In which the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale returns from a secret meeting with Hester Prynne and her child, feeling a startling transformation within himself and a tumult of conflicting impulses that threaten his composure. Haunted by these strange sensations and encounters, he seeks refuge in his study where, in a fever of inspiration and agitation, he begins to compose a new Election Sermon that reflects the profound change in his soul.