English
Aftermanydays,whentimesufficedforthepeopletoarrangetheirthoughtsinreferencetotheforegoingscene,therewasmorethanoneaccountofwhathadbeenwitnessedonthescaffold.
Mostofthespectatorstestifiedtohavingseen,onthebreastoftheunhappyminister,aSCARLETLETTER—theverysemblanceofthatwornbyHesterPrynne—imprintedintheflesh.
Asregardeditsorigintherewerevariousexplanations,allofwhichmustnecessarilyhavebeenconjectural.
SomeaffirmedthattheReverendMr.Dimmesdale,ontheverydaywhenHesterPrynnefirstworeherignominiousbadge,hadbegunacourseofpenance—whichheafterwards,insomanyfutilemethods,followedout—byinflictingahideoustortureonhimself.
Otherscontendedthatthestigmahadnotbeenproduceduntilalongtimesubsequent,whenoldRogerChillingworth,beingapotentnecromancer,hadcausedittoappear,throughtheagencyofmagicandpoisonousdrugs.
Others,againandthosebestabletoappreciatetheminister’speculiarsensibility,andthewonderfuloperationofhisspirituponthebody—whisperedtheirbelief,thattheawfulsymbolwastheeffectoftheever–activetoothofremorse,gnawingfromtheinmostheartoutwardly,andatlastmanifestingHeaven’sdreadfuljudgmentbythevisiblepresenceoftheletter.
Thereadermaychooseamongthesetheories.
Wehavethrownallthelightwecouldacquireupontheportent,andwouldgladly,nowthatithasdoneitsoffice,eraseitsdeepprintoutofourownbrain,wherelongmeditationhasfixeditinveryundesirabledistinctness.
Itissingular,nevertheless,thatcertainpersons,whowerespectatorsofthewholescene,andprofessedneveroncetohaveremovedtheireyesfromtheReverendMr.Dimmesdale,deniedthattherewasanymarkwhateveronhisbreast,morethanonanew–borninfant’s.
Neither,bytheirreport,hadhisdyingwordsacknowledged,norevenremotelyimplied,any—theslightest—connexiononhispart,withtheguiltforwhichHesterPrynnehadsolongwornthescarletletter.
Accordingtothesehighly–respectablewitnesses,theminister,consciousthathewasdying—conscious,also,thatthereverenceofthemultitudeplacedhimalreadyamongsaintsandangels—haddesired,byyieldinguphisbreathinthearmsofthatfallenwoman,toexpresstotheworldhowutterlynugatoryisthechoicestofman’sownrighteousness.
Afterexhaustinglifeinhiseffortsformankind’sspiritualgood,hehadmadethemannerofhisdeathaparable,inordertoimpressonhisadmirersthemightyandmournfullesson,that,intheviewofInfinitePurity,wearesinnersallalike.
Itwastoteachthem,thattheholiestamongstushasbutattainedsofarabovehisfellowsastodiscernmoreclearlytheMercywhichlooksdown,andrepudiatemoreutterlythephantomofhumanmerit,whichwouldlookaspiringlyupward.
Withoutdisputingatruthsomomentous,wemustbeallowedtoconsiderthisversionofMr.Dimmesdale’sstoryasonlyaninstanceofthatstubbornfidelitywithwhichaman’sfriends—andespeciallyaclergyman’s—willsometimesupholdhischaracter,whenproofs,clearasthemid–daysunshineonthescarletletter,establishhimafalseandsin–stainedcreatureofthedust.
Theauthoritywhichwehavechieflyfollowed—amanuscriptofolddate,drawnupfromtheverbaltestimonyofindividuals,someofwhomhadknownHesterPrynne,whileothershadheardthetalefromcontemporarywitnessesfullyconfirmstheviewtakenintheforegoingpages.
Amongmanymoralswhichpressuponusfromthepoorminister’smiserableexperience,weputonlythisintoasentence:—“Betrue!Betrue!Betrue!
Showfreelytotheworld,ifnotyourworst,yetsometraitwherebytheworstmaybeinferred!”
Nothingwasmoreremarkablethanthechangewhichtookplace,almostimmediatelyafterMr.Dimmesdale’sdeath,intheappearanceanddemeanouroftheoldmanknownasRogerChillingworth.
