Although no suspicion of the truth came to me , something about her reminded me of Hester . Even so had Hester liked to wander about the garden in the twilight . I had seen her thus a thousand times . I wondered who the woman could be . Some neighbor , of course . But what a strange way for her to come ! She walked up the garden slowly in the poplar shade . Now and then she stooped , as if to caress a flower , but she plucked none . Half way up she out in to the moonlight and walked across the plot of grass in the center of the garden . My heart gave a great throb and I stood up . She was quite near to me now -- and I saw that it was Hester . I can hardly say just what my feelings were at this moment . I know that I was not surprised . I was frightened and yet I was not frightened . Something in me shrank back in a sickening terror ; but I , the real I , was not frightened . I knew that this was my sister , and that there could be no reason why I should be frightened of her , because she loved me still , as she had always done . Further than this I was not conscious of any coherent thought , either of wonder or attempt at reasoning . Hester paused when she came to within a few steps of me . In the moonlight I saw her face quite plainly . It wore an expression I had never before seen on it -- a humble , wistful , tender look .
Often XXXXX life Hester had looked lovingly , even tenderly , upon me ; but always , as it were , through a mask of pride and sternness .
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