"The Scarlet Letter"
by Nathaniel Hawthorne

  Previous Page   Next Page   Speaker Off
 

     "Quickly, then, child!" said the minister, bending his ear close to her lips. "Quickly, and as low as thou canst whisper."

     Pearl mumbled something into his ear that sounded, indeed, like human language, but was only such gibberish as children may be heard amusing themselves with by the hour together. At all events, if it involved any secret information in regard to old Roger Chillingworth, it was in a tongue unknown to the erudite clergyman, and did but increase the bewilderment of his mind. The elvish child then laughed aloud.

     "Dost thou mock me now?" said the minister.

 

     "Thou wast not bold!--thou wast not true!" answered the child. "Thou wouldst not promise to take my hand, and mother's hand, to-morrow noon-tide!"

     "Worthy sir," answered the physician, who had now advanced to the foot of the platform--"pious Master Dimmesdale! can this be you? Well, well, indeed! We men of study, whose heads are in our books, have need to be straitly looked after! We dream in our waking moments, and walk in our sleep. Come, good sir, and my dear friend, I pray you let me lead you home!"

     "How knewest thou that I was here?" asked the minister, fearfully.

 
Text provided by Project Gutenberg.
Audio by Verkaro.com and performed by Mary Woods.
Audio copyright 2008, LoudLit.org
Audio production made possible through the generous support of
Gordon W. Draper, Lois and Will Yeats, Theresa Mahoney and Todd Fadoir.
Flash mp3 player by Jeroen Wijering. (cc) some rights reserved.
Web page presentation by LoudLit.org.