第14部分

請關閉瀏覽器的閱讀/暢讀/小說模式並且關閉廣告遮蔽過濾功能，避免出現內容無法顯示或者段落錯亂。

　but　was　none　the　less　terrible　toher；　as　proceeding　from　lips　that　babbled　it　unconsciously。　Itseemed　to　argue　so　wide　a　diffusion　of　her　shame；　that　all　nature　knewof　it；　it　could　have　caused　her　no　deeper　pang；　had　the　leaves　ofthe　trees　whispered　the　dark　story　among　themselves…　had　the　summerbreeze　murmured　about　it…　had　the　wintry　blast　shrieked　it　aloud！Another　peculiar　torture　was　felt　in　the　gaze　of　a　new　eye。　Whenstrangers　looked　curiously　at　the　scarlet　letter…　and　none　ever　failedto　do　so…　they　branded　it　afresh　into　Hester's　soul；　so　that；oftentimes；　she　could　scarcely　refrain；　yet　always　did　refrain；　fromcovering　the　symbol　with　her　hand。　But　then；　again；　an　accustomedeye　had　likewise　its　own　anguish　to　inflict。　Its　cool　stare　offamiliarity　was　intolerable。　From　first　to　last；　in　short；　HesterPrynne　had　always　this　dreadful　agony　in　feeling　a　human　eye　uponthe　token；　the　spot　never　grew　callous；　it　seemed；　on　the　contrary；　togrow　more　sensitive　with　daily　torture。 But　sometimes；　once　in　many　days；　or　perchance　in　many　months；　shefelt　an　eye…　a　human　eye…　upon　the　ignominious　brand；　that　seemed　togive　a　momentary　relief；　as　if　half　of　her　agony　were　shared。　The　nextinstant；　back　it　all　rushed　again；　with　still　a　deeper　throb　ofpain；　for；　in　that　brief　interval；　she　had　sinned　anew。　Had　Hestersinned　alone？ Her　imagination　was　somewhat　affected；　and；　had　she　been　of　a　softermoral　and　intellectual　fibre；　would　have　been　still　more　so；　by　thestrange　and　solitary　anguish　of　her　life。　Walking　to　and　fro；　withthose　lonely　footsteps；　in　the　little　world　with　which　she　wasoutwardly　connected；　it　now　and　then　appeared　to　Hester…　if　altogetherfancy；　it　was　nevertheless　too　potent　to　be　resisted…　she　felt　orfancied；　then；　that　the　scarlet　letter　had　endowed　her　with