Алая буква
Conclusion
Wehavethrownallthelightwecouldacquireupontheportent,andwouldgladly,nowthatithasdoneitsoffice,eraseitsdeepprintoutofourownbrain,wherelongmeditationhasfixeditinveryundesirabledistinctness.
Itissingular,nevertheless,thatcertainpersons,whowerespectatorsofthewholescene,andprofessedneveroncetohaveremovedtheireyesfromtheReverendMr.Dimmesdale,deniedthattherewasanymarkwhateveronhisbreast,morethanonanew-borninfant’s.Neither,bytheirreport,hadhisdyingwordsacknowledged,norevenremotelyimplied,any—theslightest—connexiononhispart,withtheguiltforwhichHesterPrynnehadsolongwornthescarletletter.Accordingtothesehighly-respectablewitnesses,theminister,consciousthathewasdying—conscious,also,thatthereverenceofthemultitudeplacedhimalreadyamongsaintsandangels—haddesired,byyieldinguphisbreathinthearmsofthatfallenwoman,toexpresstotheworldhowutterlynugatoryisthechoicestofman’sownrighteousness.Afterexhaustinglifeinhiseffortsformankind’sspiritualgood,hehadmadethemannerofhisdeathaparable,inordertoimpressonhisadmirersthemightyandmournfullesson,that,intheviewofInfinitePurity,wearesinnersallalike.Itwastoteachthem,thattheholiestamongstushasbutattainedsofarabovehisfellowsastodiscernmoreclearlytheMercywhichlooksdown,andrepudiatemoreutterlythephantomofhumanmerit,whichwouldlookaspiringlyupward.
