Carver came out from behind some bushes and ran to the edge
of the waterfall. He stood within a few feet of where I was hiding.
'Have I killed you, Charlie?' he shouted. 'This is the third
time that I've shot at you.'
He went away laughing, and I laughed too — silently. I felt sure
that one day I would fight Carver Doone and win Lorna from him.
That evening, our servant, Betty, made strange signs to me,
then came and whispered in my ear, 'Lorna Doone'. I quickly
followed her out of the house.
When we got outside she said, 'I have a message for you from
Lorna Doone. Her servant brought it. Lorna can't meet you in
the evenings. Go to the valley in the morning.'
Of course, I was up the next morning before the October
sunrise. I climbed up into the valley while the first light of
morning was coming over the hills. Winter was near, and the
trees and bushes were touched with red and gold. At last I stood
at the top of the rock. I looked up the valley and saw Lorna. She
looked glad to see me, and this made me happy.
'At last you've come, John!' she cried. 'They've kept me
prisoner in my house every evening.'
I followed her into her hiding-place in the rocks. Lorna started
to speak of the difficulties and dangers of her life, but I said softly,
'That isn't what I want to hear.'
'What do you mean?' she said, pretending not to understand
me.
'Do you love me?' I asked.
'I love you,' she said. 'But how does that help us ? My life is
too dangerous. We can never marry. It can never happen - never.'
I went home that day feeling happy and sad. When I got
home, I found Tom Faggus there; he had come to tell my mother
that he wanted to marry Annie.
That same day, I told my mother about Lorna. She understood
and accepted my feelings, and that made me very happy.