Алая буква
The Minister’s Vigil
"Atthegreatjudgmentday,"whisperedtheminister;and,strangelyenough,thesensethathewasaprofessionalteacherofthetruthimpelledhimtoanswerthechildso."Then,andthere,beforethejudgment-seat,thymother,andthou,andImuststandtogether.Butthedaylightofthisworldshallnotseeourmeeting!’’
Pearllaughedagain.
ButbeforeMr.Dimmesdalehaddonespeaking,alightgleamedfarandwideoverallthemuffledsky.Itwasdoubtlesscausedbyoneofthosemeteors,whichthenight-watchermaysooftenobserveburningouttowaste,inthevacantregionsoftheatmosphere.Sopowerfulwasitsradiance,thatitthoroughlyilluminatedthedensemediumofcloudbetwixttheskyandearth.Thegreatvaultbrightened,likethedomeofanimmenselamp.Itshowedthefamiliarsceneofthestreetwiththedistinctnessofmid-day,butalsowiththeawfulnessthatisalwaysimpartedtofamiliarobjectsbyanunaccustomedlightThewoodenhouses,withtheirjuttingstoreysandquaintgable-peaks;thedoorstepsandthresholdswiththeearlygrassspringingupaboutthem;thegarden-plots,blackwithfreshly-turnedearth;thewheel-track,littleworn,andeveninthemarket-placemarginedwithgreenoneitherside—allwerevisible,butwithasingularityofaspectthatseemedtogiveanothermoralinterpretationtothethingsofthisworldthantheyhadeverbornebefore.
