Itgrovelledhelplessontheground,evenwhilehisintellectualfacultiesretainedtheirpristinestrength,orhadperhapsacquiredamorbidenergy,whichdiseaseonlycouldhavegiventhem.
Withherknowledgeofatrainofcircumstanceshiddenfromallothers,shecouldreadilyinferthat,besidesthelegitimateactionofhisownconscience,aterriblemachineryhadbeenbroughttobear,andwasstilloperating,onMr.Dimmesdale’swell–beingandrepose.
Knowingwhatthispoorfallenmanhadoncebeen,herwholesoulwasmovedbytheshudderingterrorwithwhichhehadappealedtoher—theoutcastwoman—forsupportagainsthisinstinctivelydiscoveredenemy.
Littleaccustomed,inherlongseclusionfromsociety,tomeasureherideasofrightandwrongbyanystandardexternaltoherself,Hestersaw—orseemedtosee—thattherelayaresponsibilityuponherinreferencetotheclergyman,whichsheownedtonoother,nortothewholeworldbesides.
Thelinksthatunitedhertotherestofhumankind—linksofflowers,orsilk,orgold,orwhateverthematerial—hadallbeenbroken.
HesterPrynnedidnotnowoccupypreciselythesamepositioninwhichwebeheldherduringtheearlierperiodsofherignominy.Yearshadcomeandgone.Pearlwasnowsevenyearsold.
Hermother,withthescarletletteronherbreast,glitteringinitsfantasticembroidery,hadlongbeenafamiliarobjecttothetownspeople.
Asisapttobethecasewhenapersonstandsoutinanyprominencebeforethecommunity,and,atthesametime,interferesneitherwithpublicnorindividualinterestsandconvenience,aspeciesofgeneralregardhadultimatelygrownupinreferencetoHesterPrynne.
Itistothecreditofhumannaturethat,exceptwhereitsselfishnessisbroughtintoplay,itlovesmorereadilythanithates.
Hatred,byagradualandquietprocess,willevenbetransformedtolove,unlessthechangebeimpededbyacontinuallynewirritationoftheoriginalfeelingofhostility.
Sheneverbattledwiththepublic,butsubmitteduncomplaininglytoitsworstusage;shemadenoclaimuponitinrequitalforwhatshesuffered;shedidnotweighuponitssympathies.
Then,also,theblamelesspurityofherlifeduringalltheseyearsinwhichshehadbeensetaparttoinfamywasreckonedlargelyinherfavour.
Withnothingnowtolose,inthesightofmankind,andwithnohope,andseeminglynowish,ofgaininganything,itcouldonlybeagenuineregardforvirtuethathadbroughtbackthepoorwanderertoitspaths.
Itwasperceived,too,thatwhileHesterneverputforwardeventhehumblesttitletoshareintheworld’sprivileges—furtherthantobreathethecommonairandearndailybreadforlittlePearlandherselfbythefaithfullabourofherhands—shewasquicktoacknowledgehersisterhoodwiththeraceofmanwheneverbenefitsweretobeconferred.
Nonesoreadyasshetogiveofherlittlesubstancetoeverydemandofpoverty,eventhoughthebitter–heartedpauperthrewbackagibeinrequitalofthefoodbroughtregularlytohisdoor,orthegarmentswroughtforhimbythefingersthatcouldhaveembroideredamonarch’srobe.
Shecame,notasaguest,butasarightfulinmate,intothehouseholdthatwasdarkenedbytrouble,asifitsgloomytwilightwereamediuminwhichshewasentitledtoholdintercoursewithherfellow–creatureThereglimmeredtheembroideredletter,withcomfortinitsunearthlyray.
Ithadshownhimwheretosethisfoot,whilethelightofearthwasfastbecomingdim,anderethelightoffuturitycouldreachhim.
InsuchemergenciesHester’snatureshoweditselfwarmandrich—awell–springofhumantenderness,unfailingtoeveryrealdemand,andinexhaustiblebythelargest.
Shewasself–ordainedaSisterofMercy,or,wemayrathersay,theworld’sheavyhandhadsoordainedher,whenneithertheworldnorshelookedforwardtothisresult.
Suchhelpfulnesswasfoundinher—somuchpowertodo,andpowertosympathize—thatmanypeoplerefusedtointerpretthescarletAbyitsoriginalsignification.
Thehelpfulinmatehaddeparted,withoutonebackwardglancetogatherupthemeedofgratitude,ifanywereintheheartsofthosewhomshehadservedsozealously.