Allhisstrengthandenergy—allhisvitalandintellectualforce—seemedatoncetodeserthim,insomuchthathepositivelywitheredup,shrivelledawayandalmostvanishedfrommortalsight,likeanuprootedweedthatlieswiltinginthesun.
Thisunhappymanhadmadetheveryprincipleofhislifetoconsistinthepursuitandsystematicexerciserevenge;andwhen,byitscompletesttriumphconsummationthatevilprinciplewasleftwithnofurthermaterialtosupportit—when,inshort,therewasnomoreDevil’sworkonearthforhimtodo,itonlyremainedfortheunhumanisedmortaltobetakehimselfwhitherhismasterwouldfindhimtasksenough,andpayhimhiswagesduly.
But,toalltheseshadowybeings,solongournearacquaintances—aswellRogerChillingworthashiscompanionswewouldfainbemerciful.
Itisacurioussubjectofobservationandinquiry,whetherhatredandlovebenotthesamethingatbottom.
Each,initsutmostdevelopment,supposesahighdegreeofintimacyandheart–knowledge;eachrendersoneindividualdependentforthefoodofhisaffectionsandspiritualfifeuponanother:eachleavesthepassionatelover,orthenolesspassionatehater,forlornanddesolatebythewithdrawalofhissubject.
Philosophicallyconsidered,therefore,thetwopassionsseemessentiallythesame,exceptthatonehappenstobeseeninacelestialradiance,andtheotherinaduskyandluridglow.
Inthespiritualworld,theoldphysicianandtheminister—mutualvictimsastheyhavebeen—may,unawares,havefoundtheirearthlystockofhatredandantipathytransmutedintogoldenlove.
Leavingthisdiscussionapart,wehaveamatterofbusinesstocommunicatetothereader.
AtoldRogerChillingworth’sdecease,(whichtookplacewithintheyear),andbyhislastwillandtestament,ofwhichGovernorBellinghamandtheReverendMr.Wilsonwereexecutors,hebequeathedaveryconsiderableamountofproperty,bothhereandinEnglandtolittlePearl,thedaughterofHesterPrynne.
SoPearl—theelfchild—thedemonoffspring,assomepeopleuptothatepochpersistedinconsideringher—becametherichestheiressofherdayintheNewWorld.
Notimprobablythiscircumstancewroughtaverymaterialchangeinthepublicestimation;andhadthemotherandchildremainedhere,littlePearlatamarriageableperiodoflifemighthavemingledherwildbloodwiththelineageofthedevoutestPuritanamongthemall.
But,innolongtimeafterthephysician’sdeath,thewearerofthescarletletterdisappeared,andPearlalongwithher.
Formanyyears,thoughavaguereportwouldnowandthenfinditswayacrossthesea—likeashapelesspieceofdriftwoodtossedashorewiththeinitialsofanameuponit—yetnotidingsofthemunquestionablyauthenticwerereceived.
Thestoryofthescarletlettergrewintoalegend.
Itsspell,however,wasstillpotent,andkeptthescaffoldawfulwherethepoorministerhaddied,andlikewisethecottagebythesea–shorewhereHesterPrynnehaddwelt.
Nearthislatterspot,oneafternoonsomechildrenwereatplay,whentheybeheldatallwomaninagrayrobeapproachthecottage–door.
Inallthoseyearsithadneveroncebeenopened;buteithersheunlockeditorthedecayingwoodandironyieldedtoherhand,orsheglidedshadow–likethroughtheseimpediments—and,atallevents,wentin.
Onthethresholdshepaused—turnedpartlyround—forperchancetheideaofenteringaloneandallsochanged,thehomeofsointenseaformerlife,wasmoredrearyanddesolatethanevenshecouldbear.
Butherhesitationwasonlyforaninstant,thoughlongenoughtodisplayascarletletteronherbreast.
AndHesterPrynnehadreturned,andtakenupherlong–forsakenshame!ButwherewaslittlePearl?
Ifstillaliveshemustnowhavebeenintheflushandbloomofearlywomanhood.
Noneknew—noreverlearnedwiththefulnessofperfectcertainty—whethertheelf–childhadgonethusuntimelytoamaidengrave;orwhetherherwild,richnaturehadbeensoftenedandsubduedandmadecapableofawoman’sgentlehappiness.
ButthroughtheremainderofHester’slifetherewereindicationsthattherecluseofthescarletletterwastheobjectofloveandinterestwithsomeinhabitantofanotherland.
