Paul Schreiber-Comment: This passage provides some information on how Dimmesdale really thinks and lets us in on how he produces thoughts in his brain. Specifically this paragraph shows that Dimmesdale is always worried about something, along with earlier in the book such as him worrying about Hester looking like him. Dimmesdale meets with Hester once again to go over the plans and finalize them. Although Dimmesdale should be worried I do not think he should be to the degree of where he is paranoid. They do face certain death if discovered but he goes overboard. Here we also learn how they managed to get on a ship. Hester had become familiar with the Captain and Crew because of her charity work throughout the seven years of wearing the scarlet letter. So the Captain allowed her, another individual (Dimmesdale) and a child (Pearl) to gain access to the ship with complete secrecy.