I am sorry for you,' he said. "You were a good person, and you needed a better love than mine. And I am sorry for you," said Hester, "and for the hate that has changed a wise and merciful man into a devil! Try to be human again! Forgive, and leave judgement to God!" "That is not possible," replied the old man. 'You planted the evil, and now its black flowers are growing. We cannot change the way things are.' He turned and walked away, and a dark shadow seemed to follow him along the ground. Hester stared after him. "I hate the man!' she whispered to herself. "How I wish I had never married him!' She turned to look for her child. "Pearl! Little Pearl! Where are you?' The child had been busy while her mother had been talking. First she had played at the edge of the water, then she had made little boats out of pieces of wood. Then, seeing some birds feeding on the beach, she had picked up some stones and thrown them until one little grey bird had flown away with a broken wing. For her last game, Pearl collected some grass and used it to make a letter A on her chest. Will Mother ask me what it means?" she wondered. moving as lightly Then she heard her mother calling and as one of the little sea-birds, she appeared beside Hester and pointed her finger towards the letter A on her bosom. "My little Pearl,' said Hester, after a moment's silence, the green letter means nothing on your childish bosom. But do you know why your mother wears it?' "Oh, yes!" said Pearl, smiling. It is for the same reason that the priest puts his hand over his heart! "And what reason is that? asked Hester. "I don't know, replied Pearl. "Mother, what does this scarlet letter mean? Why do you wear it on your bosom? And why does the priest keep his hand over his heart?' Hester stared down into her daughter's black eyes. What should she say? The truth? No! If that was the price of the child's understanding, she could not pay it. "Silly Pearl!" she said. "There are many things in this world that a child must not ask about. What do l know about the priest's heart? And as for the scarlet letter, I wear it for its gold thread It was the first time that Hester had lied about the letter, and the child did not stop asking the same questions. Two or three times on the way home, several times at supper, and again the next morning, Pearl asked, "Mother, Mother, what does the scarlet letter mean?" and "Why does the priest keep his hand over his heart?' "Stop it!' Hester said, in a sharper voice than she had ever used before. "Stop it, or I'll shut you in the dark cupboard!'