Lorna Doone

John is uncharacteristically hunger-less as he waits for his one-month banishment from the valley to expire. A traveler, Jeremy Stickles, delivers a summons from the king. Jeremy complains about Tom Faggus riding ahead of him and getting all the good meals wherever he stops.

The summons is polite and complimentary towards John, and he assumes the matter is related to the Doones. John does not want to go out of town because it will mean missing the first chance to see Lorna after the one-month suspension. He worries what Lorna will think if he does not appear on the first day. John stalls the departure by offering Jeremy good food, but he insists on leaving before John can see Lorna.

John does not want to leave his family to go to London, but he does so wearing his best clothes, which his mother insisted on making for the occasion with the help of other townsfolk. Annie gives him a “free pass” from Tom Faggus to avoid robbery. As they travel, this prevents the highwaymen from robbing him and results in being fed well as they stop along the way due to the common folk’s love of Tom. Once they reach London, the hearing is put off again and again due to more pressing political concerns. There is an attempt on the king’s life, and several political figures are convicted of treason. After two months of waiting and paying the expenses of that wait, John forces his way into the court.

The execution of Lord Russell draws attention, emptying Westminster of its lawyers. A few days later, John goes to see the clerks and try to have his mysterious case heard. Counsellor Kitch pulls him aside and asks after his mother and his time in London. Afterwards, he presents John with a bill and speaks rudely to him. As a result of his rudeness, John drags Kitch to the court, suggesting the judge decide the fee. Instead, Kitch pays John to let him go.

Eventually, John meets with the Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys. The Chief Justice is outraged that John has been kept waiting at his own expense for two months. He appears to favor John due to his forthright manner of speaking and the fact that he does not contradict the Chief Justice. Jeffreys suggests that the clerk, Mr. Spank, is profiting from John’s stay somehow and passes judgment on him for doing so. He bids John return in the morning. Mr. Spank offers John a purse of money to speak well of him to the Chief Justice, since John has his favor. John refuses to take it but agrees to bring an itemized receipt for his costs from the inn and take the money for that amount. Spank looks down on John for his principled approach and changes his mind about John’s future in London, saying that he will not make it with such an attitude. Later, Spank offers twice the money John asks for, but John insists on the fair amount.

Chief Justice Jeffreys teases John about his size, showing him favor. He then turns to business, asking seriously about why the Doones have been permitted to continue their behavior. John informs the Chief Justice that there are 40 adult male Doones in a well-entrenched location. Jeffreys asks whether John had considered the de Whichehalses to be in league with the Doones, but John’s obvious shock is answer enough. Jeffreys then asks after Tom Faggus, sharing his approval for the man. He tells John to tell Tom that Jeffreys would never hang him but cannot always protect him. As such, he advises that Tom take up a profession such as the church, which would make it “wrong” to kill him for his past offenses.

Jeffreys asks about loyalty to the King, and John insists that he and the townsfolk only speak well of him. Jeffreys explains that there are rumors of treason brewing near Exmoor and warns John to stay away from the issue. He admits that he had intended to use John as his “tool,” but has realized that he is unsuitable for the job given his simple mind and lack of guile. Jeffreys warns John that he will be hanged if he partakes in the treason or informs the enemy of Jeffreys’s plans.

Once dismissed, John does not pay attention to what little money he has after paying his bills. He buys presents for the whole town and Lorna. However, Spank refuses to pay John his expected wages for the day. John meets Stickles again, who informs him that his treatment is normal for London. He gives five pounds to John, refusing to take a receipt from him, saying that he will try to get reimbursement from Spank later. John is overwhelmed by the trust shown by Mr. Stickles by refusing a receipt for the money.

Six days after leaving London, John makes it to a relative’s house on foot. His second cousin treats him kindly and swears to become involved with the papists because of the poor treatment John has received. John warns him off of doing so but is unable to explain why. He is given a horse to ride the rest of the way home. As he begins to recognize familiar landmarks and animals, John romanticizes his home. He has a tearful reunion with his family. He also distributes the gifts, except for Lorna’s, which he has kept next to his heart in the hopes that the proximity will somehow make her love him when he gives it to her.

The townsfolk are eager to welcome John back, asking for confirmation of the absurd rumors around his travels to London. He acknowledges that the simple joys and kindness of his own people are rarer than he had once thought and appreciates them more as a result of his journey. Having been so homesick, he believes that he will never take them for granted again. He considers telling his mother about Lorna, but he resolves not to bring up the grief of his father’s murder at the hands of the Doones unless Lorna returns his love, which he thinks is unlikely.

When John goes to the valley, he sees the signal that Lorna wants to see him. He meets with her, and she reveals she had given the signal two months earlier. Horrified that he was not present when she needed him, John accidentally lets out a sob, showing his distress. She takes him to her bower, and he asks if she loves him. Lorna responds that she likes him very much, but John presses her to answer whether she loves him desperately. She reiterates how much she cares for him, but she does not agree to the degree he asks for. She asks why she should love him so when he did not answer her call. John demands to know if she has married Carver Doone. Lorna explains that Counsellor has tried to force an official betrothal to the 35-year-old Carver. Fortunately, Sir Ensor put a stop to it since Lorna is only 17. John shows Lorna the present from London—a sapphire ring encircled by pearls—and places it on her finger. Lorna gives the ring back, kissing his forehead. She says that she will take it when she loves him back. Lorna refutes John’s assertions that he is not good enough for her and says that she will likely take the ring back from him soon.

Lorna has decided they must stay apart for two months, but John is assured of her safety by the signals they are using. The Ridd land is harvested, and they celebrate with ceremonies. John gives the lyrics to the Exmoor Harvest-Song. He considers that his father would have been proud to see the largest harvest they had ever had and goes to visit his tombstone.

John is surprised to see Annie at their father’s grave. When he asks why she is there, she cries. John realizes that Annie has been secretly seeing Tom Faggus. When John criticizes her choice, she points out that the Doones are no better. John is so startled that he runs back to the house. After a smoke, he returns to Annie, who is still crying at the grave. He determines that she does not know about Lorna specifically, but has deduced that he has been sneaking away to meet with a Doone.

Annie will not say whether she is engaged to Tom, but goads John into giving her Lorna’s name. The two agree to keep each other’s secrets and John promises not to hit Tom. Annie chides John for keeping the secret from her, as she could have helped in the courtship, but she assures John that Lorna must love him. She advises him not to stay away from her long.

Entering the party, John plans to practice flirting with Sally Snowe to improve his skills for Lorna. He sees Uncle Ben and meets his heiress, Ruth Huckaback. He thinks her to be a young girl, but she is actually 17. Mrs. Ridd insists on dancing, and John enjoys dancing with Ruth. He is surprised that his mother now seems to favor Ruth instead of Sally as a prospective daughter-in-law. Annie dances with Squire Marwood de Whichehalse, to John’s surprise. When he suggests that she should not be dancing with someone other than Tom, she points out that he is dancing with someone besides Lorna.