Alternate Ending: Hollywood Style
He turned towards the scaffold, and stretched forth his arms. "Hester," said he, "come hither! Come, my little Pearl!" It was a ghastly look with which he regarded them; but there was something at once tender and strangely triumphant in it. The child, with the bird-like motion, which was one of her characteristics, flew to him and clasped her arms about his knees. Trying valiantly to keep him steadfast with her miniature frame. Hester Prynne – slowly, as if compelled against her better nature- likewise drew near, but paused before she reached him. At this instant Roger Chillingworth thrust himself through the crowd, - or perhaps he rose up from some nether region, - to snatch back his victim from what he sought to do! Be that as it might, the old leech rushed forward and caught the minister about the arm.
"Madman, hold! What is your purpose?" whispered he. "Wave back yonder woman! Cast of this child! Do not blacken your fame! I can yet save you! Would you bring infamy upon thy sacred profession?!" "Ha, tempter! Methinks thou art too late!" answered the minister, encountering his eye with a fearful, but challenging expression. "Thy power is not what is was! With God's help I shall escape thee now!" He again extended his hand to the woman with whom he shared a mutual sin.
"Hester Prynne," cried he, with a piercing earnestness, "in the name of Him, so terrible and so merciful, who gives me grace to do what – for my own heavy sin and miserable agony – I withheld myself from doing some seven years prior! Come hither now and envelop my with thy strength, the same strength which held ye during thine own sojourn! Support me up yonder scaffold!"
Hester, regaining her senses, strode forth through the crowd and wrenched the leech from the reverend. She came to the side not supported by her daughter and steadied the feeble man. The crowd was in tumult, but the now complete familial unit payed it no mind. Slowly, but surely, they made ascended the stairs of the scaffold. Old Roger Chillingworth followed, as one intimately connected with the drama with which they were all both willing and unwilling participants, and therefore well entitled to be present at this closing scene.
"Thanks be to Him that hath brought me hither!" said the minister, looking upon the awed crowd. He turned and looked upon his misbegotten family, "God is merciful! Let me now do the will which he hath made plain before my sight. Let me make haste to my shame upon me!"
Looking once more upon the crowd, the minister broke from his supports and carefully strode to the edge of the scaffold. He gazed closely at the holy ministers, who were his brethren, then to the seaman with whom Hester had made arrangements prior. He spared a nod to the sea-savvy male, and once more looked again towards his gathered congregation. "People of New England!" cried he. "Ye that have loved me! Behold me here the one sinner of the world! This scaffold, seven years prior is where I should have stood! Here with the fellow perpetrator of my sin that I now belatedly stand, whom now supports me! Here stands the product of our sin!" he cried with a gesture to Pearl. The child, not used to the multitude of eyes on her, hide partially behind the legs of her newly found father and stared wearily at the crowd who stared back with faces in various stages of astonishment. "And here," said he, tearing away the ministerial band from his chest, "here is the evidence of mine self-inflicted punishment!" On his breast, there resided a grotesque letter "A".
Having thus sent the crowd he quickly, but carefully made his way over to the likewise stunned Hester. "Come, Hester! Now that this sin has been revealed we must make way to yonder England which we dreamed of in yonder forest! He leaned heavily upon Hester, who then lead to descend the stairs of the scaffold. The family made there way to the seaman, whose amused face was easy to make out amongst the multitude. "Come, I expected ye want to set sail." He turned and lead them to his vessel, which carried them to their hard, but prosperous future in the country of their past. England.