Thismightbepride,butwassolikehumility,thatitproducedallthesofteninginfluenceofthelatterqualityonthepublicmind.
Thepublicisdespoticinitstemper;itiscapableofdenyingcommonjusticewhentoostrenuouslydemandedasaright;butquiteasfrequentlyitawardsmorethanjustice,whentheappealismade,asdespotslovetohaveitmade,entirelytoitsgenerosity.
InterpretingHesterPrynne’sdeportmentasanappealofthisnature,societywasinclinedtoshowitsformervictimamorebenigncountenancethanshecaredtobefavouredwith,or,perchance,thanshedeserved.
Therulers,andthewiseandlearnedmenofthecommunity,werelongerinacknowledgingtheinfluenceofHester’sgoodqualitiesthanthepeople.
Theprejudiceswhichtheysharedincommonwiththelatterwerefortifiedinthemselvesbyanironframe–workofreasoning,thatmadeitafartougherlabourtoexpelthem.
Daybyday,nevertheless,theirsourandrigidwrinkleswererelaxingintosomethingwhich,intheduecourseofyears,mightgrowtobeanexpressionofalmostbenevolence.
Individualsinprivatelife,meanwhile,hadquiteforgivenHesterPrynneforherfrailty;nay,more,theyhadbeguntolookuponthescarletletterasthetoken,notofthatonesinforwhichshehadbornesolonganddrearyapenance,butofhermanygooddeedssince.
“ItisourHester—thetown’sownHester—whoissokindtothepoor,sohelpfultothesick,socomfortabletotheafflicted!”
Then,itistrue,thepropensityofhumannaturetotelltheveryworstofitself,whenembodiedinthepersonofanother,wouldconstrainthemtowhispertheblackscandalofbygoneyears.
Itwasnonethelessafact,however,thatintheeyesoftheverymenwhospokethus,thescarletletterhadtheeffectofthecrossonanun’sbosom.
Itwasreported,andbelievedbymany,thatanIndianhaddrawnhisarrowagainstthebadge,andthatthemissilestruckit,andfellharmlesstotheground.
Theeffectofthesymbol—orrather,ofthepositioninrespecttosocietythatwasindicatedbyit—onthemindofHesterPrynneherselfwaspowerfulandpeculiar.
Allthelightandgracefulfoliageofhercharacterhadbeenwitheredupbythisred–hotbrand,andhadlongagofallenaway,leavingabareandharshoutline,whichmighthavebeenrepulsivehadshepossessedfriendsorcompanionstoberepelledbyit.
Itwasasadtransformation,too,thatherrichandluxurianthairhadeitherbeencutoff,orwassocompletelyhiddenbyacap,thatnotashininglockofiteveroncegushedintothesunshine.
Itwasdueinparttoallthesecauses,butstillmoretosomethingelse,thatthereseemedtobenolongeranythinginHester’sfaceforLovetodwellupon;nothinginHester’sform,thoughmajesticandstatuelike,thatPassionwouldeverdreamofclaspinginitsembrace;nothinginHester’sbosomtomakeiteveragainthepillowofAffection.
Suchisfrequentlythefate,andsuchthesterndevelopment,ofthefemininecharacterandperson,whenthewomanhasencountered,andlivedthrough,anexperienceofpeculiarseverity.Ifshebealltenderness,shewilldie.
Ifshesurvive,thetendernesswilleitherbecrushedoutofher,or—andtheoutwardsemblanceisthesame—crushedsodeeplyintoherheartthatitcannevershowitselfmore.
Shewhohasoncebeenawoman,andceasedtobeso,mightatanymomentbecomeawomanagain,iftherewereonlythemagictouchtoeffectthetransformation.
MuchofthemarblecoldnessofHester’simpressionwastobeattributedtothecircumstancethatherlifehadturned,inagreatmeasure,frompassionandfeelingtothought.
Standingaloneintheworld—alone,astoanydependenceonsociety,andwithlittlePearltobeguidedandprotected—alone,andhopelessofretrievingherposition,evenhadshenotscornedtoconsideritdesirable—shecastawaythefragmentabrokenchain.
Itwasanageinwhichthehumanintellect,newlyemancipated,hadtakenamoreactiveandawiderrangethanformanycenturiesbefore.
