Buttheobjectthatmostdrewmyattention，inthemysteriouspackage，wasacertainaffairoffineredcloth，muchwornandfaded。Thereweretracesaboutitofgoldembroidery，which，however，wasgreatlyfrayedanddefaced；sothatnone，orverylittle，oftheglitterwasleft。Ithadbeenwrought，aswaseasytoperceive，withwonderfulskillofneedlework；andthestitch（asIamassuredbyladiesconversantwithsuchmysteries）—givesevidenceofanowforgottenart，nottoberecoveredevenbytheprocessofpickingoutthethreads。Thisragofscarletcloth—fortime，andwear，andasacrilegiousmoth，hadreducedittolittleotherthanarag—oncarefulexamination，assumedtheshapeofaletter。ItwasthecapitalletterA。Byanaccuratemeasurement，eachlimbprovedtobepreciselythreeinchesandaquarterinlength。Ithadbeenintended，therecouldbenodoubt，asanornamentalarticleofdress；buthowitwastobeworn，orwhatrank，honour，anddignity，inby—pasttimes，weresignifiedbyit，wasariddlewhich（soevanescentarethefashionsoftheworldintheseparticulars）Isawlittlehopeofsolving。Andyetitstrangelyinterestedme。Myeyesfastenedthemselvesupontheoldscarletletter，andwouldnotbeturnedaside。
Certainly，therewassomedeepmeaninginit，mostworthyofinterpretation，andwhich，asitwere，streamedforthfromthemysticsymbol，subtlycommunicatingitselftomysensibilities，butevadingtheanalysisofmymind。
Whilethusperplexed—andcogitating，amongotherhypotheses，whetherthelettermightnothavebeenoneofthosedecorationswhichthewhitemenusedtocontrive，inordertotaketheeyesofIndians—Ihappenedtoplaceitonmybreast。Itseemedtome—thereadermaysmile，butmustnotdoubtmyword—itseemedtome，then，thatIexperiencedasensationnotaltogetherphysical，yetalmostso，asofburningheat；andasiftheletterwerenotofredcloth，butred—hotiron。Ishuddered，andinvoluntarilyletitfalluponthefloor。
Intheabsorbingcontemplationofthescarletletter，Ihadhithertoneglectedtoexamineasmallrollofdingypaper，aroundwhichithadbeentwisted。ThisInowopened，andhadthesatisfactiontofind，recordedbytheoldSurveyor’spen，areasonablycompleteexplanationofthewholeaffair。Therewereseveralfoolscapsheets，containingmanyparticularsrespectingthelifeandconversationofoneHesterPrynne，whoappearedtohavebeenratheranoteworthypersonageintheviewofourancestors。ShehadflourishedduringtheperiodbetweentheearlydaysofMassachusettsandthecloseoftheseventeenthcentury。Agedpersons，aliveinthetimeofMr。
SurveyorPue，andfromwhoseoraltestimonyhehadmadeuphisnarrative，rememberedher，intheiryouth，asaveryold，butnotdecrepitwoman，ofastatelyandsolemnaspect。Ithadbeenherhabit，fromanalmostimmemorialdate，togoaboutthecountryasakindofvoluntarynurse，anddoingwhatevermiscellaneousgoodshemight；