Evenpoliticalpower—asinthecaseofIncreaseMather—waswithinthegraspofasuccessfulpriest。
Itwastheobservationofthosewhobeheldhimnow，thatnever，sinceMr。DimmesdalefirstsethisfootontheNewEnglandshore，hadheexhibitedsuchenergyaswasseeninthegaitandairwithwhichhekepthispaceintheprocession。Therewasnofeeblenessofstep，asatothertimes；hisframewasnotbent；nordidhishandrestominouslyuponhisheart。Yet，iftheclergymanwererightlyviewed，hisstrengthseemednotofthebody。Itmightbespiritual，andimpartedtohimbyangelicministrations。Itmightbetheexhilarationofthatpotentcordial，whichisdistilledonlyinthefurnace—glowofearnestandlong—continuedthought。Or，perchance，hissensitivetemperamentwasinvigoratedbytheloudandpiercingmusic，thatswelledheavenward，andupliftedhimonitsascendingwave。
Nevertheless，soabstractedwashislook，itmightbequestionedwhetherMr。Dimmesdaleevenheardthemusic。Therewashisbody，movingonward，andwithanunaccustomedforce。Butwherewashismind？
Faranddeepinitsownregion，busyingitself，withpreternaturalactivity，tomarshalaprocessionofstatelythoughtsthatweresoontoissuethence；andsohesawnothing，heardnothing，knewnothing，ofwhatwasaroundhim；butthespiritualelementtookupthefeebleframe，andcarrieditalong，unconsciousoftheburden，andconvertingittospiritlikehimself。Menofuncommonintellect，whohavegrownmorbid，possessthisoccasionalpowerofmightyeffort，intowhichtheythrowthelifeofmanydays，andthenarelifelessforasmanymore。
HesterPrynne，gazingsteadfastlyattheclergyman，feltadrearyinfluencecomeoverher，butwhereforeorwhencesheknewnot；