| THE RECOGNITION There was a murmur among the dignified and reverend occupants of the balcony; and Governor Bellingham gave expression to its purport, speaking in an authoritative voice, although tempered with respect towards the youthful clergyman whom he addressed:
"Good Master Dimmesdale," said he, "the responsibility of this woman's soul lies greatly with you. It behoves you; therefore, to exhort her to repentance and to confession, as a proof and consequence thereof."
The directness of this appeal drew the eyes of the whole crowd upon the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale—young clergyman, who had come from one of the great English universities, bringing all the learning of the age into our wild forest land. His eloquence and religious fervour had already given the earnest of high eminence in his profession. He was a person of very striking aspect, with a white, lofty, and impending brow; large, brown, melancholy eyes, and a mouth which, unless when he forcibly compressed it, was apt to be tremulous, expressing both nervous sensibility and a vast power of self restraint. Notwithstanding his high native gifts and scholar-like attainments, there was an air about this young minister—an apprehensive, a startled, a half-frightened look—as of a being who felt himself quite astray, and at a loss in the pathway of human existence, and could only be at ease in some seclusion of his own. Therefore, so far as his duties would permit, he trod in the shadowy by-paths, and thus kept himself simple and childlike, coming forth, when occasion was, with a freshness, and fragrance, and dewy purity of thought, which, as many people said, affected them like the speech of an angel.
Such was the young man whom the Reverend Mr. Wilson and the Governor had introduced so openly to the public notice, bidding him speak, in the hearing of all men, to that mystery of a woman's soul, so sacred even in its pollution. The trying nature of his position drove the blood from his cheek, and made his lips tremulous.
"Speak to the woman, my brother," said Mr. Wilson. "It is of moment to her soul, and, therefore, as the worshipful Governor says, momentous to thine own, in whose charge hers is. Exhort her to confess the truth!"
The Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale bent his head, in silent prayer, as it seemed, and then came forward.
"Hester Prynne," said he, leaning over the balcony and looking down steadfastly into her eyes, "thou hearest what this good man says, and seest the ability under which I labour. If thou feelest it to be for thy soul's peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer! Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so than to hide a guilty heart through life. What can thy silence do for him, except it tempt him—yea, compel him, as it were—to add hypocrisy to sin? Heaven hath granted thee an open ignominy, that thereby thou mayest work out an open triumph over the evil within thee and the sorrow without. Take heed how thou deniest to him—who, perchance, hath not the courage to grasp it for himself—the bitter, but wholesome, cup that is now presented to thy lips!"
The young pastor's voice was tremulously sweet, rich, deep, and broken. The feeling that it so evidently manifested, rather than the direct purport of the words, caused it to vibrate within all hearts, and brought the listeners into one accord of sympathy. Even the poor baby at Hester's bosom was affected by the same influence, for it directed its hitherto vacant gaze towards Mr. Dimmesdale, and held up its little arms with a half-pleased, half-plaintive murmur. So powerful seemed the minister's appeal that the people could not believe but that Hester Prynne would speak out the guilty name, or else that the guilty one himself in whatever high or lowly place he stood, would be drawn forth by an inward and inevitable necessity, and compelled to ascend the scaffold. |
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EL RECONOCIMIENTO Se oy un murmullo entre los encopetados y reverendos ocupantes del balconcillo; y el Gobernador Bellingham expres el deseo general, al hablar con acento de autoridad, aunque con respeto, al joven clrigo a quien se diriga.
—Mi buen Seor Dimmesdale, dijo, la responsabilidad de la salvacin del alma de esta mujer pesa en gran parte sobre vos. Por lo tanto, os pertenece exhortarla al arrepentimiento y a la confesin.
