Алая буква
The Market–Place
Ineithercase,therewasverymuchthesamesolemnityofdemeanouronthepartofthespectators,asbefittedapeopleamongwhomreligionandlawwerealmostidentical,andinwhosecharacterbothweresothoroughlyinterfused,thatthemildestandseverestactsofpublicdisciplinewerealikemadevenerableandawful.Meagre,indeed,andcold,wasthesympathythatatransgressormightlookfor,fromsuchbystanders,atthescaffold.Ontheotherhand,apenaltywhich,inourdays,wouldinferadegreeofmockinginfamyandridicule,mightthenbeinvestedwithalmostassternadignityasthepunishmentofdeathitself.
Itwasacircumstancetobenotedonthesummermorningwhenourstorybeginsitscourse,thatthewomen,ofwhomtherewereseveralinthecrowd,appearedtotakeapeculiarinterestinwhateverpenalinflictionmightbeexpectedtoensue.Theagehadnotsomuchrefinement,thatanysenseofimproprietyrestrainedthewearersofpetticoatandfarthingalefromsteppingforthintothepublicways,andwedgingtheirnotunsubstantialpersons,ifoccasionwere,intothethrongnearesttothescaffoldatanexecution.Morally,aswellasmaterially,therewasacoarserfibreinthosewivesandmaidensofoldEnglishbirthandbreedingthanintheirfairdescendants,separatedfromthembyaseriesofsixorsevengenerations;for,throughoutthatchainofancestry,everysuccessivemotherhadtransmittedtoherchildafainterbloom,amoredelicateandbrieferbeauty,andaslighterphysicalframe,ifnotcharacteroflessforceandsoliditythanherown.
