“It was better to stand thus, with so many betwixt him and her, than to greet him, face to face, they two alone.” Who and who is this in regards to, and what do you think it indicates?

It’s interesting that when Hester first laid eyes on this stranger, all else seemed to fall away until it felt like just the two of them existed. I think the character is Boston’s elder clergyman, Reverend Wilson is scholarly yet grandfatherly.He is a pretty harsh Puritan but Hester seems to take comfort in him. It would seem that they have met before.He pleads with Hester to give up the father's name (Dimmesdale). Does Wilson know more than we are being led to believe? I'm not sure but that question has always remained in my mind.

Just to clarify, the man she sees is her husband Chillingworth. Hester is glad of the Puritan crowd gaping at her because at least they offer her protection against this guy. This, of course, gives us the sense that Chillingworth is a nasty man. The man that saves Hester from her meeting "face to face" is Rev. Wilson. Sorry, I was not clear before.