Алая буква
The Minister in a Maze
Thisphenomenon,inthevariousshapeswhichitassumed,indicatednoexternalchange,butsosuddenandimportantachangeinthespectatorofthefamiliarscene,thattheinterveningspaceofasingledayhadoperatedonhisconsciousnesslikethelapseofyears.Theminister’sownwill,andHester’swill,andthefatethatgrewbetweenthem,hadwroughtthistransformation.Itwasthesametownasheretofore,butthesameministerreturnednotfromtheforest.Hemighthavesaidtothefriendswhogreetedhim—"Iamnotthemanforwhomyoutakeme!Ilefthimyonderintheforest,withdrawnintoasecretdell,byamossytreetrunk,andnearamelancholybrook!Go,seekyourminister,andseeifhisemaciatedfigure,histhincheek,hiswhite,heavy,pain-wrinkledbrow,benotflungdownthere,likeacast-offgarment!"Hisfriends,nodoubt,wouldstillhaveinsistedwithhim—"Thouartthyselftheman!"buttheerrorwouldhavebeentheirown,nothis.BeforeMr.Dimmesdalereachedhome,hisinnermangavehimotherevidencesofarevolutioninthesphereofthoughtandfeeling.Intruth,nothingshortofatotalchangeofdynastyandmoralcode,inthatinteriorkingdom,wasadequatetoaccountfortheimpulsesnowcommunicatedtotheunfortunateandstartledminister.Ateverystephewasincitedtodosomestrange,wild,wickedthingorother,withasensethatitwouldbeatonceinvoluntaryandintentional,inspiteofhimself,yetgrowingoutofaprofounderselfthanthatwhichopposedtheimpulse.Forinstance,hemetoneofhisowndeacons.
