The Scarlet Letter - The Custom-House - Continued

In which the narrator reflects upon the peculiar and contrasting characters inhabiting the Custom-House, from the shrewd yet animalistic old Inspector to the venerable, battle-worn General who lingers like a relic of past glories amidst the humdrum of official duties. Amidst these portraits of human nature and the dusty archives of a fading mercantile town, the discovery of an ancient commission stirs the imagination towards forgotten histories and the shadows of time.