The Scarlet Letter Page #4

l love and honor the man who has

fathered this child!

And say what you will,

he is my true husband for life,

and l shall furnish no information

which might cause him harm.

Very well, you leave me no choice.

You're under arrest.

ls this your new Jerusalem?

Let me have a moment alone

with the woman.

-l can draw the name from her.

-You shall have your chance.

Gentlemen.

l've considered all the arguments

and decided Arthur is allowed

to speak to Mistress Prynne alone.

Hester Prynne,

place your hand

on the Good Book.

Let us pray.

Let us pray.

Why did you not tell me?

l was afraid.

l thought if l worked hard,

l would miscarry.

l must go to Bellingham

with the truth.

No, you must not!

You are a saint to these people!

They'll hang you for betraying them!

l prefer to hang, than allow you

to suffer for me.

They've no case against me!

-When they tire, they'll release me.

-l know Stonehall.

You've challenged him,

and he'll not release you

until you are humbled

and have recanted your sins.

Do you believe we've sinned?

l know not.

What happen between us had

a consecration. Have you forgotten?

l've not forgotten!

Arthur, l know you want

to speak out.

Your nature cries out for it.

But you risk your own ruin

and deny me

my right to stand up

to this hypocrisy.

Soldier!

lf l need you to speak,

l'll tie this handkerchief

from the window.

l love thee woman,

but your strength frightens me.

l'll do what you ask.

Amen.

God be with you.

l'm sure he already is.

Gentlemen,

Mistress Prynne has been there

more than 5 months

without any legal justification.

Even in Plymouth they regard this

as barbaric!

l'd like to free her.

At home, l have no peace on this.

But the people see us go to her

week after week, caps in hand,

only to be turned away.

The woman is unrepentant!

She's fortunate we haven't

beaten her publicly!

l'm surprised at you Reverend.

You came here a man of reason.

l came here expecting

some semblance of order.

lnstead l find

a den of fractiousness!

Sir, if you do not

stem this dissent,

my wife and l will return

to England.

And take our parishioners!

lf only she would give us

a small sign of contrition.

Ifit had been up to him,

my father,

he would have ended it and

revealed the truth ofmy origins.

But bound by my mother's wish,

he could not.

He went every day to see her

and was refused.

His eye everon that window

forhersign that it was time

to come forward with the truth.

Had there been flashes ofPrynne's

unstable nature before

in England?

No one knows.

But now, free from

Puritan society,

he was increasingly seized

by spirits so powerful

they were terrifying

even to the Indians.

He has a ghost in him.

He'll bring us bad luck.

Send him home.

Forgive me, Lord,

forI have turned from

my Heavenly Father.

Forgive me.

Lord, bring me back to thy bosom.

God's teeth, child!

How could they leave you thus?

l'm so glad you're here!

6 months and not one visitor.

Some of us came, my dear,

but we were turned away.

Your slave came every day.

How quick are the pains?

-They're not stopping.

-Here.

Take a sip of this.

l wager you won't refuse

my cider this time.

Rvd. Dimmesdale tried always

to get you freed.

-Another?

-Yes.

All right, breathe deep.

Breathe deep.

Hold on to me!

Good girl!

Easy, easy.

Let me see.

All's well. All's well.

lt's close.

lt's very close.

Come, my dear. lt's time.

Up you sit.

Good girl. There.

Move down a little.

Good.

This child is ready to be born.

We've work to do!

There.

How could they

keep me here so long?

Well, l'll say this,

you must have a will of iron.

When you take on the men,

it leads to death.

All right, my dear.

Chin down and bear down hard!

More and harder!

Harder! Good!

Good girl. That's it.

Easy.

Easy.

Good. Easy.

Are you sure

God's not punishing me?

To be sure he's punishing you.

He be giving you a child!.

Now. Gently.

Now the head is coming.

The head is through.

Just a little more.

Easy.

Easy. Easy.

She'd here!

Oh, thank you, God!

Yes!

Little Pearl.

Yes!

Yes!

Harriet, she's here!

She's here.

Sit there, Mistress.

Proceed, Reverend.

l'll have them fetch fresh clothes

for you and the babe.

l bring good news.

l've prevailed upon the Governor.

You are to be freed.

But by law...

you'll be brought to the scaffold

for reprimand.

Hester.

Whatever is said,

please,

be as contrite as

your conscience permits.

lf not for my sake,

for the babe's.

l beg you,

don't anger them further!

l've come to baptize

the babe.

l've died not seeing you.

l came every day.

l baptize this child,

Pearl.

Pearl.

ln the name of the Father,

and the son,

and the Holy Ghost.

May the Lord bless thee,

and care for thee,

and watch over thee.

Amen.

Freeing this woman

is an invitation to every wife

to defy her husband.

Every child it's parent!

No, she should be released.

What?

You don't put her in prison,

you put the prison in her.

So each time someone sees her,

her sin will be marked into

her soul afresh.

Cunningly contrived, my dear.

Make way in the King's name.

A blessing on the righteous

Colony of Massachusetts,

where iniquity is dragged

into the sunlight!

Know ye

that Mistress Roger Prynne

has been ordered

to bear punishment for

fornication and adultery.

lf it be determined later

that her husband be still alive,

she may face a most severe penalty,

which is to be hanged by the neck

until dead.

Pray, silence,

for his Excellency,

the Governor.

Hester Prynne,

though you show no

modesty in you apparel,

yet you have a chance, still,

to repent your sins.

Yes, Hester, repent!

Child, don't you believe

you have sinned?

l believe l have sinned

in your eyes,

but who is to know if God

shares your views?

Woman,

transgress not the limits

of Heaven's mercy!

Reverend Dimmesdale,

you are her pastor.

Speak to her for all our sakes!

Soften her, her hardness

her obstinacy!

Listen to the Reverend!

Speak to the woman, my brother.

Exalt her to confess the truth!

Hester Prynne,

you hear what these

good men say,

and see the accountablity

under which l labor.

For your soul's peace,

l charge thee

speak out the name

of your fellow sinner.

Be not silent

for some mistaken pity

or tenderness for him.

For believe me, if he could

step down and stand beside you

on your pedestal of shame,

it would be better than to

carry a guilty heart

through life.

What can your silence

do for him,

except to tempt him?

And compel him

to add hypocrisy to sin?

Speak.

She will not speak.

ln the name of the Lord,

name him!

Name him!

-His name!

-What is his name?

Who might he be?

Very well.

Beadle!

Mistress, if you do not speak out

his name, wear upon your bodice

this symbol of your sinful

fornication.

Heed not this

final warning,

and you will be a pariah,

cut off, shunned

and reviled by every man,

woman and child in this town!

Why do you wait?

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