R.D. Blackmore: Lorna Doone (unabridged)
Read by Jonathan Keeble
- Release Date: 1st Nov 2010
- Catalogue No: NAB36112
- Label: Naxos AudioBooks
- Series: Complete Classics
- Length: 25 hours 48 minutes
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R. D. Blackmore: Lorna Doone (Unabridged)
- Recording Venue: Motivation Sound Studios, London
Chapter 1: Elements of Education
'Other customs, no less worthy…'
Chapter 2: An Important Item
The other little chaps pointed at me…
By this time the question of fighting was gone…
Then up to me came Robin Snell…
Chapter 3: The War-Path of The Doones
It is the manner of all good boys to be careless of apparel…
Now, up to the end of Dulverton town…
John Fry was bowing forward with sleep…
We rode very carefully down our side…
It touched me so to see that child…
Chapter 4: A Very Rash Visit
Fourteen cots my mother counted…
'This matter must be seen to…'
The square man with the long grey beard…
Chapter 5: An Illegal Settlement
And here let me, as a solid man…
For not to mention the strength of the place…
Chapter 6: Necessary Practice
Now in the depth of the winter month…
There was still some daylight here and there…
Chapter 7: Hard it is to Climb
But now, although my sister Annie…
'Or if your loach should not be abroad…'
I found it strongly over-woven…
Therefore, seeing hard strife before me…
Chapter 8: A Boy and a Girl
Here was I, a yeoman's boy…
'Come with me down the waterfall…'
Presently one of the great rough men…
Chapter 9: There is no Place Like Home
How I clomb up…
Nevertheless, I worked hard at the gun…
But all this is beyond the children…
Chapter 10: A Brave Rescue and a Rough Ride
For a moment I could not help laughing…
He looked at me with a dry little whistle…
Something of this occurred to him…
Chapter 11: Tom Deserves His Supper
But before he was truly gone….
Tom Faggus was a jovial soul…
Chapter 12: A Man Justly Popular
And in sooth it did seem, for a while…
Now I feel that of those boyish days…
Some folk, who had wiser attended to their own affairs…
One old man who lived at Lynmouth…
Chapter 13: Master Huckaback Comes in
Now when I came in…
I followed the track on the side of the hill…
Yet here again I was disappointed…
'He shall marry Ruth,' he said by-and-by…
Chapter 14: A Motion Which Ends in a Mull
Here mother fetched out her handkerchief…
Chapter 15: Quo Warranto?
Uncle Reuben made his very best scrape…
I forget how we came out of it…
To return now to my Uncle Ben…
The chine of highland, whereon we stood…
Chapter 16: Lorna Growing Formidable
While I was forgetting much of many things…
She knew me at once, from my manner…
Chapter 17: John is Bewitched
The spring being now too forward…
Now this I have not told…
Mother Melldrum had two houses…
Chapter 18: Witchery Leads to Witchcraft
Being so ashamed and bashful…
Chapter 19: Another Dangerous Interview
This was very pleasant to me…
'It is nothing done by you, Master Ridd,' she answered…
Chapter 20: Lorna Begins her Story
'It does not happen many times that I give way…'
'By your face, Master Ridd…'
'Gwenny took me for an Angel…'
Chapter 21: Lorna Ends Her Story
'Upon hearing this I looked at him…'
'Cousin, have no fear,' he said…
'This minded me of my grandfather…'
Chapter 22: A Long Spring Month
Though young Squire Marwood was so thirsty…
However, I am too easy, there is no doubt…
So we were compelled to go down the field…
Chapter 23: A Royal Invitation
The next afternoon, when work was over…
He touched me with the white thing…
Now though my mother was so willing…
Chapter 23: A Safe Pass for King's Messenger
Now be that matter as you please…
The only things that pleased me much…
'Having no knowledge of these great men…'
Chapter 25: A Great Man Attends to Business
With this I was hasting away from him…
I thanked him for his good advice…
'John Ridd,' said the Lord Chief Justice…
Chapter 26: John is Drained and Cast Aside
Saying these words rather slowly…
Here the Lord Justice gave me such a glare…
Anyhow, it was a reason of much grief…
Chapter 27: Home Again at Last
But bless your heart, and my own as well…
Chapter 28: John has Hope of Lorna
While yet we dread for the coming event…
Many birds came twittering round me…
'Darling, do you love me?' was all that I could say…
But recovering comfort quickly…
Chapter 29: Reaping Leads to Revelling
Then Parson Bowden read some verses…
'Latt me dowun, or I can’t tell 'e,' John answered…
Exmoor Harvest-Song
Chapter 30: Annie Gets the Best of It
At this I was so thunderstruck…
'Can your love do a collop, John?'
