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THESCARLETLETTERChapter5ChineseHESTERPRYNNE'Stermofconfinementwasnowatanend.Herprison-doorwasthrownopen,andshecameforthintothesunshine,which,fallingonallalike,seemed,tohersickandmorbidheart,asifmeantfornootherpurposethantorevealthescarletletteronherbreast.Perhapstherewasamorerealtortureinherfirstunattendedfootstepsfromthethresholdoftheprison,thanevenintheprocessionandspectaclethathavebeendescribed,whereshewasmadethecommoninfamy,atwhichallmankindwassummonedtopointitsfinger.Then,shewassupportedbyanunnaturaltensionofthenerves,andbyallthecombativeenergyofhercharacter,whichenabledhertoconvertthesceneintoakindofluridtriumph.Itwas,moreover,aseparateandinsulatedevent,tooccurbutonceinherlifetime,andtomeetwhich,therefore,recklessofeconomy,shemightcallupthevitalstrengththatwouldhavesufficedformanyquietyears.Theverylawthatcondemnedher-agiantofsternfeatures,butwithvigourtosupport,aswellastoannihilate,inhisironarm-hadheldherup,throughtheterribleordealofherignominy.Butnow,withthisunattendedwalkfromherprison-door,beganthedailycustom;andshemusteithersustainandcarryitforwardbytheordinaryresourcesofhernature,orsinkbeneathit.Shecouldnolongerborrowfromthefuturetohelpherthroughthepresentgrief.To-morrowwouldbringitsowntrialwithit;sowouldthenextday,andsowouldthenext;eachitsowntrial,andyettheverysamethatwasnowsounutterablygrievoustobeborne.Thedaysofthefar-offfuturewouldtoilonward,stillwiththesameburdenforhertotakeup,andbearalongwithher,butnevertoflingdown;fortheaccumulatingdays,andaddedyears,wouldpileuptheirmiseryupontheheapofshame.Throughoutthemall,givingupherindividuality,shewouldbecomethegeneralsymbolatwhichthepreacherandmoralistmightpoint,andinwhichtheymightvivifyandembodytheirimagesofwoman'sfrailtyandsinfulpassion.Thustheyoungandpurewouldbetaughttolookather,withthescarletletterflamingonherbreast-ather,thechildofhonourableparents-ather,themotherofababe,thatwouldhereafterbeawoman-ather,whohadoncebeeninnocent-asthefigure,thebody,therealityofsin.Andoverhergrave,theinfamythatshemustcarrythitherwouldbeheronlymonument.Itmayseemmarvellous,that,withtheworldbeforeher-keptbynorestrictiveclauseofhercondemnationwithinthelimitsofthePuritansettlement,soremoteandsoobscure-freetoreturntoherbirthplace,ortoanyotherEuropeanland,andtherehidehercharacterandidentityunderanewexterior,ascompletelyasifemergingintoanotherstateofbeing-andhavingalsothepassesofthedark,inscrutableforestopentoher,wherethewildnessofhernaturemightassimilateitselfwithapeoplewhosecustomsandlifewerealienfromthelawthathadcondemnedher-itmayseemmarvellous,thatthiswomanshouldstillcallthatplaceherhome,where,andwhereonly,shemustneedsbethetypeofshame.Butthereisafatality,afeelingsoirresistibleandinevitablethatithastheforceofdoom,whichalmostinvariablycompelshumanbeingstolingeraroundandhaunt,ghost-like,thespotwheresomegreatandmarkedeventhasgiventhecolourtotheirlifetime;andstillthemoreirresistibly,thedarkerthetingethatsaddensit.Hersin,herignominy,weretherootswhichshehadstruckintothesoil.Itwasasifanewbirth,withstrongerassimilationsthanthefirst,hadconvertedtheforest-land,stillsouncongenialtoeveryotherpilgrimandwanderer,intoHesterPrynne'swildanddreary,butlife-longhome.Allotherscenesofearth-eventhatvillageofruralEngland,wherehappyinfancyandstainlessmaidenhoodseemedyettobeinhermother'skeeping,likegarmentsputofflongago-wereforeigntoher,incomparison.Thechainthatboundherherewasofironlinks,andgallingtoherinmostsoul,butcouldneverbebroken.Itmightbe,too-doubtlessitwasso,althoughshehidthesecretfromherself,andgrewpalewheneveritstruggledoutofherheart,likeaserpentfromitshole-itmightbethatanotherfeelingkeptherwithinthesceneandpathwaythathadbeensofatal.Theredwelt,theretrodethefeetofonewithwhomshedeemedherselfconnectedinaunion,that,unrecognisedonearth,wouldbringthemtogetherbeforethebaroffinaljudgment,andmakethattheirmarriage-altar,forajointfuturityofendlessretribution.Overandoveragain,thetempterofsoulshadthrustthisideauponHester'scontemplation,andlaughedatthepassionateanddesperatejoywithwhichsheseized,andthenstrovetocastitfromher.Shebarelylookedtheideaintheface,andhastenedtobaritinitsdungeon.Whatshecompelledherselftobelieve-what,finally,shereasonedupon,ashermotiveforcontinuingaresidentofNewEngland-washalfatruth,andhalfaself-delusion.Here,shesaidtoherself,hadbeenthesceneofherguilt,andhereshouldbethesceneofherearthlypunishment;andso,perchance,thetortureofherdailyshamewouldatlengthpurgehersoul,andworkoutanotherpuritythanthatwhichshehadlost;moresaint-like,becausetheresultofmartyrdom.HesterPrynne,therefore,didnotflee.Ontheoutskirtsofthetown,withinthevergeofthepeninsula,butnotinclosevicinitytoanyotherhabitation,therewasasmallthatchedcottage.Ithadbeenbuiltbyanearliersettler,andabandoned,becausethesoilaboutitwastoosterileforcultivation,whileitscomparativeremotenessputitoutofthesphereofthatsocialactivitywhichalreadymarkedthehabitsoftheemigrants.Itstoodontheshore,lookingacrossabasinoftheseaattheforest-coveredhills,towardsthewest.Aclumpofscrubbytrees,suchasalonegrewonthepeninsula,didnotsomuchconcealthecottagefromview,as