Therulers，andthewiseandlearnedmenofthecommunity，werelongerinacknowledgingtheinfluenceofHester’sgoodqualitiesthanthepeople。Theprejudiceswhichtheysharedincommonwiththelatterwerefortifiedinthemselvesbyanironframeworkofreasoning，thatmadeitafartougherlabourtoexpelthem。Daybyday，nevertheless，theirsourandrigidwrinkleswererelaxingintosomethingwhich，intheduecourseofyears，mightgrowtobeanexpressionofalmostbenevolence。Thusitwaswiththemenofrank，onwhomtheireminentpositionimposedtheguardianshipofthepublicmorals。Individualsinprivatelife，meanwhile，hadquiteforgivenHesterPrynneforherfrailty；nay，more，theyhadbeguntolookuponthescarletletterasthetoken，notofthatonesin，forwhichshehadbornesolonganddrearyapenance，butofhermanygooddeedssince。\"Doyouseethatwomanwiththeembroideredbadge？\"theywouldsaytostrangers。\"ItisourHester—thetown’sownHester—
whoissokindtothepoor，sohelpfultothesick，socomfortabletotheafflicted！\"Then，itistrue，thepropensityofhumannaturetotelltheveryworstofitself，whenembodiedinthepersonofanother，wouldconstrainthemtowhispertheblackscandalofbygoneyears。
Itwasnonethelessafact，however，that，intheeyesoftheverymenwhospokethus，thescarletletterhadtheeffectofthecrossonanun’sbosom。Itimpartedtothewearerakindofsacredness，whichenabledhertowalksecurelyamidallperil。Hadshefallenamongthieves，itwouldhavekepthersafe。Itwasreported，andbelievedbymany，thatanIndianhaddrawnhisarrowagainstthebadge，andthatthemissilestruckit，butfellharmlesstotheground。
Theeffectofthesymbol—or，rather，ofthepositioninrespecttosocietythatwasindicatedbyit—onthemindofHesterPrynneherself，waspowerfulandpeculiar。Allthelightandgracefulfoliageofhercharacterhadbeenwitheredupbythisred—hotbrand，andhadlongagofallenaway，leavingabareandharshoutline，whichmighthavebeenrepulsive，hadshepossessedfriendsorcompanionstoberepelledbyit。Eventheattractivenessofherpersonhadundergoneasimilarchange。Itmightbepartlyowingtothestudiedausterityofherdress，andpartlytothelackofdemonstrationinhermanners。
Itwasasadtransformation，too，thatherrichandluxurianthairhadeitherbeencutoff，orwassocompletelyhiddenbyacap，thatnotashininglockofiteveroncegushedintothesunshine。Itwasdueinparttoallthesecauses，butstillmoretosomethingelse，thatthereseemedtobenolongeranythinginHester’sfaceforLovetodwellupon；nothinginHester’sform，thoughmajesticandstatue—like，thatPassionwouldeverdreamofclaspinginitsembrace；nothinginHester’sbosom，tomakeiteveragainthepillowofAffection。Someattributehaddepartedfromher，thepermanenceofwhichhadbeenessentialtokeepherawoman。Suchisfrequentlythefate，andsuchthesterndevelopment，ofthefemininecharacterandperson，whenthewomanhasencountered，andlivedthrough，anexperienceofpeculiarseverity。Ifshebealltenderness，shewilldie。Ifshesurvive，thetendernesswilleitherbecrushedoutofher，or—andtheoutwardsemblanceisthesame—crushedsodeeplyintoherheartthatitcannevershowitselfmore。Thelatterisperhapsthetruesttheory。Shewhohasoncebeenwoman，andceasedtobeso，mightatanymomentbecomeawomanagain，iftherewereonlythemagictouchtoeffectthetransfiguration。WeshallseewhetherHesterPrynnewereafterwardssotouched，andsotransfigured。