Алая буква
Conclusion
Withoutdisputingatruthsomomentous,wemustbeallowedtoconsiderthisversionofMr.Dimmesdale’sstoryasonlyaninstanceofthatstubbornfidelitywithwhichaman’sfriends—andespeciallyaclergyman’s—willsometimesupholdhischaracter,whenproofs,clearasthemid-daysunshineonthescarletletter,establishhimafalseandsin-stainedcreatureofthedust.
Theauthoritywhichwehavechieflyfollowed—amanuscriptofolddate,drawnupfromtheverbaltestimonyofindividuals,someofwhomhadknownHesterPrynne,whileothershadheardthetalefromcontemporarywitnessesfullyconfirmstheviewtakenintheforegoingpages.Amongmanymoralswhichpressuponusfromthepoorminister’smiserableexperience,weputonlythisintoasentence:—"Betrue!Betrue!Betrue!Showfreelytotheworld,ifnotyourworst,yetsometraitwherebytheworstmaybeinferred!"
Nothingwasmoreremarkablethanthechangewhichtookplace,almostimmediatelyafterMr.Dimmesdale’sdeath,intheappearanceanddemeanouroftheoldmanknownasRogerChillingworth.Allhisstrengthandenergy—allhisvitalandintellectualforce—seemedatoncetodeserthim,insomuchthathepositivelywitheredup,shrivelledawayandalmostvanishedfrommortalsight,likeanuprootedweedthatlieswiltinginthesun.
