Lorna Doone: A Romance of Exmoor
blessed than with youth, and health, and strength, to be loved by a
virtuous maid, and to love her with all one's heart? Neither was my
pride diminished, when I found what she had done, only from her love of
me.
Earl Brandir's ancient steward, in whose charge she had travelled, with
a proper escort, looked upon her as a lovely maniac; and the mixture of
pity and admiration wherewith he regarded her, was a strange thing to
observe; especially after he had seen our simple house and manners. On
the other hand, Lorna considered him a worthy but foolish old gentleman;
to whom true happiness meant no more than money and high position.
These two last she had been ready to abandon wholly, and had in part
escaped from them, as the enemies of her happiness. And she took
advantage of the times, in a truly clever manner. For that happened
to be a time--as indeed all times hitherto (so far as my knowledge
extends), have, somehow, or other, happened to be--when everybody
was only too glad to take money for doing anything. And the greatest
money-taker in the kingdom (next to the King and Queen, of course, who
had due pre-eminence, and had taught the maids of honour) was generally
acknowledged to be the Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys.
Upon his return from the bloody assizes, with triumph and great glory,
after hanging every man who was too poor to help it, he pleased his
Gracious Majesty so purely with the description of their delightful
agonies, that the King exclaimed, “This man alone is worthy to be at the
head of the law.” Accordingly in his hand was placed the Great Seal of
England.
So it came to pass that Lorna's destiny hung upon Lord Jeffreys; for at
this time Earl Brandir died, being taken with gout in the heart, soon
after I left London. Lorna was very sorry for him; but as he had never
been able to hear one tone of her sweet silvery voice, it is not to be
supposed that she wept without consolation. She grieved for him as we
ought to grieve for any good man going; and yet with a comforting sense
of the benefit which the blessed exchange must bring to him.
Now the Lady Lorna Dugal appeared to Lord Chancellor Jeffreys so
exceeding wealthy a ward that the lock would pay for turning. Therefore
he came, of his own accord, to visit her, and to treat with her; having
heard (for the man was as big a gossip as never cared for anybody,
yet loved to know all about everybody) that this wealthy and beautiful
maiden would not listen to any young lord, having pledged her faith to
the plain John Ridd.
Thereupon, our Lorna managed so to hold out golden hopes to the Lord
High Chancellor, that he, being not more than three parts drunk, saw his
way to a heap of money. And there and then (for he was not the man
to dally long about anything) upon surety of a certain round sum--the
amount of which I will not mention, because of his kindness towards
me--he gave to his fair ward permission, under sign and seal, to marry
that loyal knight, John Ridd; upon condition only that the King's
consent should be obtained.
His Majesty, well-disposed towards me for my previous service, and
regarding me as a good Catholic, being moved moreover by the Queen, who
desired to please Lorna, consented, without much hesitation, upon the
understanding that Lorna, when she became of full age, and the mistress
of her property (which was still under guardianship), should pay a
heavy fine to the Crown, and devote a fixed portion of her estate to the
promotion of the holy Catholic faith, in a manner to be dictated by the
King himself. Inasmuch, however, as King James was driven out of his
kingdom before this arrangement could take effect, and another king
succeeded, who desired not the promotion of the Catholic religion,
neither hankered after subsidies, whether French or English, that
agreement was pronounced invalid, improper, and contemptible. However,
there was no getting back the money once paid to Lord Chancellor
Jeffreys.
But what thought we of money at this present moment; or of position,
or anything else, except indeed one another? Lorna told me, with the
sweetest smile, that if I were minded to take her at all, I must take
her without anything; inasmuch as she meant, upon coming of age, to make
over the residue of her estates to the next-of-kin, as being unfit for a
farmer's wife. And I replied with the greatest warmth and a readiness
to worship her, that this was exactly what I longed for, but had never
dared to propose it. But dear mother looked most exceeding grave; and
said that to be sure her opinion could not be expected to count for
much, but she really hoped that in three years' time we should both he a
little wiser, and have more regard for our interests, and perhaps those
of others by that time; and Master Snowe having daughters only, and
nobody coming to marry them, if anything happened to the good old
man--and who could tell in three years' time what might happen to all
or any of us?--why perhaps his farm would be for sale, and perhaps Lady
Lorna's estates in Scotland would fetch enough money to buy it, and so
throw the two farms into one, and save all the trouble about the brook,
as my poor father had longed to do many and many a time, but not having
a title could not do all quite as he wanted. And then if we young
people grew tired of the old mother, as seemed only too likely, and was
according to nature, why we could send her over there, and Lizzie to
keep her company.
When mother had finished, and wiped her eyes, Lorna, who had been
blushing rosily at some portions of this great speech, flung her fair
arms around mother's neck, and kissed her very heartily, and scolded
her (as she well deserved) for her want of confidence in us. My mother
replied that if anybody could deserve her John, it was Lorna; but that
she could not hold with the rashness of giving up money so easily; while
her next-of-kin would be John himself, and who could tell what others,
by the time she was one-and-twenty?
