rous　efficacy　that　no　human　sympathy　could　reach　her；　saveit　were　sinful　like　herself。　God；　as　a　direct　consequence　of　the　sinwhich　man　thus　punished；　had　given　her　a　lovely　child；　whose　place　wason　that　same　dishonoured　bosom；　to　connect　her　parent　for　ever　withthe　race　and　descent　of　mortals；　and　to　be　finally　a　blessed　soul　inheaven！　Yet　these　thoughts　affected　Hester　Prynne　less　with　hopethan　apprehension。　She　knew　that　her　deed　had　been　evil；　she　couldhave　no　faith；　therefore；　that　its　result　would　be　good。　Day　afterday；　she　looked　fearfully　into　the　child's　expanding　nature；　everdreading　to　detect　some　dark　and　wild　peculiarity；　that　shouldcorrespond　with　the　guiltiness　to　which　she　owed　her　being。 Certainly；　there　was　no　physical　defect。　By　its　perfect　shape；　itsvigour；　and　its　natural　dexterity　in　the　use　of　all　its　untried　limbs；the　infant　was　worthy　to　have　been　brought　forth　in　Eden；　worthy　tohave　been　left　there；　to　be　the　plaything　of　the　angels　after　theworld's　first　parents　were　driven　out。　The　child　had　a　native　gracewhich　does　not　invariably　coexist　with　faultless　beauty；　its　attire；however　simple；　always　impressed　the　beholder　as　if　it　were　the　verygarb　that　precisely　became　it　best。　But　little　Pearl　was　not　clad　inrustic　weeds。　Her　mother；　with　a　morbid　purpose　that　may　be　betterunderstood　hereafter；　had　bought　the　richest　tissues　that　could　beprocured；　and　allowed　her　imaginative　faculty　its　full　play　in　thearrangement　and　decoration　of　the　dresses　which