By giving me this burning torture to bear upon my
breast! By sending yonder dark and terrible old man, to keep the
torture always at red-heat! By bringing me hither, to die this
death of triumphant ignominy before the people! Had either of
these agonies been wanting, I had been lost for ever! Praised be
His name! His will be done! Farewell!"
That final word came forth with the minister's expiring breath.
The multitude, silent till then, broke out in a strange, deep
voice of awe and wonder, which could not as yet find utterance,
save in this murmur that rolled so heavily after the departed
spirit.
XXIV. CONCLUSION
After many days, when time sufficed for the people to arrange
their thoughts in reference to the foregoing scene, there was
more than one account of what had been witnessed on the
scaffold.
Most of the spectators testified to having seen, on the breast
of the unhappy minister, a SCARLET LETTER--the very semblance of
that worn by Hester Prynne--imprinted in the flesh. As regarded
its origin there were various explanations, all of which must
necessarily have been conjectural. Some affirmed that the
Reverend Mr.
Pages:
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388
389
390
391