Червона літера

           Throughoutall,however,therewasatraitofpassion,acertaindepthofhue,whichsheneverlost;andifinanyofherchanges,shehadgrownfainterorpaler,shewouldhaveceasedtobeherself—itwouldhavebeennolongerPearl!

           Thisoutwardmutabilityindicated,anddidnotmorethanfairlyexpress,thevariouspropertiesofherinnerlife.Hernatureappearedtopossessdepth,too,aswellasvariety;but—orelseHester’sfearsdeceivedher—itlackedreferenceandadaptationtotheworldintowhichshewasborn.Thechildcouldnotbemadeamenabletorules.Ingivingherexistenceagreatlawhadbeenbroken;andtheresultwasabeingwhoseelementswereperhapsbeautifulandbrilliant,butallindisorder,orwithanorderpeculiartothemselves,amidstwhichthepointofvarietyandarrangementwasdifficultorimpossibletobediscovered.Hestercouldonlyaccountforthechild’scharacter—andeventhenmostvaguelyandimperfectly—byrecallingwhatsheherselfhadbeenduringthatmomentousperiodwhilePearlwasimbibinghersoulfromthespiritualworld,andherbodilyframefromitsmaterialofearth.Themother’simpassionedstatehadbeenthemediumthroughwhichweretransmittedtotheunborninfanttheraysofitsmorallife;and,howeverwhiteandclearoriginally,theyhadtakenthedeepstainsofcrimsonandgold,thefierylustre,theblackshadow,andtheuntemperedlightoftheinterveningsubstance.Aboveall,thewarfareofHester’sspiritatthatepochwasperpetuatedinPearl.