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。

a　newsense。　She　shuddered　to　believe；　yet　could　not　help　believing；　that　itgave　her　a　sympathetic　knowledge　of　the　hidden　sin　in　other　hearts。She　was　terror…stricken　by　the　revelations　that　were　thus　made。　Whatwere　they？　Could　they　be　other　than　the　insidious　whispers　of　thebad　angel；　who　would　fain　have　persuaded　the　struggling　woman；　asyet　only　half　his　victim；　that　the　outward　guise　of　purity　was　but　alie；　and　that；　if　truth　were　everywhere　to　be　shown；　a　scarletletter　would　blaze　forth　on　many　a　bosom　besides　Hester　Prynne's？Or；　must　she　receive　those　intimations…　so　obscure；　yet　so　distinct…as　truth？　In　all　her　miserable　experience；　there　was　nothing　else　soawful　and　so　loathsome　as　this　sense。　It　perplexed；　as　well　as　shockedher；　by　the　irreverent　inopportuneness　of　the　occasions　that　broughtit　into　vivid　action。　Sometimes　the　red　infamy　upon　her　breast　wouldgive　a　sympathetic　throb；　as　she　passed　near　a　venerable　minister　ormagistrate；　the　model　of　piety　and　justice；　to　whom　that　age　ofantique　reverence　looked　up；　as　to　a　mortal　man　in　fellowship　withangels。　〃What　evil　thing　is　at　hand？〃　would　Hester　say　to　herself。Lifting　her　reluctant　eyes；　there　would　be　nothing　human　within　thescope　of　view；　save　the　form　of　this　earthly　saint！　Again；　a　mysticsisterhood　would　contumaciously　assert　itself；　as　she　met　thesanctified　frown　of　some　matron；　who；　according　to　the　rumour　of　alltongues；　had　kept　cold　snow　within　her　bosom　throughout　life。　Thatunsunned　snow　in　the　matron's　bosom；　and　the　burning　shame　on　HesterPrynne's…　what　had　the　two　in　mon？　Or；　once　more；　the　electricthrill　would　give　her　warning…　〃Behold；　Hester；　here　is　a　panion！〃…and；　looking　up；　she　would　detect　the　eyes　of　a　young　maidenglancing　at　the　scarlet　letter；　shyly　and　aside；　and　quicklyaverted；　with