard　himself　as　my

official　ancestor…　to　bring　his　mouldy　and　moth…eaten　lucubrations

before　the　public。　〃Do　this；〃　said　the　ghost　of　Mr。　Surveyor　Pue；

emphatically　nodding　the　head　that　looked　so　imposing　within　its

memorable　wig；　〃do　this；　and　the　profit　shall　be　all　your　own！　You

will　shortly　need　it；　for　it　is　not　in　your　days　as　it　was　in　mine；

when　a　man's　office　was　a　life…lease；　and　oftentimes　an　heirloom。　But；

I　charge　you；　in　this　matter　of　old　Mistress　Prynne；　give　to　your

predecessor's　memory　the　credit　which　will　be　rightfully　due！〃　And　I

said　to　the　ghost　of　Mr。　Surveyor　Pue；　〃I　will！〃

　　On　Hester　Prynne's　story；　therefore；　I　bestowed　much　thought。　It　was

the　subject　of　my　meditations　for　many　an　hour；　while　pacing　to　and

fro　across　my　room；　or　traversing；　with　a　hundred…fold　repetition；　the

long　extent　from　the　front…door　of　the　Custom…House　to　the

side…entrance；　and　back　again。　Great　were　the　weariness　and

annoyance　of　the　old　Inspector　and　the　Weighers　and　Gaugers；　whose

slumbers　were　disturbed　by　the　unmercifully　lengthened　tramp　of　my

passing　and　returning　footsteps。　Remembering　their　own　former

habits；　they　used　to　say　that　the　Surveyor　was　walking　the

quarter…deck。　They　probably　fancied　that　my　sole　object…　and；

indeed；　the　sole　object　for　which　a　sane　man　could　ever　put　himself

into　voluntary　motion…　was；　to　get　an　appetite　for　dinner。　And　to

say　the　truth；　an　appetite；　sharpened　by　the　east　wind　that

generally　blew　along　the　passage；　was　the　only　valuable　result　of

so　much　indefatigable　exercise。　So　little　adapted　is　the　atmosphere　of

a　Custom…House　to　the　delicate　harvest　of　fancy　and　sensibility；　that；

had　I　remained　there　through　ten　Presidencies　yet　to　come；　I　doubt

whether　the　tale　of　〃The　Scarlet　Letter〃　would　ever　have　been

brought　before　the　public　eye。　My　imagination　was　a　tarnished

mirror。　It　would　not　reflect；　or　only　with　miserable　dimness；　the

figures　with　which　I　did　my　best　to　people　it。　The　characters　of　the

narrative　would　not　be　warmed　and　rendered　malleable　by　any　heat

that　I　could　kindle　at　my　intellectual　forge。　They　would　take

neither　the　glow　of　passion　nor　the　tenderness　of　sentiment；　but

retained　all　the　rigidity　of　dead　corpses；　and　stared　me　in　the　face

with　a　fixed　and　ghastly　grin　of　contemptuous　defiance。　〃What　have　you

to　do　with　us？〃　that　expression　seemed　to　say。　〃The　little　power　you

might　once　have　possessed　over　the　tribe　of　unrealities　is　gone！　You

have　bartered　it　for　a　pittance　of　the　public　gold。　Go；　then；　and　earn

your　wages！〃　In　short；　the　almost　torpid　creatures　of　my　own　fancy

twitted　me　with　imbecility；　and　not　without　fair　occasion。

　　It　was　not　merely　during　the　three　hours　and　a　half　which　Uncle

Sam　claimed　as　his　share　of　my　daily　life；　that　this　wretched　numbness

held　possession　of　me。　It　went　with　me　on　my　sea…shore　walks；　and

rambles　into　the　country；　whenever…　which　was　seldom　and

reluctantly…　I　bestirred　myself　to　seek　that　invigorating　charm　of

Nature；　which　used　to　give　me　such　freshness　and　activity　of

thought；　the　moment　that　I　stepped　across　the　threshold　of　the　Old

Manse。　The　same　torpor；　as　regarded　the　capacity　for　intellectual

effort；　accompanied　me　home；　and　weighed　upon　me　in　the　chamber

which　I　most　absurdly　termed　my　study。　Nor　did　it　quit　me；　when；

late　at　night；　I　sat　in　the　deserted　parlour；　lighted　only　by　the

glimmering　coal…fire　and　the　moon；　striving　to　picture　forth　imaginary

scenes；　which；　the　next　day；　might　flow　out　on　the　brightening　page　in

many…hued　description。

　　If　the　imaginative　faculty　refused　to　act　at　such　an　hour；　it

might　well　be　deemed　a　hopeless　case。　Moonlight；　in　a　familiar　room；

falling　so　white　upon　the　carpet；　and　showing　all　its　figures　so

distinctly…　making　every　object　so　minutely　visible；　yet　so　unlike　a

morning　or　noontide　visibility…　is　a　medium　the　most　suitable　for　a

