Алая буква
The Minister in a Maze
Hecouldnotbutrecallhowfeebly,andwithwhatfrequentpausesforbreathhehadtoiledoverthesameground,onlytwodaysbefore.Ashedrewnearthetown,hetookanimpressionofchangefromtheseriesoffamiliarobjectsthatpresentedthemselves.Itseemednotyesterday,notone,nottwo,butmanydays,orevenyearsago,sincehehadquittedthem.There,indeed,waseachformertraceofthestreet,asherememberedit,andallthepeculiaritiesofthehouses,withtheduemultitudeofgable-peaks,andaweather-cockateverypointwherehismemorysuggestedone.Nottheless,however,camethisimportunatelyobtrusivesenseofchange.Thesamewastrueasregardedtheacquaintanceswhomhemet,andallthewell-knownshapesofhumanlife,aboutthelittletown.Theylookedneitheroldernoryoungernow;thebeardsoftheagedwerenowhiter,norcouldthecreepingbabeofyesterdaywalkonhisfeetto-day;itwasimpossibletodescribeinwhatrespecttheydifferedfromtheindividualsonwhomhehadsorecentlybestowedapartingglance;andyettheminister’sdeepestsenseseemedtoinformhimoftheirmutability.Asimilarimpressionstruckhimmostremarkablyahepassedunderthewallsofhisownchurch.Theedificehadsoverystrange,andyetsofamiliaranaspect,thatMr.Dimmesdale’smindvibratedbetweentwoideas;eitherthathehadseenitonlyinadreamhitherto,orthathewasmerelydreamingaboutitnow.