Letterscame,witharmorialsealsuponthem,thoughofbearingsunknowntoEnglishheraldry.
InthecottagetherewerearticlesofcomfortandluxurysuchasHesternevercaredtouse,butwhichonlywealthcouldhavepurchasedandaffectionhaveimaginedforher.
Thereweretriflestoo,littleornaments,beautifultokensofacontinualremembrance,thatmusthavebeenwroughtbydelicatefingersattheimpulseofafondheart.
AndonceHesterwasseenembroideringababy–garmentwithsuchalavishrichnessofgoldenfancyaswouldhaveraisedapublictumulthadanyinfantthusapparelled,beenshowntooursober–huedcommunity.
Infine,thegossipsofthatdaybelieved—andMr.SurveyorPue,whomadeinvestigationsacenturylater,believed—andoneofhisrecentsuccessorsinoffice,moreover,faithfullybelieves—thatPearlwasnotonlyalive,butmarried,andhappy,andmindfulofhermother;andthatshewouldmostjoyfullyhaveentertainedthatsadandlonelymotheratherfireside.
ButtherewasamorereallifeforHesterPrynne,here,inNewEngland,thatinthatunknownregionwherePearlhadfoundahome.
Herehadbeenhersin;here,hersorrow;andherewasyettobeherpenitence.
Shehadreturned,therefore,andresumedofherownfreewill,fornotthesternestmagistrateofthatironperiodwouldhaveimposedit—resumedthesymbolofwhichwehaverelatedsodarkatale.Neverafterwardsdiditquitherbosom.
But,inthelapseofthetoilsome,thoughtful,andself–devotedyearsthatmadeupHester’slife,thescarletletterceasedtobeastigmawhichattractedtheworld’sscornandbitterness,andbecameatypeofsomethingtobesorrowedover,andlookeduponwithawe,yetwithreverencetoo.
And,asHesterPrynnehadnoselfishends,norlivedinanymeasureforherownprofitandenjoyment,peoplebroughtalltheirsorrowsandperplexities,andbesoughthercounsel,asonewhohadherselfgonethroughamightytrouble.
Women,moreespecially—inthecontinuallyrecurringtrialsofwounded,wasted,wronged,misplaced,orerringandsinfulpassion—orwiththedrearyburdenofaheartunyielded,becauseunvaluedandunsoughtcametoHester’scottage,demandingwhytheyweresowretched,andwhattheremedy!
Hestercomfortedandcounselledthem,asbestshemight.
Sheassuredthem,too,ofherfirmbeliefthat,atsomebrighterperiod,whentheworldshouldhavegrownripeforit,inHeaven’sowntime,anewtruthwouldberevealed,inordertoestablishthewholerelationbetweenmanandwomanonasurergroundofmutualhappiness.
Earlierinlife,Hesterhadvainlyimaginedthatsheherselfmightbethedestinedprophetess,buthadlongsincerecognisedtheimpossibilitythatanymissionofdivineandmysterioustruthshouldbeconfidedtoawomanstainedwithsin,boweddownwithshame,orevenburdenedwithalife–longsorrow.
Theangelandapostleofthecomingrevelationmustbeawoman,indeed,butlofty,pure,andbeautiful,andwise;moreover,notthroughduskygrief,buttheetherealmediumofjoy;andshowinghowsacredloveshouldmakeushappy,bythetruesttestofalifesuccessfultosuchanend.
SosaidHesterPrynne,andglancedhersadeyesdownwardatthescarletletter.
And,aftermany,manyyears,anewgravewasdelved,nearanoldandsunkenone,inthatburial–groundbesidewhichKing’sChapelhassincebeenbuilt.
Itwasnearthatoldandsunkengrave,yetwithaspacebetween,asifthedustofthetwosleepershadnorighttomingle.Yetonetomb–stoneservedforboth.
Allaround,thereweremonumentscarvedwitharmorialbearings;andonthissimpleslabofslate—asthecuriousinvestigatormaystilldiscern,andperplexhimselfwiththepurport—thereappearedthesemblanceofanengravedescutcheon.
Itboreadevice,aherald’swordingofwhichmayserveforamottoandbriefdescriptionofournowconcludedlegend;sosombreisit,andrelievedonlybyoneever–glowingpointoflightgloomierthantheshadow.
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