Evening journal., 1892-08-31

renncd cruelty, lnpcile0 MN 10 90, LOT
the relief of physical sulfering-he was
next TO treat with her as the man whom
she had most deeply and irreparably in
iured.
Hester, said he, II ask not where
fore nor how thou hast fallen into the
pit OF say, rather, thou hast assembled to
the pedestal of infamy, on which found
thee. The reason is not far TO seek. 1t
was my folly and thy weakness. l, a
man of thought, the bookworm Of great
libraries, a man already in decay, having
given my best years to feed the hungry
dream OF knowledge, what had / TO do
with youth and beauty like thine own?
Misshapcn from my birth hour, how
could l delude myself with the idea that
intellectual gifts might veil physical
doformity in young girls fantasys
Men call mo wise. II sages were ever
wise in their own behoof | might have
foreseen all this. / might have known
that as / came ont Of tho vast and dis
NAL forest and entered this settlement Of
Christian men the very first object to
meet my eyes would be thyself, Hester
Prynne, standing up, statue Of igno-
miny. before the people. Nay, from the
moment when we cnmo down the old
church steps together, married pair, !
might have boheld tho balelire Of that
scarlet letter blazing at the end Of our
PATH"
Thou knowest, b" said Hester-for, de-
pressed as she was, she could not endure
this last quiet stab at tho token of her
shame-"thou lSnowest that | was frank
with thee felt no love, nor feigned
any"
"True," replied he. 1T was my folly
! have said it. But, mp 10 that epoch of
my life, had lived in vain. The world
had been so cheerlessl My heart was n
habitation, large enough for many
guests, but lonely and chill, and with
out a household fire. longod 70 kindle
onel It seemed not so wild a dream
! old rs / was, and sombor as i was, and
| misshapen as | was-that the simple
bliss, which is scattered far and wide
for all mankind TO gather up, might yet
be mine. And So Hester, | drew thee
into my heart, into its innermost cham
Der, and sought TO warm thee by the
warmth which thy presence made
thereT
"a have greatly wronged thee, muir
INJURED Hester
"We have wrongcd each other" an
swered he. Mine was the FIRST wrong
when betrayed thy budding youth into
false and unnatural relation with my
decay Therefore, as man who ha,
not thought and philosophical in vain,
seek no vengeance, plot no evil agains
thee. Between thee and me the scall
hangs fairly balanced. But Hester th'
nan lives who has wronged us both
Who is he"
"Ask me noti" replied Hester Prynne
looking firmly into his face. "That thol
shalt never known
"Never, sayest thou?" reioined he
with a smile of dark and self relying in
| telligence. "Nevor know himl Believeme
Hester, there are few things-whethe
in the outward world or, to a certai
depth, in theinvisible sphere of thought
few things hidden from the man VIII
devotes himself earnestly and unr,
j servedly TO the solution of a mystcr,
Thou mayest cover up thy secret frol
, the prying multitude, Thou maye.
conceal it, too, from the ministers an
q magistrates, even as thou didst th
day, when they sought to wrench III
name out Of thy heart and give thee
partner on thy pedestal But, as f
me, / come TO the inquest with oth5
senses than they possess. shall see
! this man, as | have sought truth
! books; as have sought gold in alchem,
There is a sympathy that will make n
conscious of him. / shall see him tren
, bic. / shall feel myself shudder, su,
denly and unawares. Sooner or late
. he must needs be mine!"
The eyes of the wrinkled scholi
. glowed SO intensely upon her that He
ter Prynne clasped her hands over hl
/, heart, dreading that nc should read I'll
secret there at once.
Thou wilt not reveal his name? N,
=, the less he is mine, resumed he, with
(. look of confidence, as if destiny were
= one with him. "He bears no letter
I infamy wrought into his garment
- thou dost; but | shall read it on b
heart. Yet fear not for himl Thin
= not that ! shall interfere with heaven
own method of retribution, or to n
own loss, betray him TO the grippe
human law. Neither do thou imagii
/, that / shall contrive aught against
/, life; no, nor against his fame if, as
:, Judge, he be n man Of fair repute. l.
4 him livel Let him hide himself in OF
! ward honor, if he mayl Not the less
!, shall be miner
- "Thy acts are like mercy" said HestC
"A bewildered and appalled,. "Butthy wor
!, interpret thee as a terrorr
Zone thing, thou that vast my wife
~ would enjoin upon thee, continued t
II scholar. "Thou hast kept the secret
= thy paramcur. Keep, likewise, mir
- There arc none in this land that knC
n me. Breathe not to any human soul til
thou didst ever call me husbandl Hei
on this wild outslsirt Of the earth, / shi
D.. pitch my tent; for, elsewhere wander
and isolated from human interests, fl
n here a woman, a man, child, amo
w. whom and myself there exist the clos
e ligaments. No matter whether Of 10
or hate. no matter whether of right