The Scarlet Letter Page #6

presence ofPrynne

was a torment

that threatened

my father's very soul.

As forPrynne,

his lust forrevenge

fed on itself

so that he hungered formore.

Good morrow, Mituba.

What a pleasant day

for a ride.

Poor Mituba.

You're renowned for your loyalty

to your Mistress, and l see why.

Was your dry lunch

a communication from her lover?

l have the power to arrest you

as an accomplice t adultery

and bring you before the magistrates

for questioning.

And since you are a slave,

they might whip you to death.

Easy. Easy.

l only want to help

the one we both love.

To free herself from the grasp

of a fiend.

Dear Lord, this is it!

He made you strip naked

before him!

Totally naked!

Was there a presence

in the room?

Now think! Think!

He might have come

in one of his many disguises.

Did he come as a bird?

Oh, God. l feel

the presence of Lucifer!

Save yourself before

it's too late!

Gentlemen, please!

Enough!

Enough!

Go home, Mituba.

You've been a wondrous help.

Commend us to your Mistress.

Go home.

Go home.

So there is a malignancy

to be cut our here.

But what kind of witness

will a slave be in court?

The bird, obviously.

is Harriet Hibbons.

What is it, Pearl?

-Forgive me, Hester.

-Harriet.

Yours was the first place

l thought of to hide.

What is it?

They've, they've,

they've ah...

broken into my house.

They're looking for me in the woods.

l've been named

as a witch!

ln the name of God!

Halt there!

Yes, sir!

What's the meaning

of this intrusion?

Stand aside, woman!

We know the witch is in here.

There's no one inside

but me, my child and Mituba.

So unless you have a warrant,

be gone.

Reverend Dimmesdale.

What's happening, major?

We've cornered ourselves a witch.

Here in Hester Prynne's cottage.

lf there's a witch

inside the house, major,

l'll find her.

Right.

One man at the door.

-Soldier!

-Sir?

Pearl's grown tall.

She's an elf.

Willful.

Dear God, Hester.

lt's been so long.

You'r thin.

Are you hiding someone, Hester?

Why do you...?

Why are you risking

further anger from the elders?

Because she is no witch!

She's committed no crime

beyond speaking her mind!

lf she is innocent,

l assure you no harm

will befall her.

Arthur. After all that

has happened,

how can you still trust

these iron men?

Don't you see what's happening?

Last month they brought

Sally Short for questioning.

They held her for 2 days.

Last week it was Mary Rollins.

They just questioned them!

What's the crime in that?

The crime is they had nothing!

Don't you see

this is some malevolence?

-What has become of you?

-God, woman!

What are your demands?

l've given up everything

l own sacred!

l'm in Hell!

ln the eye of your husband,

who lurks at my side day and night.

ln the eye of all who come to me

to unburden their soul!

l'm a pollution!

l'm a lie!

They are the pollution!

They are the lie!

But you allow them to destroy

all that is good in you!

What's happened

to the man l love?

Does he not still live inside thee?

Our love, woman,

was a folly.

And the voice we heard,

we have been punished

for listening to!

What have l become?

To betray the onlyperson on earth

who had shown herkindness.

What could feel worse than that?

Mituba?

Poor, mute Mituba.

When Prynne summoned her,

she wanted only to undo the harm

sh'd caused her Mistress.

Peace in this House!

Peace, l say. Peace!

You find these proceedings

humorous, Mistress?

Do you expect me

to take them seriously?

You're a bunch of grown men

poking around my private parts

looking for witch's marks!

The slave, Mituba...

Peace, l say. Peace!

The witness, the slave Mituba,

has been found dead.

l told you she was a witch!

-Mistress Hibbons is a witch!

-She's a witch!

Witch!

Have you lost all reason?

There's no witchcraft here!

This is murder!

Guards,

restrain this woman!

Satan is not at work

here among the women!

But if he's here, perhaps is

at work among you men!

Here Satan speaks!

Governor?

l have evidence to render.

As you know,

Mistress Hibbons midwifed

Mistress Prynne's

baby Pearl.

Sweet Pearl.

Bastard!

No!

Pearl.

l wish you were my girl.

Poor fatherless child.

Would you like to learn a game?

Yes. Now do what l do.

lf l pinch my nose.

You too.

Very good, very good.

Now,

pull up my shirt and

show my tummy tum-tum.

Now show me your tummy tum-tum.

Pull up your shirt.

Behold the witch's mark!

Behold the devil's own child!

The devil's own child!

The devil's own child!

This woman is innocent!

lnnocent? Since you first spoke

of this woman,

all we've dreames and toiled for

in God's name has been threatened!

l've heard enough!

Have you listened?

Factions! Arguments!

Dissent!

That is the work of Satan!

The town was in an uproar.

My fatherrisked one last

meeting with my mother,

convinced that ifthey were to hang

Harriet, it would not be long

before my motherand I

would be seized...and hung.

l had to speak out.

l couldn't stop myself.

Damn your husband!

You and Pearl must go in hiding.

Tonight.

l cannot.

l cannot run.

What are you saying?

Forgive me.

Whatever happens,

promise me

you'll look after Pearl.l.

God, woman, how much further

must you take this?

As far as my strength

will take me.

lf Harriet is to hang,

l must hang with her.

l'll ask the other women

to stand with us.

They can't hang us all.

Hester, are we ever

to know a life together?

l love thee.

l love thee and always will.

l will always love thee.

Lord God, we stood before thee

naked once,

and now we stand before thee

naked again, as a family.

God! Thou has given me this

as a gift,

and l will not give it up!

Not while l have the strength.

Arthur?

Arthur?

Arthur?

Evening Mistress Prynne.

Expecting someone else?

Ah, no.

Didn't you call out for Arthur?

The only Arthur l know is...

Dimmesdale.

You misunderstood me,

l didn't say...

l should have guessed

long ago.

You naughty girl.

So you f***ed our minister.

God, l'm about to savour

a priceless morsel!

Up we go!

Did he suck your breasts?

Did he lick you?

Where did he lick you?

Show me!

How l wanted to put it in you!

This is to make you pay

for my fantasies.

While you were torturing me,

you were giving it to another.

Damned witch!

Get out!

Do up your britches

and get out!

Bastard! Get out of here!

How l will enjoy watching

you and the pastor hang!

Open up, doctor!

There are matters between us

we must discus immediately.

So, Arthur Dimmesdale.

At last justice is done!

Ha sido asesinado!

Call out the militia!

Call out the guards!

lt's a sign!

The Lord has sent us a sign!

We have strayed!

See how he punishes us!

lt's Brewster.

Those savages

have killed him!

My son! My son!

Damned heathens!

Lock up the praying lndians,

before they murder us

in our beds!

Get the praying lndians!

Praying lndians into the compound!

We are loyal to you!

We are loyal to you!

By order of the Governor of the

Massachusetts Bay Colony,

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