Nathaniel Hawthorne was a 19th century short story writer and novelist. The Scarlet Letter is his most famous novel. President Pierce appointed Hawthorne United States Consul at Liverpool. The years Hawthorne spent in England were some of his happiest and most trying. He held this post for four years. The time Hawthorne spent in public office gave him a chance to leave writing and observe the world. His attention to exact detail transports the reader into his novels. The legend of a bloody foot leaving its imprint where it passed is prominent in this story. The idea was brought to Hawthorne's notice on a visit to Smithell's Hall in Lancashire. Hawthorne went there by invitation, and the lady of the manor asked him "to write a ghost-story for her house." In Septimius Felton Hawthorne ponders the idea of immortality.