This fantastic answer was probably suggested to him by his being so close to the Governor’s roses, as well as by the wild rose bush that he remembered having seen while he was in jail. He had passed by this rose bush when he was walking to the Bellinghams’ home.  The old Roger Chillingworth, with a smile on his lips, murmured a few words in the ear of the young priest. Esther stared at the man of science, and despite the fact that her destiny hung by a thread, she was surprised to notice the changes that had taken place in Chillingworth’s semblance. Roger looked uglier and older and his figure was more ungainly than what she remembered. Their eyes met for a fleeting instant, but thereupon she devoted all of her attention to her daughter. “This is horrible”, exclaimed the governor, “here there is a three-year-old child who does not know who has created her. Undoubtedly, she is equally ignorant about the origin of her soul, its current state of depravation, and its future destiny. I believe, gentlemen, that there is no need to proceed further”. Then Esther hugged Pearl and held her in her arms, while glaring fiercely at the old magistrate. Alone in the world, cast out from it as if she were a rotten fruit, and with this treasure who was the sole consolation of her heart, she was conscious of possessing indestructible rights against the pretensions of the world, and she was determined to defend them at all cost.