A Forest Walk

           HesterPrynneremainedconstantinherresolvetomakeknowntoMr.Dimmesdale,atwhateverriskofpresentpainorulteriorconsequences,thetruecharacterofthemanwhohadcreptintohisintimacy.Forseveraldays,however,shevainlysoughtanopportunityofaddressinghiminsomeofthemeditativewalkswhichsheknewhimtobeinthehabitoftakingalongtheshoresofthePeninsula,oronthewoodedhillsoftheneighbouringcountry.Therewouldhavebeennoscandal,indeed,norperiltotheholywhitenessoftheclergyman’sgoodfame,hadshevisitedhiminhisownstudy,wheremanyapenitent,erenow,hadconfessedsinsofperhapsasdeepadyeastheonebetokenedbythescarletletter.But,partlythatshedreadedthesecretorundisguisedinterferenceofoldRogerChillingworth,andpartlythatherconsciousheartimpartedsuspicionwherenonecouldhavebeenfelt,andpartlythatboththeministerandshewouldneedthewholewideworldtobreathein,whiletheytalkedtogether—forallthesereasonsHesterneverthoughtofmeetinghiminanynarrowerprivacythanbeneaththeopensky.

           Atlast,whileattendingasickchamber,whithertheRev.Mr.Dimmesdalehadbeensummonedtomakeaprayer,shelearntthathehadgone,thedaybefore,tovisittheApostleEliot,amonghisIndianconverts.Hewouldprobablyreturnbyacertainhourintheafternoonofthemorrow.Betimes,therefore,thenextday,HestertooklittlePearl—whowasnecessarilythecompanionofallhermother’sexpeditions,howeverinconvenientherpresence—andsetforth.