關燈 巨大 直達底部
親,雙擊螢幕即可自動滾動
第22部分

r avail themselves of this unutterable solace?〃 〃They mostly do;〃 said the clergyman; griping hard at his breast; asif afflicted with an importunate throb of pain。 〃Many; many a poorsoul hath given its confidence to me; not only on the deathbed; butwhile strong in life; and fair in reputation。 And ever; after suchan outpouring; oh; what a relief have I witnessed in those sinfulbrethren! even as in one who at last draws free air; after longstifling with his own polluted breath。 How can it be otherwise? Whyshould a wretched man; guilty; we will say; of murder; prefer tokeep the dead corpse buried in his own heart; rather than fling itforth at once; and let the universe take care of it?〃 〃Yet some men bury their secrets thus;〃 observed the calm physician。 〃True; there are such men;〃 answered Mr。 Dimmesdale。 〃But; not tosuggest more obvious reasons; it may be that they are kept silent bythe very constitution of their nature。 Or… can we not suppose it?…guilty as they may be; retaining; nevertheless; a zeal for God's gloryand man's welfare; they shrink from displaying themselves black andfilthy in the view of men; because; thenceforward; no good can beachieved by them; no evil of the past be redeemed by better service。So; to their own unutterable torment; they go about among theirfellow…creatures; looking pure as new…fallen snow; while theirhearts are all speckled and spotted with iniquity of which they cannotrid themselves。〃 〃These men deceive themselves;〃 said Roger Chill