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There
was
,
perhaps
,
a
fortunate
disorder
in
his
utterance
,
which
failed
to
impart
any
distinct
idea
to
the
good
widows
comprehension
,
or
which
Providence
interpreted
after
a
method
of
its
own
.
Assuredly
,
as
the
minister
looked
back
,
he
beheld
an
expression
of
divine
gratitude
and
ecstasy
that
seemed
like
the
shine
of
the
celestial
city
on
her
face
,
so
wrinkled
and
ashy
pale
.
Again
,
a
third
instance
.
After
parting
from
the
old
church
member
,
he
met
the
youngest
sister
of
them
all
.
It
was
a
maiden
newly-won
--
and
won
by
the
Reverend
Mr.
Dimmesdale
's
own
sermon
,
on
the
Sabbath
after
his
vigil
--
to
barter
the
transitory
pleasures
of
the
world
for
the
heavenly
hope
that
was
to
assume
brighter
substance
as
life
grew
dark
around
her
,
and
which
would
gild
the
utter
gloom
with
final
glory
.
She
was
fair
and
pure
as
a
lily
that
had
bloomed
in
Paradise
.
The
minister
knew
well
that
he
was
himself
enshrined
within
the
stainless
sanctity
of
her
heart
,
which
hung
its
snowy
curtains
about
his
image
,
imparting
to
religion
the
warmth
of
love
,
and
to
love
a
religious
purity
.
Satan
,
that
afternoon
,
had
surely
led
the
poor
young
girl
away
from
her
mother
's
side
,
and
thrown
her
into
the
pathway
of
this
sorely
tempted
,
or
--
shall
we
not
rather
say
?
--
this
lost
and
desperate
man
.
As
she
drew
nigh
,
the
arch-fiend
whispered
him
to
condense
into
small
compass
,
and
drop
into
her
tender
bosom
a
germ
of
evil
that
would
be
sure
to
blossom
darkly
soon
,
and
bear
black
fruit
betimes
.
Such
was
his
sense
of
power
over
this
virgin
soul
,
trusting
him
as
she
did
,
that
the
minister
felt
potent
to
blight
all
the
field
of
innocence
with
but
one
wicked
look
,
and
develop
all
its
opposite
with
but
a
word
.
So
--
with
a
mightier
struggle
than
he
had
yet
sustained
--
he
held
his
Geneva
cloak
before
his
face
,
and
hurried
onward
,
making
no
sign
of
recognition
,
and
leaving
the
young
sister
to
digest
his
rudeness
as
she
might
.
She
ransacked
her
conscience
--
which
was
full
of
harmless
little
matters
,
like
her
pocket
or
her
work-bag
--
and
took
herself
to
task
,
poor
thing
!
for
a
thousand
imaginary
faults
,
and
went
about
her
household
duties
with
swollen
eyelids
the
next
morning
.
Before
the
minister
had
time
to
celebrate
his
victory
over
this
last
temptation
,
he
was
conscious
of
another
impulse
,
more
ludicrous
,
and
almost
as
horrible
.
It
was
--
we
blush
to
tell
it
--
it
was
to
stop
short
in
the
road
,
and
teach
some
very
wicked
words
to
a
knot
of
little
Puritan
children
who
were
playing
there
,
and
had
but
just
begun
to
talk
.
Denying
himself
this
freak
,
as
unworthy
of
his
cloth
,
he
met
a
drunken
seaman
,
one
of
the
ship
's
crew
from
the
Spanish
Main
.
And
here
,
since
he
had
so
valiantly
forborne
all
other
wickedness
,
poor
Mr.
Dimmesdale
longed
at
least
to
shake
hands
with
the
tarry
black-guard
,
and
recreate
himself
with
a
few
improper
jests
,
such
as
dissolute
sailors
so
abound
with
,
and
a
volley
of
good
,
round
,
solid
,
satisfactory
,
and
heaven-defying
oaths
!
It
was
not
so
much
a
better
principle
,
as
partly
his
natural
good
taste
,
and
still
more
his
buckramed
habit
of
clerical
decorum
,
that
carried
him
safely
through
the
latter
crisis
.
"
What
is
it
that
haunts
and
tempts
me
thus
?
"
cried
the
minister
to
himself
,
at
length
,
pausing
in
the
street
,
and
striking
his
hand
against
his
forehead
.
"
Am
I
mad
?
or
am
I
given
over
utterly
to
the
fiend
?
Did
I
make
a
contract
with
him
in
the
forest
,
and
sign
it
with
my
blood
?
And
does
he
now
summon
me
to
its
fulfilment
,
by
suggesting
the
performance
of
every
wickedness
which
his
most
foul
imagination
can
conceive
?
"
At
the
moment
when
the
Reverend
Mr.
Dimmesdale
thus
communed
with
himself
,
and
struck
his
forehead
with
his
hand
,
old
Mistress
Hibbins
,
the
reputed
witch-lady
,
is
said
to
have
been
passing
by
.
She
made
a
very
grand
appearance
,
having
on
a
high
head-dress
,
a
rich
gown
of
velvet
,
and
a
ruff
done
up
with
the
famous
yellow
starch
,
of
which
Anne
Turner
,
her
especial
friend
,
had
taught
her
the
secret
,
before
this
last
good
lady
had
been
hanged
for
Sir
Thomas
Overbury
's
murder
.
Whether
the
witch
had
read
the
minister
's
thoughts
or
no
,
she
came
to
a
full
stop
,
looked
shrewdly
into
his
face
,
smiled
craftily
,
and
--
though
little
given
to
converse
with
clergymen
--
began
a
conversation
.
"
So
,
reverend
sir
,
you
have
made
a
visit
into
the
forest
,
"
observed
the
witch-lady
,
nodding
her
high
head-dress
at
him
.
"
The
next
time
I
pray
you
to
allow
me
only
a
fair
warning
,
and
I
shall
be
proud
to
bear
you
company
.
Without
taking
overmuch
upon
myself
my
good
word
will
go
far
towards
gaining
any
strange
gentleman
a
fair
reception
from
yonder
potentate
you
wot
of
.
"
"
I
profess
,
madam
,
"
answered
the
clergyman
,
with
a
grave
obeisance
,
such
as
the
lady
's
rank
demanded
,
and
his
own
good
breeding
made
imperative
--
"
I
profess
,
on
my
conscience
and
character
,
that
I
am
utterly
bewildered
as
touching
the
purport
of
your
words
!
I
went
not
into
the
forest
to
seek
a
potentate
,
neither
do
I
,
at
any
future
time
,
design
a
visit
thither
,
with
a
view
to
gaining
the
favour
of
such
personage
.
My
one
sufficient
object
was
to
greet
that
pious
friend
of
mine
,
the
Apostle
Eliot
,
and
rejoice
with
him
over
the
many
precious
souls
he
hath
won
from
heathendom
!
"
