San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-06-23


thoughtful, quiet years, bestowed faith
fully for the increase of mine owl
| knowledge, and faithfully, too, though
this latter object was but casual to tn
extraordinarily for the advancement
of hnman welfare. No life had beer
more peaceful and innocent than mine
few lives so rich with benefits conferred
Dost thou remember me? Was / not
though you might,deem me cold, never
theless a man thoughtful for others
craving little for himself-kind, true
just and of constant, if not warm affec
tons? Was / not all this?'
-'All this and more" said Hester.
And what am Ilnow?" demanded he
looking into her face and permitting
the whole evil within him to be writer
on his, features. II have already tolt
thee what | am! A Siend! Who made
me so?'
1T was nyself!' cried Hester, shud
dering. 1T was / not less than he
Why hast thou not avenged thyself OIL
me?'
II have left thee to the scarlet letter,
replied Roger Chillingworth. "If that
have not avenged me l can do no morer
He laid his finger on it with a smile.
st has avenged theer' answered Hes
ter Prynne.
. II judged no less" said the physician.
"And now, what wouldst thou with
me touching this man.
Vaxyno1 fl,a
Hester firmly. HE must discern thee
in thy true character. What may be
the result, know not But this long
debt of confidence, due from me to him,
whose bane and ruin have been, shall
at length be paid. So far as concerns
the overthrow or preservation of his fair
fame and his earthly state, and per-
chance his life. he is in thy hands. Nor
do Whom the scarlet letter has dis
ciplined to truth, though it be the truth
of red hot iron entering into the soul
nor do perceive such advantage in his
living any longer life of CHASTITY empti-
ness that / shall stoop to implore thy
mercy. Do with him as thou wilt!
There is no good for him-no good for
memo good for thee! There is no good
for little Pearl! There is no path to
guide us out of this dismal maze!'
Woman, ] could well nigh pity theey'
said Roger Chillingworth, unable to re.
strain a thrill of admiration, too, for
there was quality almost majestic in
the despair which she expressed. "Thou
hadst great elements. Peradventure,
hadst thou met earlier with better love
than mine, this evil had not been. pity
thee for the good that has been wasted
in thy nature"
"And thee" answered Hester Prynne,
"for the hatred that has transformed
wise and just man to fiend! Wilt thou
yet purge it out of thee and be once
more human? If not for his sake, then
doubly for thine own. Forgive, and
leave his further retribution to the Pow
er that claims it. said, but now, that
there could be no good event for him OF
thee or me, who are here wandering to-
gether in this gloomy maze of evil and
stumbling at every step over the guilt
wherewith we have strewn our path.
1t is not so! There might be good for
thee, and thee alone, since thou hast
been deeply wronged, and hast it at thy
will to pardon. Wilt thou give up that
only privilege? Wilt thou reject that
priceless benefit"
''Peace, Hester, peace!" replied the
old man, with gloomy sternness. sit is
not granted me to pardon. | have nc
such power as thou tellest me of. My
old faith, long forgotten, comes back to
me and explains all that we do and all
we suffer. By thy first step awry thou
didst plant the germ of evil, but since
that moment it has all been a dark
necessity. Ye that have wronged me
are not sinful, save in kind of typical
illusion; neither am tiendlike, who
have snatched fiend's Office from his
hands. 1t is our fate. Let the black
flower blossom as it may! Now go thy
ways, and deal as thou wilt with yondel
man."
He waved his hand and betook him
self again to his employment of gather
ing herbs.
BE it sin or no." said Hester Prynne
bitterly, as she still gazed after him, 81
hate the manr
She upbraided herself for the senti.
ment, but could not overcome or lesser
it. Attempting to do so she thought OF
those long past days in a distant land,
when he used to emerge ateventide from
the seclusion of his study and sit down
in the freight of their home and in the
light of her nuptial smile. He needed
to bask himself in that smile, he said, in
order that the chill Of so many lonely
hours among his books might be taken
off the scholars heart. Such scenes had
once appeared not otherwise than happy,
lint now 90 yiavuad through tho d;c,p Of