g the footpath that traversed the enclosure。 Pearllooked as beautiful as the day; but was in one of those moods ofperverse merriment which; whenever they occurred; seemed to remove herentirely out of the sphere of sympathy or human contact。 She nowskipped irreverently from one grave to another; until; ing to thebroad; flat; armorial tombstone of a departed worthy… perhaps of IsaacJohnson himself… she began to dance upon it。 In reply to hermother's mand and entreaty that she would behave more decorously;little Pearl paused to gather the prickly burrs from a tall burdockwhich grew beside the tomb。 Taking a handful of these; she arrangedthem along the lines of the scarlet letter that decorated the maternalbosom; to which the burrs; as their nature was; tenaciously adhered。Hester did not pluck them off。 Roger Chillingworth had by this time approached the window; andsmiled grimly down。 〃There is no law; nor reverence for authority; no regard for humanordinances or opinions; right or wrong; mixed up with that child'sposition;〃 remarked her; as much to himself as to his panion。 〃Isaw her; the other day; bespatter the Governor himself with water;at the cattle…trough in Spring Lane。 What; in Heaven's name; is she?Is the imp altogether evil? Hath she affections? Hath she anydiscoverable principle of being?〃 〃None… save the freedom of a broken law;〃 answered Mr。 Dimmesdale;in a quiet way; as if he had been discussing the point within himself。〃Whether capable of good I know not。〃 The