romance…writer　to　get　acquainted　with　his　illusive　guests。　There　is

the　little　domestic　scenery　of　the　well…known　apartment；　the　chairs；

with　each　its　separate　individuality；　the　centre…table；　sustaining　a

workbasket；　a　volume　or　two；　and　an　extinguished　lamp；　the　sofa；　the

bookcase；　the　picture　on　the　wall…　all　these　details；　so　completely

seen；　are　so　spiritualised　by　the　unusual　light；　that　they　seem　to

lose　their　actual　substance；　and　become　things　of　intellect。　Nothing

is　too　small　or　too　trifling　to　undergo　this　change；　and　acquire

dignity　thereby。　A　child's　shoe；　the　doll；　seated　in　her　little　wicker

carriage；　the　hobby…horse…　whatever；　in　a　word；　has　been　used　or

played　with；　during　the　day；　is　now　invested　with　a　quality　of

strangeness　and　remoteness；　though　still　almost　as　vividly　present　as

by　daylight。　Thus；　therefore；　the　floor　of　our　familiar　room　has

become　a　neutral　territory；　somewhere　between　the　real　world　and

fairyland；　where　the　Actual　and　the　Imaginary　may　meet；　and　each　imbue

itself　with　the　nature　of　the　other。　Ghosts　might　enter　here　without

affrighting　us。　It　would　be　too　much　in　keeping　with　the　scene　to

excite　surprise；　were　we　to　look　about　us　and　discover　a　form；

beloved；　but　gone　hence；　now　sitting　quietly　in　a　streak　of　this　magic

moonshine；　with　an　aspect　that　would　make　us　doubt　whether　it　had

returned　from　afar；　or　had　never　once　stirred　from　our　fireside。

　　The　somewhat　dim　coal…fire　has　an　essential　influence　in　producing

the　effect　which　I　would　describe。　It　throws　its　unobtrusive　tinge

throughout　the　room；　with　a　faint　ruddiness　upon　the　walls　and

ceiling；　and　a　reflected　gleam　from　the　polish　of　the　furniture。

This　warmer　light　mingles　itself　with　the　cold　spirituality　of　the

moonbeams；　and　communicates；　as　it　were；　a　heart　and　sensibilities

of　human　tenderness　to　the　forms　which　fancy　summons　up。　It　converts

them　from　snow…images　into　men　and　women。　Glancing　at　the

looking…glass；　we　behold…　deep　within　its　haunted　verge…　the

smouldering　glow　of　the　half…extinguished　anthracite；　the　white

moonbeams　on　the　floor；　and　a　repetition　of　all　the　gleam　and　shadow

of　the　picture；　with　one　remove　farther　from　the　actual；　and　nearer　to

the　imaginative。　Then；　at　such　an　hour；　and　with　this　scene　before

him；　if　a　man；　sitting　all　alone；　cannot　dream　strange　things；　and

make　them　look　like　truth；　he　need　never　try　to　write　romances。

　　But；　for　myself；　during　the　whole　of　my　Custom…House　experience；

moonlight　and　sunshine；　and　the　glow　of　firelight；　were　just　alike

in　my　regard；　and　neither　of　them　was　of　one　whit　more　avail　than

the　twinkle　of　a　tallow…candle。　An　entire　class　of　susceptibilities；

and　a　gift　connected　with　them…　of　no　great　richness　or　value；　but　the

best　I　had…　was　gone　from　me。

　　It　is　my　belief；　however；　that；　had　I　attempted　a　different　order　of

composition；　my　faculties　would　not　have　been　found　so　pointless　and

inefficacious。　I　might；　for　instance；　have　contented　myself　with

writing　out　the　narratives　of　a　veteran　shipmaster；　one　of　the

Inspectors；　whom　I　should　be　most　ungrateful　not　to　mention；　since

scarcely　a　day　passed　that　he　did　not　stir　me　to　laughter　and

admiration　by　his　marvellous　gifts　as　a　story…teller。　Could　I　have

preserved　the　picturesque　force　of　his　style；　and　the　humorous

colouring　which　nature　taught　him　how　to　throw　over　his

descriptions；　the　result；　I　honestly　believe；　would　have　been

something　new　in　literature。　Or　I　might　readily　have　found　a　more

serious　task。　It　was　a　folly；　with　the　materiality　of　this　daily

life　pressing　so　intrusively　upon　me；　to　attempt　to　fling　myself

back　into　another　age；　or　to　insist　on　creating　the　semblance　of　a

world　out　of　airy　matter；　when；　at　every　moment；　the　impalpable　beauty

of　my　soap…bubble　was　broken　by　the　rude　contact　of　some　actual

circumstance。　The　wiser　effort　would　have　been；　to　diffuse　though