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"Hush, Hester, hush!" said he, with tremulous solemnity. "The law we broke!–the sin here so awfully revealed!–let these alone be in thy thoughts! I fear! I fear!
It may be, that, when we forgot our God,–when we violated our reverence each for the other's soul,–it was thenceforth vain to hope that we could meet hereafter, in an everlasting
and pure reunion. God knows; and He is merciful! He hath burning torture to bear upon my breast! By sending yonder dark and
terrible old man, to keep the torture always at red-heat! By bringing me hither, to die this death of triumphant ignominy
before the people! Had either of those agonies been wanting, I had been lost for ever! Praised be his name! His will be done!
Farewell!"
- The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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