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                                TWICE…TOLD TALES

                                  ETHAN BRAND

                       A CHAPTER FROM AN ABORTIVE ROMANCE

                             by Nathaniel Hawthorne



   BARTRAM THE LIME…BURNER; a rough; heavy…looking man; begrimed

with charcoal; sat watching his kiln; at nightfall; while his little

son played at building houses with the scattered fragments of

marble; when; on the hill…side below them; they heard a roar of

laughter; not mirthful; but slow; and even solemn; like a wind shaking

the boughs of the forest。

   〃Father; what is that?〃 asked the little boy; leaving his play; and

pressing betwixt his father's knees。

   〃O; some drunken man; I suppose;〃 answered the lime…burner; 〃some

merry fellow from the bar…room in the village; who dared not laugh

loud enough within doors; lest he should blow the roof of the house

off。 So here he is; shaking his jolly sides at the foot of Gray…lock。〃

   〃But; father;〃 said the child; more sensitive than the obtuse;

middle…aged clown; 〃he does not laugh like a man that is glad。 So

the noise frightens me!〃

   〃Don't be a fool; child!〃 cried his father; gruffly。 〃You will

never make a man; I do believe; there is too much of your mother in

you。 I have known the rustling of a leaf startle you。 Hark! Here comes

the merry fellow; now。 You shall see that there is no harm in him。〃

   Bartram and his little son; while they were talking thus; sat

watching the same lime…kiln that had been the scene of Ethan Brand's

solitary and meditative life; before he began his search for the

Unpardonable Sin。 Many years; as we have seen; had now elapsed;

since that portentous night when the IDEA was first developed。 The

kiln; however; on the mountain…side; stood unimpaired; and was in

nothing changed since he had thrown his dark thoughts into the intense

glow of its furnace; and melted them; as it were; into the one thought

that took possession of his life。 It was a rude; round; tower…like

structure; about twenty feet high; heavily built of rough stones;

and with a hillock of earth heaped about the larger part of its

circumference; so that the blocks and fragments of marble might be

drawn by cart…loads; and thrown in at the top。 There was an opening at

the bottom of the tower; like an oven…mouth; but large enough to admit

a man in a stooping posture; and provided with a massive iron door。

With the smoke and jets of flame issuing from the chinks and

crevices of this door; which seemed to give admittance into the

hill…side; it resembled nothing so much as the private entrance to the

infernal regions; which the shepherds of the Delectable Mountains were

accustomed to show to pilgrims。

   There are many such lime…kilns in that tract of country; for the

purpose of burning the white marble which composes a large part of the

substance of the hills。 Some of them; built years ago; and long

deserted; with weeds growing in the vacant round of the interior;

which is open to the sky; and grass and wild…flowers rooting

themselves into the chinks of the stones; look already like relics

of antiquity; and may yet be overspread with the lichens of

centuries to come。 Others; where the lime…burner still feeds his daily

and nightlong fire; afford points of interest to the wanderer among

the hills; who seats himself on a log of wood or a fragment of marble;

to hold a chat with the solitary man。 It is a lonesome; and; when

the character is inclined to thought; may be an intensely thoughtful

occupation; as it proved in the case of Ethan Brand; who had mused

to such strange purpose; in days gone by; while the fire in this

very kiln was burning。

   The man who now watched the fire was of a different order; and

troubled himself with no thoughts save the very few that were

requisite to his business。 At frequent intervals; he flung back the

clashing weight of the iron door; and; turning his face from the

insufferable glare; thrust in huge logs of oak; or stirred the immense

brands with a long pole。 Within the furnace were seen the curling

and riotous flames; and the burning marble; almost molten with the

intensity of heat; while without; the reflection of the fire

quivered on the dark intricacy of the surrounding forest; and showed

in the foreground a bright and ruddy little picture of the hut; the

spring beside its door; the athletic and coal…begrimed figure of the

lime…burner; and the half…frightened child; shrinking into the

protection of his father's shadow。 And when again the iron door was

closed; then reappeared the tender light of the half…full moon;

which vainly strove to trace out the indistinct shapes of the

neighboring mountains; and; in the upper sky; there was a flitting

congregation of clouds; still faintly tinged with the rosy sunset;