Lo directo de estas palabras atrajeron las miradas de toda la multitud hacia el Reverendo Sr. Dimmesdale, joven clrigo que haba venido de una de las grandes universidades inglesas, trayendo toda la ciencia de su tiempo a nuestras selvas y tierras incultas. Su elocuencia y su fervor religioso le haban hecho eminente en su profesin. Era persona de aspecto notable, de blanca y elevada frente, ojos garzos, grandes y melanclicos, boca cuyos labios, a menos de mantenerlos cerrados casi por la fuerza, tenan cierta tendencia a la movilidad, expresando al mismo tiempo que una sensibilidad nerviosa, un gran dominio de s mismo. a pesar de sus muchos dones naturales y vastos conocimientos, haba en el aspecto de este joven ministro algo que denotaba una persona asustadiza, tmida, fcil de alarmarse, como si fuera un sr que se sintiese completamente extraviado en el camino de la vida humana y sin saber qu rumbo tomar, sintindose tranquilo y satisfecho tan slo en un lugar apartado, escogido por l mismo. Por lo tanto, hasta donde sus obligaciones se lo permitan, su existencia se deslizaba, como si dijramos, en la penumbra, habiendo conservado toda la sencillez y candor de la infancia; surgiendo de esa especie de sombra, cuando se presentaba la ocasin, con una frescura, fragancia y pureza de pensamiento tales que, como afirmaban las gentes, hacan el efecto que producira la palabra de un ngel.
Tal era el joven ministro hacia quien el Reverendo Sr. Wilson y el Gobernador haban llamado la atencin del pblico, al pedirle que hablase, en presencia de todos, del misterio del alma de una mujer, tan sagrado an en medio de su cada. Lo difcil y penoso de la posicin que as le crearon, hizo agolprsele la sangre a las mejillas y volvi trmulos sus labios.
—Hblale a esa mujer, hermano, le dijo el Sr. Wilson. Es de la mayor importancia para su alma, y por lo tanto, como dice nuestro digno Gobernador, importante tambin a la tuya, a cuyo cargo est la de esa mujer. Exhrtala a que confiese la verdad.
El Reverendo Sr. Dimmesdale inclin la cabeza como si estuviera orando, y luego se adelant.
—Ester Prynne,—dijo reclinndose sobre el balconcillo y fijando sus miradas en los ojos de aquella mujer,—ya has odo lo que ha dicho este hombre justo, y ves la responsabilidad que sobre m pesa. Si crees que conviene a la paz de tu alma, y que tu castigo terrenal ser de ese modo ms eficaz para tu salvacin, te pido que reveles el nombre de tu compaero en la culpa y en el sufrimiento. No te haga guardar silencio una mal entendida piedad y compasin hacia l; porque, creme, Ester, aunque tuviera que descender de un alto puesto, y colocarse a tu lado, en ese mismo pedestal de vergenza, sera sin embargo mucho mejor para l que as sucediera, que no ocultar durante toda su vida un corazn culpable. Qu puede hacer tu silencio en pr de ese hombre sino tentarlo, s, compelerlo a agregar la hipocresa al pecado? El cielo te ha concedido una ignominia pblica, para que de este modo puedas conseguir un triunfo pblico sobre lo malo que en t pueda haber. Mira lo que haces al negarle, a quien tal vez no tenga el valor de tomarla por s mismo, la amarga pero saludable copa que ahora te presentan a los labios.
La voz del joven ministro, al pronunciar estas palabras, era trmulamente dulce, rica, profunda y entrecortada. La emocin que tan evidentemente manifestaba, ms bien que la significacin de las palabras, hall honda resonancia en los corazones de todos los circunstantes, que se sintieron movidos de un mismo sentimiento de compasin. Hasta la pobre criaturita que Ester estrechaba contra su seno pareca afectada por la misma influencia, pues dirigi las miradas hacia el Sr. Dimmesdale y levant sus tiernos bracillos con un murmullo semi-placentero y semi-quejumbroso. Tan vehemente encontr el pueblo la alocucin del joven ministro, que todos creyeron que Ester pronunciara el nombre del culpado, o que bien ste mismo, por elevada o humilde que fuera su posicin, se presentara movido de interno irresistible impulso y subira al tablado donde estaba la infeliz mujer. |
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