he　child。　Pearl　immediately　twined　it　aroundher　neck　and　waist；　with　such　happy　skill；　that；　once　seen　there；　itbecame　a　part　of　her；　and　it　was　difficult　to　imagine　her　without　it。 〃Thy　mother　is　yonder　woman　with　the　scarlet　letter；〃　said　theseaman。　〃Wilt　thou　carry　her　a　message　from　me？〃 〃If　the　message　pleases　me；　I　will；〃　answered　Pearl。 〃Then　tell　her；〃　rejoined　he；　〃that　I　spake　again　with　theblack…a…visaged；　hump…shouldered　old　doctor；　and　he　engages　to　bringhis　friend；　the　gentleman　she　wots　of；　aboard　with　him。　So　let　thymother　take　no　thought；　save　for　herself　and　thee。　Wilt　thou　tellher　this；　thou　witch…baby？〃 〃Mistress　Hibbins　says　my　father　is　the　Prince　of　the　Air！〃　criedPearl；　with　a　naughty　smile。　〃If　thou　callest　me　that　ill　name；　Ishall　tell　him　of　thee；　and　he　will　chase　thy　ship　with　a　tempest！〃 Pursuing　a　zigzag　course　across　the　market…place；　the　child　returnedto　her　mother；　and　municated　what　the　mariner　had　said。　Hester'sstrong；　calm；　steadfastly　enduring　spirit　almost　sank；　at　last；　onbeholding　this　dark　and　grim　countenance　of　an　inevitable　doom；　which…at　the　moment　when　a　passage　seemed　to　open　for　the　minister　andherself　out　of　their　labyrinth　of　misery…　showed　itself；　with　anunrelenting　smile；　right　in　the　midst　of　their　path。 With　her　mind　harassed　by　the　terrible　perplexity　in　which　theshipmaster's　intelligence　involved　her；　she　was　also　subjected　toanother　trial。　There　were　many　people　present；　from　the　countryround　about；　who　had　often