though thus far down into the valley the sunshine had vanished long

and long ago。

   The little boy now crept still closer to his father; as footsteps

were heard ascending the hill…side; and a human form thrust aside

the bushes that clustered beneath the trees。

   〃Halloo! who is it?〃 cried the lime…burner; vexed at his son's

timidity; yet half infected by it。 〃Come forward; and show yourself;

like a man; or I'll fling this chunk of marble at your head!〃

   〃You offer me a rough welcome;〃 said a gloomy voice; as the unknown

man drew nigh。 〃Yet I neither claim nor desire a kinder one; even at

my own fireside。〃

   To obtain a distincter view; Bartram threw open the iron door of

the kiln; whence immediately issued a gush of fierce light; that smote

full upon the stranger's face and figure。 To a careless eye there

appeared nothing very remarkable in his aspect; which was that of a

man in a coarse; brown; country…made suit of clothes; tall and thin;

with the staff and heavy shoes of a wayfarer。 As he advanced; he fixed

his eyes… which were very bright… intently upon the brightness of

the furnace; as if he beheld; or expected to behold; some object

worthy of note within it。

   〃Good evening; stranger;〃 said the lime…burner; 〃whence come you;

so late in the day?〃

   〃I come from my search;〃 answered the wayfarer; 〃for; at last; it

is finished。〃

   〃Drunk!… or crazy!〃 muttered Bartram to himself。 〃I shall have

trouble with the fellow。 The sooner I drive him away; the better。〃

   The little boy; all in a tremble; whispered to his father; and

begged him to shut the door of the kiln; so that there might not be so

much light; for that there was something in the man's face which he

was afraid to look at; yet could not look away from。 And; indeed; even

the lime…burner's dull and torpid sense began to be impressed by an

indescribable something in that thin; rugged; thoughtful visage;

with the grizzled hair hanging wildly about it; and those

deeply…sunken eyes; which gleamed like fires within the entrance of

a mysterious cavern。 But; as he closed the door; the stranger turned

towards him; and spoke in a quiet; familiar way; that made Bartram

feel as if he were a sane and sensible man; after all。

   〃Your task draws to an end; I see;〃 said he。 〃This marble has

already been burning three days。 A few hours more will convert the

stone to lime。〃

   〃Why; who are you?〃 exclaimed the lime…burner。 〃You seem as well

acquainted with my business as I am myself。〃

   〃And well I may be;〃 said the stranger; 〃for I followed the same

craft many a long year; and here; too; on this very spot。 But you

are a newcomer in these parts。 Did you never hear of Ethan Brand?〃

   〃The man that went in search of the Unpardonable Sin?〃 asked

Bartram; with a laugh。

   〃The same;〃 answered the stranger。 〃He has found what he sought;

and therefore he comes back again。〃

   〃What! then you are Ethan Brand himself?〃 cried the lime…burner; in

amazement。 〃I am a newcomer here; as you say; and they call it

eighteen years since you left the foot of Gray…lock。 But; I can tell

you; the good folks still talk about Ethan Brand; in the village

yonder; and what a strange errand took him away from his lime…kiln。

Well; and so you have found the Unpardonable Sin?〃

   〃Even so!〃 said the stranger; calmly。

   〃If the question is a fair one;〃 proceeded Bartram; 〃where might it

be?〃

   Ethan Brand laid his finger on his own heart。

   〃Here!〃 replied he。

   And then; without mirth in his countenance; but as if moved by an

involuntary recognition of the infinite absurdity of seeking

throughout the world for what was the closest of all things to

himself; and looking into every heart; save his own; for what was

hidden in no other breast; he broke into a laugh of scorn。 It was

the same slow; heavy laugh; that had almost appalled the lime…burner

when it heralded the wayfarer's approach。

   The solitary mountain…side was made dismal by it。 Laughter; when

out of place; mistimed; or bursting forth from a disordered state of

feeling; may be the most terrible modulation of the human voice。 The

laughter of one asleep; even if it be a little child… the madman's

laugh… the wild; screaming laugh of a born idiot… are sounds that we

sometimes tremble to hear; 

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