HesterPrynnewentonedaytothemansionofGovernorBellingham,withapairofgloveswhichshehadfringedandembroideredtohisorder,andwhichweretobewornonsomegreatoccasionofstate;for,thoughthechancesofapopularelectionhadcausedthisformerrulertodescendasteportwofromthehighestrank,hestillheldanhonourableandinfluentialplaceamongthecolonialmagistracy.
Anotherandfarmoreimportantreasonthanthedeliveryofapairofembroideredgloves,impelledHester,atthistime,toseekaninterviewwithapersonageofsomuchpowerandactivityintheaffairsofthesettlement.
Ithadreachedherearsthattherewasadesignonthepartofsomeoftheleadinginhabitants,cherishingthemorerigidorderofprinciplesinreligionandgovernment,todepriveherofherchild.
OnthesuppositionthatPearl,asalreadyhinted,wasofdemonorigin,thesegoodpeoplenotunreasonablyarguedthataChristianinterestinthemother’ssoulrequiredthemtoremovesuchastumbling–blockfromherpath.
Ifthechild,ontheotherhand,werereallycapableofmoralandreligiousgrowth,andpossessedtheelementsofultimatesalvation,then,surely,itwouldenjoyallthefairerprospectoftheseadvantagesbybeingtransferredtowiserandbetterguardianshipthanHesterPrynne’s.
Itmayappearsingular,and,indeed,notalittleludicrous,thatanaffairofthiskind,whichinlaterdayswouldhavebeenreferredtonohigherjurisdictionthanthatoftheselectmenofthetown,shouldthenhavebeenaquestionpubliclydiscussed,andonwhichstatesmenofeminencetooksides.
Atthatepochofpristinesimplicity,however,mattersofevenslighterpublicinterest,andoffarlessintrinsicweightthanthewelfareofHesterandherchild,werestrangelymixedupwiththedeliberationsoflegislatorsandactsofstate.
Theperiodwashardly,ifatall,earlierthanthatofourstory,whenadisputeconcerningtherightofpropertyinapignotonlycausedafierceandbittercontestinthelegislativebodyofthecolony,butresultedinanimportantmodificationoftheframeworkitselfofthelegislature.
Fullofconcern,therefore—butsoconsciousofherownrightthatitseemedscarcelyanunequalmatchbetweenthepublicontheoneside,andalonelywoman,backedbythesympathiesofnature,ontheother—HesterPrynnesetforthfromhersolitarycottage.
Shewasnowofanagetorunlightlyalongbyhermother’sside,and,constantlyinmotionfrommorntillsunset,couldhaveaccomplishedamuchlongerjourneythanthatbeforeher.
Often,nevertheless,morefromcapricethannecessity,shedemandedtobetakenupinarms;butwassoonasimperioustobeletdownagain,andfriskedonwardbeforeHesteronthegrassypathway,withmanyaharmlesstripandtumble.
WehavespokenofPearl’srichandluxuriantbeauty—abeautythatshonewithdeepandvividtints,abrightcomplexion,eyespossessingintensitybothofdepthandglow,andhairalreadyofadeep,glossybrown,andwhich,inafteryears,wouldbenearlyakintoblack.
Hermother,incontrivingthechild’sgarb,hadallowedthegorgeoustendenciesofherimaginationtheirfullplay,arrayingherinacrimsonvelvettunicofapeculiarcut,abundantlyembroideredinfantasiesandflourishesofgoldthread.
Somuchstrengthofcolouring,whichmusthavegivenawanandpallidaspecttocheeksofafainterbloom,wasadmirablyadaptedtoPearl’sbeauty,andmadehertheverybrightestlittlejetofflamethateverdancedupontheearth.
Butitwasaremarkableattributeofthisgarb,andindeed,ofthechild’swholeappearance,thatitirresistiblyandinevitablyremindedthebeholderofthetokenwhichHesterPrynnewasdoomedtowearuponherbosom.
Themotherherself—asiftheredignominyweresodeeplyscorchedintoherbrainthatallherconceptionsassumeditsform—hadcarefullywroughtoutthesimilitude,lavishingmanyhoursofmorbidingenuitytocreateananalogybetweentheobjectofheraffectionandtheemblemofherguiltandtorture.
But,intruth,Pearlwastheoneaswellastheother;andonlyinconsequenceofthatidentityhadHestercontrivedsoperfectlytorepresentthescarletletterinherappearance.
