Lorna Doone

John describes the attacks in more detail. Simon Carfax meets with the Doones where they had once murdered a kindly old squire. He uses the water into which the murdered man had been thrown to douse the Doones’s gunpowder. The men surround them, and only Carver Doone escapes the attack. Upon seeing his house burning, he swears vengeance and escapes.

In the battle, John sees the Counsellor coming out of Gwenny’s door. He begs for John’s protection. John agrees under the condition that he tell who truly killed his father and give him back Lorna’s necklace. He admits that Carver killed John’s father and claims that he has the necklace, too. John doesn’t believe him and grabs the necklace out from under his shirt. He begs for mercy—and the necklace—after trying to stab John, claiming that he’s particularly fond of one of the diamonds. John cuts out the diamond and gives it to the Counsellor.

Everyone wants a share of the loot taken from Doone Glen. John decides that after making up for some recent and proven losses, the money will go to the Chancery. In addition to ending the squabbling, this pleases the Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys, who had recently been promoted after he executed 500 men without trial, 90% of whom John believes were innocent. In addition, the law cannot condemn the siege of Doone Glen after accepting the profits from the attack. The women taken by the Doones go home to their parents, husbands, or sweethearts where possible and, failing that, elsewhere to the cities or the colonies. However, Carver Doone’s son stays with John. In the end, 40 Doones were killed at the cost of 16 lives.

Earl Brandir dies, and Lord Chief Justice Jeffreys, eager for her money, agrees to give Lorna permission to marry John Ridd if she could obtain the king’s consent. The king agrees under the condition that Lorna pay a fine and spend some of her money promoting Catholicism. Lorna returns to Plover’s Barrow, eager to finally marry John. Mrs. Ridd’s mental faculties are declining, which John considers to be a result of grief regarding the loss of her husband, which John’s own impending marriage reminds her of. Lorna announces that she intends to give her property to her next of kin and live simply like any other farmer’s wife. Mrs. Ridd considers the idea foolish as the future is uncertain and money may come in handy.

John and Lorna are excited for their upcoming marriage, but both have a sense of foreboding. John is distracted from his work by these concerns but does not consider himself of elevated rank despite his new title. People are so interested in the wedding that they come from miles around, and the parson charges a fee to attend. After saying their vows, John leans in to kiss Lorna, only to find her falling in his arms, shot and ostensibly dead. John is stunned and confused, but he soon turns to revenge, knowing that only Carver Doone would have done it.

John mounts his horse and chases after Carver, unarmed and unsaddled, insistent that one of them will die that day. John catches up to Carver and sees that he has his son, Ensie, on the horse and that Ensie is crying out for John. He rips off a tree limb and follows Carver through the ravines towards Wizard’s Slough. Realizing he cannot escape, Carver turns his horse around, fires a pistol at John, and rides towards him. John is hit, but he turns his horse to block the way and smacks the other horse with the tree limb. Carver and the horse fall, and John sends Ensie to go pick flowers, preparing to fight Carver rather than pressing his advantage and killing him while he lies on the ground.

Carver can’t find his weapons and arrogantly tells John that he will not harm him and since he has mostly paid for his “impertinence.” John strikes him in the mouth and waits for Carver to attack in earnest. John begins to set up for a wrestling match with pity, allowing Carver the first strike, which further injures his rib where he has been shot. John fights back and rips out the muscle of Carver’s arm. He says that he has defeated him and to acknowledge that and go, but they realize that they have wandered into the black bog during the fight. John is able to leap back and escape the bog, but Carver sinks into it and drowns.

When Ensie returns, John briefly wonders if Carver’s son will grow up to be as evil as he was, but Ensie soon dispels that idea by saying how glad he is “that nasty naughty man is gone away” and pleads for John to take him home (545). Injured and exhausted, John rides home with Ensie. He demands to see Lorna and die alongside her, but Ruth insists that she is not yet dead, but may die from seeing him so injured. While Lorna recovers before he does, he believes that she is dead, and his loved ones are merely lying to him. The doctors bleed him until Ruth insists that they are doing him more harm than good. She professes that she will save him as she saved Lorna, but he still does not believe that Lorna lives. She says she will get Lorna to show him, and John thinks that Ruth is beautiful. Lorna arrives, and her presence revives John. He and Lorna live happy but simple lives, as Lorna gives away much of her fortune.

Tom Faggus’s pardon is revoked due to his part in the rebellion. He has several near misses with the law and is even reportedly hanged, but he has sued for a new pardon under the new king and succeeded, living a quiet life and raising his children to be honest. Eliza marries the now Captain Bloxham, and Stickles is promoted. Ensie goes to school under the name of “Ensie Jones” to prevent prejudice against the Doone name, and John Ridd buys him a commission to become an officer in the army when he grows up. Uncle Ben dies and bequeaths John some money. The mine dries up, and only makes up for its costs, but the rest of the fortune goes to Ruth Huckaback, who remains unmarried. John knows of a man worthy of her, and he hopes to dance at her wedding. John and Lorna live happily, and she becomes more and more beautiful. On the rare occasion when he wants to cause her sadness and turn to him for comfort, he calls her “Lorna Doone”.