Алая буква
The Leech and His Patient
"Whereforenot;sinceallthepowersofnaturecallsoearnestlyfortheconfessionofsin,thattheseblackweedshavesprungupoutofaburiedheart,tomakemanifest,anoutspokencrime?"
"That,goodsir,isbutaphantasyofyours,"repliedtheminister."Therecanbe,ifIforbodearight,nopower,shortoftheDivinemercy,todisclose,whetherbyutteredwords,orbytypeoremblem,thesecretsthatmaybeburiedinthehumanheart.Theheart,makingitselfguiltyofsuchsecrets,mustperforceholdthem,untilthedaywhenallhiddenthingsshallberevealed.NorhaveIsoreadorinterpretedHolyWrit,astounderstandthatthedisclosureofhumanthoughtsanddeeds,thentobemade,isintendedasapartoftheretribution.That,surely,wereashallowviewofit.No;theserevelations,unlessIgreatlyerr,aremeantmerelytopromotetheintellectualsatisfactionofallintelligentbeings,whowillstandwaiting,onthatday,toseethedarkproblemofthislifemadeplain.Aknowledgeofmen’sheartswillbeneedfultothecompletestsolutionofthatproblem.And,Iconceivemoreover,thattheheartsholdingsuchmiserablesecretsasyouspeakof,willyieldthemup,atthatlastday,notwithreluctance,butwithajoyunutterable."
"Thenwhynotrevealithere?"askedRogerChillingworth,glancingquietlyasideattheminister."Whyshouldnottheguiltyonessooneravailthemselvesofthisunutterablesolace?"
"Theymostlydo,"saidtheclergyman,gripinghardathisbreast,asifafflictedwithanimportunatethrobofpain.
