The Interior of a Heart

           Aftertheincidentlastdescribed,theintercoursebetweentheclergymanandthephysician,thoughexternallythesame,wasreallyofanothercharacterthanithadpreviouslybeen.TheintellectofRogerChillingworthhadnowasufficientlyplainpathbeforeit.Itwasnot,indeed,preciselythatwhichhehadlaidoutforhimselftotread.Calm,gentle,passionless,asheappeared,therewasyet,wefear,aquietdepthofmalice,hithertolatent,butactivenow,inthisunfortunateoldman,whichledhimtoimagineamoreintimaterevengethananymortalhadeverwreakeduponanenemy.Tomakehimselftheonetrustedfriend,towhomshouldbeconfidedallthefear,theremorse,theagony,theineffectualrepentance,thebackwardrushofsinfulthoughts,expelledinvain!Allthatguiltysorrow,hiddenfromtheworld,whosegreatheartwouldhavepitiedandforgiven,toberevealedtohim,thePitiless—tohim,theUnforgiving!Allthatdarktreasuretobelavishedontheveryman,towhomnothingelsecouldsoadequatelypaythedebtofvengeance!

           Theclergyman’sshyandsensitivereservehadbalkedthisschemeRogerChillingworth,however,wasinclinedtobehardly,ifatall,lesssatisfiedwiththeaspectofaffairs,whichProvidence—usingtheavengerandhisvictimforitsownpurposes,and,perchance,pardoning,whereitseemedmosttopunish—hadsubstitutedforhisblackdevicesArevelation,hecouldalmostsay,hadbeengrantedtohim.Itmatteredlittleforhisobject,whethercelestialorfromwhatotherregion.