TomeheseemsveryunworthytobeHester\'slover，forsheisabeautifulwomanoffleshandblood。Mr。Dimmesdalewasnotonlyimmoral；hewasunsportsmanlike。Hehadnomorepluckthanachurch-mouse。Hismiserablepassionwasdegradedbyitsbrevity；
howcouldheseethiswoman\'sdisgraceforsevenlongyears，andneverpluckuphearteithertosharehershameorpeccareforliter？
Heisalayfigure，verycleverly，butsomewhatconventionallymadeandpainted。ThevengefulhusbandofHester，RogerChillingworth，isaMr。Casaubonstungintojealousanger。Buthisattitude，watchingeverbyDimmesdale，tormentinghim，andyetinhisconfidence，andeverunsuspected，remindsoneofaconceptiondeartoDickens。Heusesitin\"DavidCopperfield，\"whereMr。Micawberofallpeople!playsthistrickonUriahHeep；heusesitin\"HuntedDown\"；hewasaboutusingitin\"EdwinDrood\"；heuseditoldMartinandPecksniffin\"MartinChuzzlewit。\"ThepersonofRogerChillingworthandhisconductarealittletoomelodramaticforHawthorne\'sgenius。
InDickens\'smanner，too，isHawthorne\'slongsarcasticaddresstoJudgePyncheonin\"TheHouseoftheSevenGables\"，asthejudgesitsdeadinhischair，withhiswatchtickinginhishand。
OccasionallyachanceremarkremindsoneofDickens；thisforexample:Heistalkingoflarge，blackoldbooksofdivinity，andoftheirsuccessors，tinybooks，Elzevirsperhaps。\"Theselittleoldvolumesimpressedmeasiftheyhadbeenintendedforverylargeones，buthadbeenunfortunatelyblightedatanearlystageoftheirgrowth。\"ThismightalmostdeceivetheelectasapieceofthetrueBoz。Theirwidelydifferenttalentsdidreallyintersecteachotherwheretheperverse，thegrotesque，andtheterribledwell。