Menbolderthanthesehadoverthrownandrearranged—notactually,butwithinthesphereoftheory,whichwastheirmostrealabode—thewholesystemofancientprejudice,wherewithwaslinkedmuchofancientprinciple.HesterPrynneimbibedthisspirit.
Sheassumedafreedomofspeculation,thencommonenoughontheothersideoftheAtlantic,butwhichourforefathers,hadtheyknownit,wouldhaveheldtobeadeadliercrimethanthatstigmatisedbythescarletletter.
Inherlonesomecottage,bytheseashore,thoughtsvisitedhersuchasdaredtoenternootherdwellinginNewEngland;shadowyguests,thatwouldhavebeenasperilousasdemonstotheirentertainer,couldtheyhavebeenseensomuchasknockingatherdoor.
Itisremarkablethatpersonswhospeculatethemostboldlyoftenconformwiththemostperfectquietudetotheexternalregulationsofsociety.
Shemight,andnotimprobablywould,havesuffereddeathfromthesterntribunalsoftheperiod,forattemptingtounderminethefoundationsofthePuritanestablishment.
Providence,inthepersonofthislittlegirl,hadassignedtoHester’scharge,thegermandblossomofwomanhood,tobecherishedanddevelopedamidahostofdifficulties.Everythingwasagainsther.Theworldwashostile.
Thechild’sownnaturehadsomethingwronginitwhichcontinuallybetokenedthatshehadbeenbornamiss—theeffluenceofhermother’slawlesspassion—andoftenimpelledHestertoask,inbitternessofheart,whetheritwereforillorgoodthatthepoorlittlecreaturehadbeenbornatall.
Asconcernedherownindividualexistence,shehadlongagodecidedinthenegative,anddismissedthepointassettled.
Thentheverynatureoftheoppositesex,oritslonghereditaryhabit,whichhasbecomelikenature,istobeessentiallymodifiedbeforewomancanbeallowedtoassumewhatseemsafairandsuitableposition.
Finally,allotherdifficultiesbeingobviated,womancannottakeadvantageofthesepreliminaryreformsuntilsheherselfshallhaveundergoneastillmightierchange,inwhich,perhaps,theetherealessence,whereinshehashertruestlife,willbefoundtohaveevaporated.
ThusHesterPrynne,whosehearthadlostitsregularandhealthythrob,wanderedwithoutaclueinthedarklabyrinthofmind;nowturnedasidebyaninsurmountableprecipice;nowstartingbackfromadeepchasm.
Attimesafearfuldoubtstrovetopossesshersoul,whetheritwerenotbettertosendPearlatoncetoHeaven,andgoherselftosuchfuturityasEternalJusticeshouldprovide.
Now,however,herinterviewwiththeReverendMr.Dimmesdale,onthenightofhisvigil,hadgivenheranewthemeofreflection,andhelduptoheranobjectthatappearedworthyofanyexertionandsacrificeforitsattainment.
Shehadwitnessedtheintensemiserybeneathwhichtheministerstruggled,or,tospeakmoreaccurately,hadceasedtostruggle.
Itwasimpossibletodoubtthat,whateverpainfulefficacytheremightbeinthesecretstingofremorse,adeadliervenomhadbeeninfusedintoitbythehandthatprofferedrelief.
Asecretenemyhadbeencontinuallybyhisside,underthesemblanceofafriendandhelper,andhadavailedhimselfoftheopportunitiesthusaffordedfortamperingwiththedelicatespringsofMr.Dimmesdale’snature.
Hestercouldnotbutaskherselfwhethertherehadnotoriginallybeenadefectoftruth,courage,andloyaltyonherownpart,inallowingtheministertobethrownintopositionwheresomuchevilwastobeforebodedandnothingauspicioustobehoped.
HeronlyjustificationlayinthefactthatshehadbeenabletodiscernnomethodofrescuinghimfromablackerruinthanhadoverwhelmedherselfexceptbyacquiescinginRogerChillingworth’sschemeofdisguise.
Underthatimpulseshehadmadeherchoice,andhadchosen,asitnowappeared,themorewretchedalternativeofthetwo.
Strengthenedbyyearsofhardandsolemntrial,shefeltherselfnolongersoinadequatetocopewithRogerChillingworthasonthatnight,abasedbysinandhalf–maddenedbytheignominythatwasstillnew,whentheyhadtalkedtogetherintheprison–chamber.
Theoldman,ontheotherhand,hadbroughthimselfnearertoherlevel,or,perhaps,belowit,bytherevengewhichhehadstoopedfor.
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