Hereupon, I felt that after all my mother had common sense on her side;
for if Master Snowe's farm should be for sale, it would be far more to
the purpose than my coat of arms, to get it; for there was a different
pasture there, just suited for change of diet to our sheep as well
as large cattle. And beside this, even with all Annie's skill (and of
course yet more now she was gone), their butter would always command in
the market from one to three farthings a pound more than we could get
for ours. And few things vexed us more than this. Whereas, if we got
possession of the farm, we might, without breach of the market-laws, or
any harm done to any one (the price being but a prejudice), sell all our
butter as Snowe butter, and do good to all our customers.
Thinking thus, yet remembering that Farmer Nicholas might hold out for
another score of years--as I heartily hoped he might--or that one, if
not all, of his comely daughters might marry a good young farmer (or
farmers, if the case were so)--or that, even without that, the farm
might never be put up for sale; I begged my Lorna to do as she liked; or
rather to wait and think of it; for as yet she could do nothing.
CHAPTER LXXIV
BLOOD UPON THE ALTAR
Everything was settled smoothly, and without any fear or fuss, that
Lorna might find end of troubles, and myself of eager waiting, with
the help of Parson Bowden, and the good wishes of two counties. I could
scarce believe my fortune, when I looked upon her beauty, gentleness,
and sweetness, mingled with enough of humour and warm woman's feeling,
never to be dull or tiring; never themselves to be weary.
For she might be called a woman now; although a very young one, and as
full of playful ways, or perhaps I may say ten times as full, as if she
had known no trouble. To wit, the spirit of bright childhood, having
been so curbed and straitened, ere its time was over, now broke forth,
enriched and varied with the garb of conscious maidenhood. And the sense
of steadfast love, and eager love enfolding her, coloured with so many
tinges all her looks, and words, and thoughts, that to me it was the
noblest vision even to think about her.
But this was far too bright to last, without bitter break, and the
plunging of happiness in horror, and of passionate joy in agony. My
darling in her softest moments, when she was alone with me, when the
spark of defiant eyes was veiled beneath dark lashes, and the challenge
of gay beauty passed into sweetest invitation; at such times of her
purest love and warmest faith in me, a deep abiding fear would flutter
in her bounding heart, as of deadly fate's approach. She would cling to
me, and nestle to me, being scared of coyishness, and lay one arm around
my neck, and ask if I could do without her.
Hence, as all emotions haply, of those who are more to us than
ourselves, find within us stronger echo, and more perfect answer, so
I could not be regardless of some hidden evil; and my dark misgivings
deepened as the time drew nearer. I kept a steadfast watch on Lorna,
neglecting a field of beans entirely, as well as a litter of young pigs,
and a cow somewhat given to jaundice. And I let Jem Slocombe go to sleep
in the tallat, all one afternoon, and Bill Dadds draw off a bucket of
cider, without so much as a “by your leave.” For these men knew that my
knighthood, and my coat of arms, and (most of all) my love, were greatly
against good farming; the sense of our country being--and perhaps it may
be sensible--that a man who sticks up to be anything, must allow himself
to be cheated.
But I never did stick up, nor would, though all the parish bade me; and
I whistled the same tunes to my horses, and held my plough-tree, just
the same as if no King, nor Queen, had ever come to spoil my tune or
hand. For this thing, nearly all the men around our parts upbraided me;
but the women praised me: and for the most part these are right, when
themselves are not concerned.
However humble I might be, no one knowing anything of our part of the
country, would for a moment doubt that now here was a great to do and
talk of John Ridd and his wedding. The fierce fight with the Doones so
lately, and my leading of the combat (though I fought not more than need
be), and the vanishing of Sir Counsellor, and the galloping madness of
Carver, and the religious fear of the women that this last was gone to
hell--for he himself had declared that his aim, while he cut through
the yeomanry--also their remorse, that he should have been made to go
thither with all his children left behind--these things, I say (if
ever I can again contrive to say anything), had led to the broadest
excitement about my wedding of Lorna. We heard that people meant to come
from more than thirty miles around, upon excuse of seeing my stature and
Lorna's beauty; but in good truth out of sheer curiosity, and the love
of meddling.
Our clerk had given notice, that not a man should come inside the door
of his church without shilling-fee; and women (as sure to see twice as
much) must every one pay two shillings. I thought this wrong; and as
church-warden, begged that the money might be paid into mine own hands,
when taken. But the clerk said that was against all law; and he had
orders from the parson to pay it to him without any delay. So as I
always obey the parson, when I care not much about a thing, I let them
have it their own way; though feeling inclined to believe, sometimes,
that I ought to have some of the money.
Dear mother arranged all the ins and outs of the way in which it was
to be done; and Annie and Lizzie, and all the Snowes, and even Ruth
Huckaback (who was there, after great persuasion), made such a sweeping