“You can’t help anybody if you’re crushed under the weight of misery. You must leave this place behind,” she said. “The future could be filled with new chances for success. Do anything except lay down and die!”
“Oh, Hester,” cried the reverend. “I must die here. I don’t have the strength or courage to risk going back into the strange, cold world alone.”
Then in a deep whisper, Hester replied, “You will not go alone.
At this, Arthur Dimmesdale looked into her eyes with joy and hope.
“We won’t look back,” said Hester. “The past is gone. See!”
Then with her fingers she unhooked the scarlet letter from her breast and flung it away from her onto a rock at the edge of the stream. The letter lay there, like a lost jewel.
Hester heaved a huge sigh of relief as the burden of shame and anguish left her heart. The freedom she felt it had truly been. Hester undid her cap and let her dark, beautiful hair fall down around her shoulders. Then the sunlight came through the tops of the trees and flooded the forest.
Hester looked again at the reverend with eyes full of joy and said, “Now you must get to know our little pearl! You have seen her, but you do not really know her yet! She’s a strange child, but you will learn to love her dearly.”
“Do you think she will wasn’t to know me?” asked the reverend hopefully, “I have always been afraid of little Pearl.”
“Ah. That is so sad,” answered Hester. “She will love you dearly: She is not far off now. I will call her. Pearl! Pearl!”
Pearl was away, gathering up flowers for her mother. She heard the call and came back toward them slowly.
“Come here,” said Hester. “I want you to become a dear friend of the reverend.”
But Pearl did not obey her mother’s command. The child only pointed to her mother’s breast, devoid of the scarlet letter, and stamped her foot.
“I see,” said Hester. “Small children don’t like to see the things they’ve always known change even slightly. She is missing the was born.” Hester pointed to the letter at the edge of the stream and said, “There’s the letter, Pearl. Bring it to me now.”
You pick it up yourself,” replied Pearl. Frustrated with the child, Hester sighed and walked back on her breast.
“Do you know your mother now, child?” she said to her daughter.
“Yes, now you are my mother indeed!” said little Pearl, bounding across the stream to join them
“Come and see him, Pearl. He wants to greet you. He loves you Will you love him, too?” asked Hester.
“Does he really love us?” Pearl asked, looking at her mother in the eyes with sharp intelligence. “Will he walk hand in hand with us into town?”
“Not now, child,” answered Hester. “But soon he will be with us all the time.”
“And will he always keep his hand over his heart?” Pearl inquired.