he merely replied； “and if I cover it for secret sin， whatmortal might not do the same？” And with this gentle butunconquerable obstinacy did he resist all her entreaties.
At length Elizabeth sat silent. For a few moments sheappeared lost in thought， considering， probably， whatnew methods might be tried to withdraw her lover fromso dark a fantasy， which， if it had no other meaning， wasperhaps a symptom of mental disease. Though of a firmercharacter than his own， the tears rolled down her cheeks.
But in an instant， as it were， a new feeling took the placeof sorrow： her eyes were fixed insensibly on the black veil，when like a sudden twilight in the air its terrors fell aroundher. She arose and stood trembling before him.
“And do you feel it， then， at last？” said he， mournfully.
She made no reply， but covered her eyes with her handand turned to leave the room. He rushed forward andcaught her arm.
“Have patience with me， Elizabeth！” cried he， passionately.
“Do not desert me though this veil must be between us hereon earth. Be mine， and hereafter there shall be no veil overmy face， no darkness between our souls. It is but a mortalveil； it is not for eternity. Oh， you know not how lonely Iam， and how frightened to be alone behind my black veil！
Do not leave me in this miserable obscurity for ever.”
“Lift the veil but once and look me in the face，” said she.
“Never！ It cannot be！” replied Mr. Hooper.
“Then farewell！” said Elizabeth.
She withdrew her arm from his grasp and slowlydeparted， pausing at the door to give one long， shudderinggaze that seemed almost to penetrate the mystery of theblack veil. But even amid his grief Mr. Hooper smiled tothink that only a material emblem had separated him fromhappiness， though the horrors which it shadowed forthmust be drawn darkly between the fondest of lovers.
From that time no attempts were made to remove Mr.
Hooper’s black veil or by a direct appeal to discover thesecret which it was supposed to hide. By persons whoclaimed a superiority to popular prejudice it was reckonedmerely an eccentric whim， such as often mingles withthe sober actions of men otherwise rational and tingesthem all with its own semblance of insanity. But with themultitude good Mr. Hooper was irreparably a bugbear.
He could not walk the street with any peace of mind，so conscious was he that the gentle and timid wouldturn aside to avoid him， and that others would make it apoint of hardihood to throw themselves in his way. Theimpertinence of the latter class compelled him to giveup his customary walk at sunset to the burial-ground；for when he leaned pensively over the gate， there wouldalways be faces behind the gravestones peeping at hisblack veil. A fable went the rounds that the stare of thedead people drove him thence. It grieved him to the verydepth of his kind heart to observe how the children fledfrom his approach， breaking up their merriest sports whilehis melancholy figure was yet afar off. Their instinctivedread caused him to feel more strongly than aught elsethat a preternatural horror was interwoven with thethreads of the black crape. In truth， his own antipathy tothe veil was known to be so great that he never willinglypassed before a mirror nor stooped to drink at a stillfountain lest in its peaceful bosom he should be affrightedby himself. This was what gave plausibility to the whispersthat Mr. Hooper’s conscience tortured him for some greatcrime too horrible to be entirely concealed or otherwisethan so obscurely intimated. Thus from beneath the blackveil there rolled a cloud into the sunshine， an ambiguityof sin or sorrow， which enveloped the poor minister， sothat love or sympathy could never reach him. It was saidthat ghost and fiend consorted with him there. With self-shudderings and outward terrors he walked continually inits shadow， groping darkly within his own soul or gazingthrough a medium that saddened the whole world. Eventhe lawless wind， it was believed， respected his dreadfulsecret and never blew aside the veil. But still good Mr.
Hooper sadly smiled at the pale visages of the worldlythrong as he passed by.
Among all its bad influences， the black veil had theone desirable effect of making its wearer a very efficientclergyman. By the aid of his mysterious emblem—for therewas no other apparent cause—he became a man of awfulpower over souls that were in agony for sin. His convertsalways regarded him with a dread peculiar to themselves，affirming， though but figuratively， that before he broughtthem to celestial light they had been with him behind theblack veil. Its gloom， indeed， enabled him to sympathizewith all dark affections. Dying sinners cried aloud for Mr.
Hooper and would not yield their breath till he appeared，though ever， as he stooped to whisper consolation， theyshuddered at the veiled face so near their own. Such werethe terrors of the black veil even when Death had baredhis visage. Strangers came long distances to attend serviceat his church with the mere idle purpose of gazing at hisfigure because it was forbidden them to behold his face.
But many were made to quake ere they departed. Once，during Governor Belcher’s administration， Mr. Hooperwas appointed to preach the election sermon. Coveredwith his black veil， he stood before the chief magistrate，the council and the representatives， and wrought so deepan impression that the legislative measures of that yearwere characterized by all the gloom and piety of ourearliest ancestral sway.