CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

The Discovery of the Scarlet Letter

The powerful, but sweet voice that the townspeople had been listening to came to a pause. The young minister's speech to the people had ended. After a short silence, the market place became alive again with the townspeople talking and hurrying by. All the people were discussing the amazing speech the young minister had given. Many declared that they had never heard another man speak so wise, so high, and so holy as the minister Mr Dimmesdale did that day. Although his speech inspired the people, it was still filled with sadness, as they knew their dear minister would soon be leaving them, too weak to continue his life, and would soon die. Yes, their minister whom they so loved—and who so loved them all, would soon not be with them, and would soon leave them in tears!

As he concluded his speech, he stood facing the people, looking confident and proud. Meanwhile, Hester Prynne was standing beside the platform, with the scarlet letter still burning on her chest!

To Hester, he looked weak and pale, amongst the brave triumph of his speech and grand march! The energy—or rather, the inspiration which had given him strength during his speech was now gone. His face looked like death, so sad and pale. It was hardly a man with life in him!

One of the older respected ministers, John Wilson, observing the weak state in which Mr Dimmesdale was now in, stepped forward to offer support to the poor young minister. Mr Dimmesdale was shaking with weakness, but decided not to take the old man's arm. He began walking towards the platform where Hester had suffered her terrible public punishment alone. He walked closer to Hester Prynne, holding little Pearl by the hand! And there was the scarlet letter on her chest! The minister made a pause. The town leaders watched him anxiously, confused by his behavior. The young minister then turned towards the platform, and stretched his arms out.

"Hester," said he, "come here! Come, my little Pearl!"

He looked weaker than ever, but gave them a gentle look of love and achievement. The child immediately ran to him and put her arms around his knee. Hester Prynne—forced herself to walk slowly, pausing before she reached him. At this instant, old Roger Chillingworth threw himself through the crowd, disturbed and evil. He went up onto the platform to take away his victim.

"Madman, what is your purpose?" whispered the old doctor to his patient. "All will be well, but leave this woman and her child! You will blacken your fame and honor as a religious leader! I can save you still!"

"Ha, tempter! I think you are too late!" answered the minister, looking fearfully into the old evil doctor's eyes. "You no longer have power over me! With God's help, I shall escape you now!"

He again put his arm out to the woman of the scarlet letter.

"Hester Prynne," cried the minister, "come here to join me now. I did not have the courage to meet you on this platform seven years ago, but you give me courage now! Your strength, Hester, has helped me! Come, Hester, come! Support me up on this platform!"

The crowd became disorderly. The older ministers were silent with shock. They watched the young minister, holding onto Hester's shoulder and supported by her arm around him. Old Roger Chillingworth was nearby, connected with the guilt of the minister and Hester Prynne.

"You could have gone anywhere on this earth, and I would have found you. But here, on this platform, is the only place you have escaped me!" cried Roger Chillingworth angrily.

"Thanks to God who has brought me here!" answered the minister.

Yet, he was still weak, and turned to Hester with a look of doubt and anxiety.

"Is this not better," he whispered, "than what we dreamed of in the forest?"

"I do not know! I do not know!" she hurriedly replied. "Better? Yes, so we may both die, and little Pearl die with us!"

"For you and Pearl, God will be forgiving! But, he wishes that I now die, so let me take my punishment here on this platform!"

Partly supported by Hester Prynne, and holding one hand of little Pearl, the minister Mr Dimmesdale turned to the respected town rulers and to the holy religious leaders and to the people, who had trusted him so dearly, and were all now pitying the poor man.

"People of New England!" cried he. "You that have loved me and viewed me as holy, look at me here as a sinner of the world! At last! At last, I stand here on this place where, seven years ago, I should have stood. Here, with this woman, whose arm supports me, who wears the scarlet letter so bravely! You have all looked down upon that letter as she walked by each day, but I have walked among you all, and you did not look down upon me. But, I am a sinner, as well, in this crime. I, however, was too weak to stand here on the platform with Hester Prynne!"

He then moved forward to speak again, ahead of the woman and child.

"God saw my terrible sin that I hid from you! Now at the hour, of my death, I stand here before you! I ask you to look at Hester's scarlet letter! Now, you must know that I, too, have a scarlet letter that burns on my chest as a punishment!"

With a quick motion, he tore away his shirt to show his chest. It was shown! For an instant, the people were silent, looking in horror at the minister's chest. Meanwhile, the young minister stood with a look of achievement again on his face. Then, he fell to the platform! Hester partly raised him, and supported his head against her chest. Old Roger Chillingworth went to him with a look of confusion.

"You have escaped me!" he repeated more than once. "You have escaped me!"

"May God forgive you!" said the minister. "You, too, have deeply sinned!"

The dying minister then turned his eyes to the woman and child.

"My little Pearl," said he weakly, and there was a sweet and gentle smile over his face, "dear little Pearl, will you kiss me now? You would not kiss me in the forest! But now you will!"

Pearl kissed his lips, and her father began to cry tears of joy, after suffering such guilt for so many years. He looked at her as he cried and knew that she would no longer quarrel with the world, but would now feel human joy and sadness, and be a woman in the world.

"Hester," said the minister, "goodbye!"

"Shall we not meet again?" whispered she, bending her face down close to his. "Shall we not see each other in heaven after our deaths? Surely, surely, we will meet again!"

"Hester!" said he with great sadness. "The law we broke was a great one! I fear that we forgot our God when we committed our crime of passion! God knows and he will forgive us, but he will decide! Goodbye!"

The minister then was silent in death.

(end of section)