'She loves you with all her heart, John…'
'Do you know how old she is, you numskull?'
Chapter 31: John Fry's Errand
Now many people may wish to know…
But when I came home in the evening…
'But though we were dashed to the ground…'
John knew that the man who was riding…
Of this horrible quagmire…
Chapter 32: Feeding of the Pigs
By this time, the harvest being done…
Now let no one suppose for a minute…
Sore trouble had I to keep close quarters…
While I was wondering how my chance…
Chapter 33: An Early Morning Call
She made for awhile as if she dreamed…
Chapter 34: Two Negatives Make an Affirmative
'Oh, John, dear John, you won't tell her…'
Now, while we sat on the garden bench…
Chapter 35: Ruth is Not Like Lorna
She turned, and by her side…
After this, for another month…
She looked at me in such a manner…
Chapter 36: John Returns to Business
'Things are changed since you were in town…'
So for the present a breach was made…
Chapter 37: A Very Desperate Venture
But the cleverest of their devices…
And then, like a giddy fool as I was…
Warm with this idea, I hurried after…
Meanwhile he had done me the kindest service…
However, it was only Gwenny Carfax…
Chapter 38: A Good Turn for Jeremy
One day Squire Faggus had dropped in upon us…
All by the hedge ran a little stream…
At that I drew my breath again…
'We shall see him better in there,' said Carver…
Chapter 39: A Troubled State and a Foolish Joke
Now - to reduce high figures of speech…
'Thou art the staunchest of all staunch Tories,' cried Stickles…
There is nothing England hates so much…
We always liked John's stories…
'Putt thee pot on the fire, old 'ooman…'
Then a waving of hats began…
Chapter 40: Two Fools Together
However, no impatience of mine…
Therefore, with great misgiving of myself…
I could not look at him very nicely…
Therefore it came to pass, that we saw fit…
Chapter 41: Cold Comfort
Darling Lorna wept again…
After all was over, I strode across the moors…
It struck me, as I lay in bed…
Chapter 42: The Great Winter
Further in, and close under the bank…
This terrible weather kept Tom Faggus…
She looked a little disappointed…
All this our mother was to us…
Chapter 43: Not Too Soon
Taking nothing by this movement…
Some creatures require a deal of food…
'Come to this frozen window, John…'
Chapter 44: Brought Home at Last
'Oh, John, here is the most wonderful thing!'
It was no time to linger now…
Dear mother's hands were quick…
Chapter 45: A Change Long Needed
But to come back to Lorna again…
And soon the dappled softening sky…
Then the horses in the stables…
Chapter 46: Squire Faggus Makes Some Lucky Hits
It was now high time to work very hard…
Being such a hand as he was…
Against this I had not a word to say…
'Come, come,' said Master Faggus…
Chapter 47: Jeremy in Danger
'Do you think it is worth five pounds now?'
We said no more about the necklace…
It appears that as he was riding…
The three villains came after him…
Chapter 48: Every Man Must Defend Himself
Knowing how fiercely the floods…
While she leaned there…
'There you are again, John,' mother would reply…
We sent all the women to bed quite early…
Chapter 49: Maiden Sentinels Are Best
The robbers rode into our yard…
We gained six very good horses…
Master Stickles's view of the matter…
Chapter 50: A Merry Meeting and a Sad One
As for Parson Bowden…
Now one of the little ways in which Ruth…
Now Ruth as yet had never heard a word…
Uncle Reuben did not come home…
'Do you remember how we danced that night?'
Chapter 51: A Visit from the Counsellor
'Now though I have quoted the poets…'
'What fact do you mean, sir? Is it one that I ought to know?'
This long speech was too much for her…
Chapter 52: The Way to Make the Cream Rise
'Hurt it!' cried the Counsellor…
'John,' cried my mother, 'you are mad!'
