"Never, sayest thou?" rejoined he with a smile of dark and self-relying intelligence.What trait of Roger Chillingworth does Hawthorne develop in this sentence?

1 answer

In this sentence, Hawthorne develops Roger Chillingworth's sense of cunning and manipulation. Chillingworth's smile, described as "dark and self-relying intelligence," suggests that he is both devious and confident in his ability to manipulate situations to his advantage. This trait highlights Chillingworth's calculated and secretive nature, adding to his mysterious and sinister characterization.