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。 The links that united herto the rest of human kind… links of flowers; or silk; or gold; orwhatever the material… had all been broken。 Here was the iron linkof mutual crime; which neither he nor she could break。 Like allother ties; it brought along with it its obligations。 Hester Prynne did not now occupy precisely the same position inwhich we beheld her during the earlier periods of her ignominy。Years had e and gone。 Pearl was now seven years old。 Her mother;with the scarlet letter on her breast; glittering in its fantasticembroidery; had long been a familiar object to the townspeople。 Asis apt to be the case when a person stands out in any prominencebefore the munity; and; at the same time; interferes neither withpublic nor individual interests and convenience; a species ofgeneral regard had ultimately grown up in reference to HesterPrynne。 It is to the credit of human nature; that; except where itsselfishness is brought into play; it loves more readily than it hates。Hatred; by a gradual and quiet process; will even be transformed tolove; unless the change be impeded by a continually new irritationof the original feeling of hostility。 In this matter of Hester Prynne;there was neither irritation nor irksomeness。 She never battled withthe public; but submitted; unplainingly; to its worst usage; shemade no claim upon it; in requital for what she suffered; she didnot weigh upon its sympathies。 Then; also; the blameless purity of herlife during all these years in which she had been set apart to infamy;was reckoned largely in her favour。 With nothing now to lose; in thesight of mankind; and with no hope; and seemingly no wish; ofgaining anything; it could only be a genuine regard for virtue thathad brought back the poor wanderer to its paths。 It was perceived; too; that
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