第11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。

he　was　conscious　of　a　shelter　in　the　presence　of　thesethousand　witnesses。　It　was　better　to　stand　thus；　with　so　manybetwixt　him　and　her；　than　to　greet　him；　face　to　face；　they　twoalone。　She　fled　for　refuge；　as　it　were；　to　the　public　exposure；　anddreaded　the　moment　when　its　protection　should　be　withdrawn　from　her。Involved　in　these　thoughts；　she　scarcely　heard　a　voice　behind　her；until　it　had　repeated　her　name　more　than　once；　in　a　loud　and　solemntone；　audible　to　the　whole　multitude。 〃Hearken　unto　me；　Hester　Prynne！〃　said　the　voice。 It　has　already　been　noticed；　that　directly　over　the　platform　onwhich　Hester　Prynne　stood　was　a　kind　of　balcony；　or　open　gallery；appended　to　the　meeting…house。　It　was　the　place　whence　proclamationswere　wont　to　be　made；　amidst　an　assemblage　of　the　magistracy；　with　allthe　ceremonial　that　attended　such　public　observances　in　those　days。Here；　to　witness　the　scene　which　we　are　describing；　sat　GovernorBellingham　himself；　with　four　sergeants　about　his　chair；　bearinghalberds；　as　a　guard　of　honour。　He　wore　a　dark　feather　in　his　hat；　aborder　of　embroidery　on　his　cloak；　and　a　black　velvet　tunic　beneath；　agentleman　advanced　in　years；　with　a　hard　experience　written　in　hiswrinkles。　He　was　not　ill　fitted　to　be　the　head　and　representative　of　amunity；　which　owed　its　origin　and　progress；　and　its　present　stateof　development；　not　to　the　impulses　of　youth；　but　to　the　stern　andtempered　energies　of　manhood；　and　the　sombre　sagacity　of　age；acplishing　so　much；　precisely　because　it　imagined　and　hoped　solittle。　The　other　eminent　characters；　by　whom　the　chief　ruler　wassurrounded；　were　distinguished　by　a　dignity　of　mien；　belonging　to　aperiod　when　the　forms　of　authority　were　felt　to　possess　the　sacrednessof　Divine　institutions。　They　were；　doubtless；　good　men；　just；　andsage。　But