Asthetwowayfarerscamewithintheprecinctsofthetown,thechildrenofthePuritanslookedupfromtheirplayerwhatpassedforplaywiththosesombrelittleurchins—andspokegravelyonetoanother
“Behold,verily,thereisthewomanofthescarletletter:andofatruth,moreover,thereisthelikenessofthescarletletterrunningalongbyherside!
ButPearl,whowasadauntlesschild,afterfrowning,stampingherfoot,andshakingherlittlehandwithavarietyofthreateninggestures,suddenlymadearushattheknotofherenemies,andputthemalltoflight.
Sheresembled,inherfiercepursuitofthem,aninfantpestilence—thescarletfever,orsomesuchhalf–fledgedangelofjudgment—whosemissionwastopunishthesinsoftherisinggeneration.
Shescreamedandshouted,too,withaterrificvolumeofsound,which,doubtless,causedtheheartsofthefugitivestoquakewithinthem.
Thiswasalargewoodenhouse,builtinafashionofwhichtherearespecimensstillextantinthestreetsofouroldertownsnowmoss—grown,crumblingtodecay,andmelancholyatheartwiththemanysorrowfulorjoyfuloccurrences,rememberedorforgotten,thathavehappenedandpassedawaywithintheirduskychambers.
Then,however,therewasthefreshnessofthepassingyearonitsexterior,andthecheerfulness,gleamingforthfromthesunnywindows,ofahumanhabitation,intowhichdeathhadneverentered.
Ithad,indeed,averycheeryaspect,thewallsbeingoverspreadwithakindofstucco,inwhichfragmentsofbrokenglasswereplentifullyintermixed;sothat,whenthesunshinefellaslant–wiseoverthefrontoftheedifice,itglitteredandsparkledasifdiamondshadbeenflungagainstitbythedoublehandful.
Itwasfurtherdecoratedwithstrangeandseeminglycabalisticfiguresanddiagrams,suitabletothequainttasteoftheagewhichhadbeendrawninthestucco,whennewlylaidon,andhadnowgrownhardanddurable,fortheadmirationofaftertimes.
Pearl,lookingatthisbrightwonderofahousebegantocaperanddance,andimperativelyrequiredthatthewholebreadthofsunshineshouldbestrippedoffitsfront,andgivenhertoplaywith.
Theyapproachedthedoor,whichwasofanarchedform,andflankedoneachsidebyanarrowtowerorprojectionoftheedifice,inbothofwhichwerelattice–windows,thewoodenshutterstocloseoverthematneed.
Liftingtheironhammerthathungattheportal,HesterPrynnegaveasummons,whichwasansweredbyoneoftheGovernor’sbondservant—afree–bornEnglishman,butnowasevenyears’slave.
Duringthattermhewastobethepropertyofhismaster,andasmuchacommodityofbargainandsaleasanox,orajoint–stool.
Theserfworethecustomarygarbofserving–menatthatperiod,andlongbefore,intheoldhereditaryhallsofEngland.
“Yea,forsooth,”repliedthebond–servant,staringwithwide–openeyesatthescarletletter,which,beinganew–comerinthecountry,hehadneverbeforeseen.“Yea,hishonourableworshipiswithin.
“Nevertheless,Iwillenter,”answeredHesterPrynne;andthebond–servant,perhapsjudgingfromthedecisionofherair,andtheglitteringsymbolinherbosom,thatshewasagreatladyintheland,offerednoopposition.
Withmanyvariations,suggestedbythenatureofhisbuildingmaterials,diversityofclimate,andadifferentmodeofsociallife,GovernorBellinghamhadplannedhisnewhabitationaftertheresidencesofgentlemenoffairestateinhisnativeland.
Here,then,wasawideandreasonablyloftyhall,extendingthroughthewholedepthofthehouse,andformingamediumofgeneralcommunication,moreorlessdirectly,withalltheotherapartments.
Atoneextremity,thisspaciousroomwaslightedbythewindowsofthetwotowers,whichformedasmallrecessoneithersideoftheportal.
Attheotherend,thoughpartlymuffledbyacurtain,itwasmorepowerfullyilluminatedbyoneofthoseembowedhallwindowswhichwereadofinoldbooks,andwhichwasprovidedwithadeepandcushionseat.
Here,onthecushion,layafoliotome,probablyoftheChroniclesofEngland,orothersuchsubstantialliterature;evenas,inourowndays,wescattergildedvolumesonthecentretable,tobeturnedoverbythecasualguest.
