Алая буква
Hester at Her Needle
Therefore,firstallowinghertopass,theypursuedheratadistancewithshrillcries,andtheutterancesofawordthathadnodistinctpurporttotheirownminds,butwasnonethelessterribletoher,asproceedingfromlipsthatbabbleditunconsciously.Itseemedtoarguesowideadiffusionofhershame,thatallnatureknewofit;itcouldhavecausedhernodeeperpanghadtheleavesofthetreeswhisperedthedarkstoryamongthemselves—hadthesummerbreezemurmuredaboutit—hadthewintryblastshriekeditaloud!Anotherpeculiartorturewasfeltinthegazeofaneweye.Whenstrangerslookedcuriouslyatthescarletletterandnoneeverfailedtodoso—theybrandeditafreshinHester’ssoul;sothat,oftentimes,shecouldscarcelyrefrain,yetalwaysdidrefrain,fromcoveringthesymbolwithherhand.Butthen,again,anaccustomedeyehadlikewiseitsownanguishtoinflict.Itscoolstareoffamiliaritywasintolerable.Fromfirsttolast,inshort,HesterPrynnehadalwaysthisdreadfulagonyinfeelingahumaneyeuponthetoken;thespotnevergrewcallous;itseemed,onthecontrary,togrowmoresensitivewithdailytorture.
Butsometimes,onceinmanydays,orperchanceinmanymonths,shefeltaneye—ahumaneye—upontheignominiousbrand,thatseemedtogiveamomentaryrelief,asifhalfofheragonywereshared.Thenextinstant,backitallrushedagain,withstilladeeperthrobofpain;for,inthatbriefinterval,shehadsinnedanew.
