The Scarlet Letter

"Thou hast escaped me!" he repeated more than once. "Thou hast

escaped me!"

"May God forgive thee!" said the minister. "Thou, too, hast

deeply sinned!"

He withdrew his dying eyes from the old man, and fixed them on

the woman and the child.

"My little Pearl," said he, feebly and there was a sweet and

gentle smile over his face, as of a spirit sinking into deep

repose; nay, now that the burden was removed, it seemed almost

as if he would be sportive with the child--"dear little Pearl,

wilt thou kiss me now? Thou wouldst not, yonder, in the forest!

But now thou wilt?"

Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of

grief, in which the wild infant bore a part had developed all

her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father's cheek,

they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and

sorrow, nor forever do battle with the world, but be a woman in

it. Towards her mother, too, Pearl's errand as a messenger of

anguish was fulfilled.

"Hester," said the clergyman, "farewell!"

"Shall we not meet again?" whispered she, bending her face down

close to his. "Shall we not spend our immortal life together?

Surely, surely, we have ransomed one another, with all this woe!

Thou lookest far into eternity, with those bright dying eyes!

Then tell me what thou seest!"

"Hush, Hester--hush!" said he, with tremulous solemnity. "The

law we broke!--the sin here awfully revealed!--let these alone

be in thy thoughts! I fear! I fear! It may be, that, when we

forgot our God--when we violated our reverence each for the

other's soul--it was thenceforth vain to hope that we could meet

hereafter, in an everlasting and pure reunion. God knows; and He

is merciful! He hath proved his mercy, most of all, in my

afflictions. By giving me this burning torture to bear upon my

breast! By sending yonder dark and terrible old man, to keep the

torture always at red-heat! By bringing me hither, to die this

death of triumphant ignominy before the people! Had either of

these agonies been wanting, I had been lost for ever! Praised be

His name! His will be done! Farewell!"

That final word came forth with the minister's expiring breath.

The multitude, silent till then, broke out in a strange, deep

voice of awe and wonder, which could not as yet find utterance,

save in this murmur that rolled so heavily after the departed

spirit.