The dolliver romance (Nathaniel Hawthorne)

Dr. Dolliver, a worthy character of great antiquity. A person’s desire for an immortal existence, an attempt to satisfy which would be stated in various ways: first, through the selfish old sensualist, Colonel Dabni, who greedily grabbed the mysterious elixir and took his draft so that he died on the spot; then, through the plain old Grandir, longing to live for Pansy; and, perhaps, through Pansy herself, who, having come to enjoy some kind of ennobling love, would like to defeat death so that she can always maintain the perfection of her worldly happiness – all these forms of desire to be united are higher, a play of shadows that should direct our mind to true immortality outside of this world.