Jeremy Stickles laughed heartily…
Chapter 53: Jeremy Finds Out Something
'Watchett town was not to be seen…'
'With many grimaces she assured me…'
'My lady dwelled for six months more…'
'What followed Benita knew not…'
Chapter 54: Mutual Discomforture
This he said in a way so dry…
However, he had better hopes…
The culverins were laid on bark…
At last we heard the loud bang-bang…
'Got the worst of it!' cried the boy…
Chapter 55: Getting Into Chancery
And perhaps he was punished justly…
These two very worthy fellows…
Lorna was in her favourite place…
'Mistress Lorna,' I replied…
Chapter 56: John Becomes Too Popular
She drew herself up with an air of pride…
Lizzie sat on a log of wood, and listened…
And then, as her beauty grew richer and brighter…
Now I only set down that to show…
This, however, proved otherwise…
Chapter 57: Lorna Knows Her Nurse
As for their outlawry, great robberies…
In this way the Squire got over us…
Uncle Reuben was not at home…
At last he moved his eyes from mine…
Master Huckaback showed no especial signs…
'But if there be, as there is in my case-'
Chapter 58: Master Huckaback's Secret
They say that, in the ancient times…
The wizard thought, but could quote no one…
'You were altogether wrong,' I answered.
'You are wrong,' I replied…
Then I took two more of the weightiest hammers…
Chapter 59: Lorna Gone Away
'It must be our Gwenny's father,' she cried…
'The scoundrel must have lied to you,' I answered…
However, after three days of this…
Now this story is too well known…
'Darling Lizzie, how good you are!'
Chapter 60: Annie Luckier Than John
Yet why should this wench dare to judge…
'Would I sit in a chair that was not my own?'
Being sped of my grumbling thus…
Chapter 61: Therefore he Seeks Comfort
She pulled up her sleeve in the simplest manner…
I could not stay very long…
Now, through the whole of that long walk…
Chapter 62: The King Must Not be Prayed For
Now when the service was over…
Now riding sadly homewards, in the sunset…
Nevertheless, in our part, things went on as usual…
For the next fortnight we were daily troubled…
In the courtyard I saw a little cart…
Chapter 63: John is Worsted by the Women
'Now, John, you must start the first thing in the morning,' she said…
Considering that Lorna was gone…
However, there would arise more chance…
Chapter 64: Slaughter in the Marshes
Now there is nothing like vanity…
At last, when I almost despaired of escaping…
I arose in haste, and there stood Winnie…
Chapter 65: Falling Among Lambs
'Well,' thought I, as I looked at Kickums…
Thanking God for my deliverance…
While this fight was going on….
At the sound and sight of that bitter stroke…
Chapter 66: Suitable Devotion
Now this good Lord Churchill…
Therefore I left her also…
'Tell me nothing of the kind,' I replied…
She entered modestly and shyly…
Chapter 67: Lorna Still Is Lorna
Although she spoke in this lightsome manner…
'Go and get your letters, John,' said Lorna…
This I said so humbly, and not with any bitterness…
Chapter 68: John is John no Longer
Lorna was greatly pleased with the goose…
The other way in which I managed to help…
Not to be too long over it…
In the morning, these two men…
'I have seen thee before, young man' he said…
Chapter 69: Not to be Put Up With
Beginning to be short of money…
Lorna cried when I came away…
Mistress Margery Badcock…
By evil luck, this child began to squeal…
Chapter 70: Compelled to Volunteer
It may have been three of the afternoon…
As he turned away in sorrow…
We arranged that all our men should come…
Now whether it were Uncle Ben…
Chapter 71: A Long Account Settled
'The signal, my lads,' I cried…
Seeing how few there were of them…
Chapter 72: The Counsellor and the Carver
Now this was not as it ought to be…
However, although I loved the poor child…
'Oh, for God's sake, John…'
Now Simon, having met these flowers…
Chapter 73: How to Get Out of Chancery
In the morning Lorna was ready to tell her story…
Thereupon, our Lorna managed so to hold…
Chapter 74: Blood Upon the Alter
Dear mother arranged all the ins and outs…
With my vicious horse at a furious speed…
'Ensie, dear,' I said quite gently…
Chapter 75: Give Away the Grandeur
Tenfold, ay and a thousandfold…
All this was a lesson to me.
I was surprised to see Ruth excited…
Little more have I to tell.