Thefurnitureofthehallconsistedofsomeponderouschairs,thebacksofwhichwereelaboratelycarvedwithwreathsofoakenflowers;andlikewiseatableinthesametaste,thewholebeingoftheElizabethanage,orperhapsearlier,andheirlooms,transferredhitherfromtheGovernor’spaternalhome.
Onthetable—intokenthatthesentimentofoldEnglishhospitalityhadnotbeenleftbehind—stoodalargepewtertankard,atthebottomofwhich,hadHesterorPearlpeepedintoit,theymighthaveseenthefrothyremnantofarecentdraughtofale.
Onthewallhungarowofportraits,representingtheforefathersoftheBellinghamlineage,somewitharmourontheirbreasts,andotherswithstatelyruffsandrobesofpeace.
Allwerecharacterisedbythesternnessandseveritywhicholdportraitssoinvariablyputon,asiftheyweretheghosts,ratherthanthepictures,ofdepartedworthies,andweregazingwithharshandintolerantcriticismatthepursuitsandenjoymentsoflivingmen.
Ataboutthecentreoftheoakenpanelsthatlinedthehallwassuspendedasuitofmail,not,likethepictures,anancestralrelic,butofthemostmoderndate;forithadbeenmanufacturedbyaskilfularmourerinLondon,thesameyearinwhichGovernorBellinghamcameovertoNewEngland.
Therewasasteelhead–piece,acuirass,agorgetandgreaves,withapairofgauntletsandaswordhangingbeneath;all,andespeciallythehelmetandbreastplate,sohighlyburnishedastoglowwithwhiteradiance,andscatteranilluminationeverywhereaboutuponthefloor.
Thisbrightpanoplywasnotmeantformereidleshow,buthadbeenwornbytheGovernoronmanyasolemnmusteranddrainingfield,andhadglittered,moreover,attheheadofaregimentinthePequodwar.
For,thoughbredalawyer,andaccustomedtospeakofBacon,Coke,Noye,andFinch,ashisprofessionalassociates,theexigentiesofthisnewcountryhadtransformedGovernorBellinghamintoasoldier,aswellasastatesmanandruler.
LittlePearl,whowasasgreatlypleasedwiththegleamingarmourasshehadbeenwiththeglitteringfrontispieceofthehouse,spentsometimelookingintothepolishedmirrorofthebreastplate.
Hesterlookedbywayofhumouringthechild;andshesawthat,owingtothepeculiareffectofthisconvexmirror,thescarletletterwasrepresentedinexaggeratedandgiganticproportions,soastobegreatlythemostprominentfeatureofherappearance.
Pearlpointedupwardsalso,atasimilarpictureinthehead–piece;smilingathermother,withtheelfishintelligencethatwassofamiliaranexpressiononhersmallphysiognomy.
Thatlookofnaughtymerrimentwaslikewisereflectedinthemirror,withsomuchbreadthandintensityofeffect,thatitmadeHesterPrynnefeelasifitcouldnotbetheimageofherownchild,butofanimpwhowasseekingtomoulditselfintoPearl’sshape.
“Comealong,Pearl,”saidshe,drawingheraway,“Comeandlookintothisfairgarden.Itmaybeweshallseeflowersthere;morebeautifulonesthanwefindinthewoods.”
Pearlaccordinglyrantothebow–window,atthefurtherendofthehall,andlookedalongthevistaofagardenwalk,carpetedwithclosely–shavengrass,andborderedwithsomerudeandimmatureattemptatshrubbery.
Buttheproprietorappearedalreadytohaverelinquishedashopeless,theefforttoperpetuateonthissideoftheAtlantic,inahardsoil,andamidtheclosestruggleforsubsistence,thenativeEnglishtasteforornamentalgardening.
Cabbagesgrewinplainsight;andapumpkin–vine,rootedatsomedistance,hadrunacrosstheinterveningspace,anddepositedoneofitsgiganticproductsdirectlybeneaththehallwindow,asiftowarntheGovernorthatthisgreatlumpofvegetablegoldwasasrichanornamentasNewEnglandearthwouldofferhim.
Therewereafewrose–bushes,however,andanumberofapple–trees,probablythedescendantsofthoseplantedbytheReverendMr.Blackstone,thefirstsettlerofthepeninsula;thathalfmythologicalpersonagewhoridesthroughourearlyannals,seatedonthebackofabull.
Share this article to
FINISH