San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-13
CHAPTER IL.
THE RECOGNITION.


From this intense consciousness of
being the object Of severe and universal
observation, the wearer of the scarlet
letter was at length relieved by discern
ing on the outskirts of the crowd fig
ure which irresistibly took possession of
her thoughts. An Indian, in his native
garb, was standing there; but the red
men were not so infrequent visitors of
the English settlements that one of them
would have attracted any notice from
Hester Prynne at such time, much less
would he have excluded all other objects
and ideas from her mind. By the In
dams side and evidently sustaining
companionship with him stood white
man, clad in strange disarray of civ
ilized and savage costume.
He was small in stature, with fur
rowed visage, which as yet could hard
ly be termed aged. There was re-
markable intelligence in his features. as
of person who had so cultivated his
mental part that it could not fail to
mold the physical to itself, and become
manifest by unmistakable tokens. Al
though, by a seemingly careless ar
rangement of his heterogeneous garb,
he had endeavored to conceal or abate
the peculiarly, it was sufficiently evil
dent to Hester Prynne that one of this
mans shoulders rose higher than the
other. Again, at the first instant OF
perceiving that thin visage, and the
slight deformity of the figure, she pressed
her infant to her bosom with so convul-
sive force that the poor babe uttered
another cry of pain. But the mother
did not seem to hear it.
At his arrival in the market place,
and some time before she saw him, the
stranger had bent his eyes on Hester
Prynne. 1t was carelessly at first, like
a man chiefly accustomed to look in
ward and to whom external matters are
of little value and import unless they
bear relation to something within his
mind. Very soon, however, his look
became keen and penetrating. A with.
ing horror twisted itself across his fea.
lures, like snake gliding swiftly over
them and making one little pause, with
all its wreathed intervolutions in open
sight. His face darkened with some
powerful emotion, which nevertheless
he so instantaneously controlled by an
effort of his will that save at a single
moment its expression might have
passed for calmness. After brief space
the CONFUSION grew almost impercepti.
BILE and finally subsidized into the depths
of his nature. When he found the eyes
of Hester Prynne fastened on his OWL
and saw that she appeared to recognize
him, he slowly and calmly raised his fin,
ger, made gesture with it in the all
and laid it on his lips.
Then, touching the shoulder of 6
townsman who stood next to him, ht
addressed him in formal and courteou:
manner.
81 pray you, good sir" said he, "whC
Is this woman-and wherefore is sht
here set up to public shame?'
"You must needs be stranger in Thu
region, FRIEND" answered the towns
man, looking curiously at the questione
and his savage companion, "else yol
would surely have heard of Mistres
Hester Prynne and her evil doings. Sh
hath raised great scandal, promis
you, in godly Master Dimmesdale'
church"
"You say truly" replied the other. =.
am stranger and have been a wandere
sorely against my will. have met wit
grievous mishaps by sea and land, an
have been long held in bonds among tn
heather folk to the southwark, and an
now brought hither by this Indian to b
redeemed out of my captivity. viii
please you, therefore, to tell me of He:
ter Prynne's-have b her name rightly
of this woman's offenses and what ha
brought her to yonder scaffold?"
"Truly, friend, and methinks it mus
gladden. your heart, after your trouble
and sojourn in the wilderness" said tn
townsman, 'to find yourself at lengt
in land where iniquity is searched on
and punished in the sight of rulers an
people, as here in our godly New Ems
land. Yonder woman, sir, you mu!
know, was the wife of a certain learne
man, English by birth, but who ha
Sng dwelt in Amsterdam, whenc,
Gome good time. agone, he was minde