"He gave me a little tap very nicely upon my shoulder"

Frank Merrill

1893

Source: facing II, 244, Lorna Doone

Brown University Rockefeller Library copy

[For passage illustrated, see below]

"She pressed my hand with hers"

"In the name of God, Sir, let me go!"

"Fools you are; be fools for ever"

Scanned image and text by George P. Landow

[This image may be used without prior permission for any scholarly or educational purpose.]

What is thy chief ambition, lad?"

"Well," said I, after thinking a little, and meaning to make the most of it, for so the Queen's eyes conveyed to me; "my mother always used to think that having been schooled at Tiverton, with thirty marks a year to pay, I was worthy of a coat of arms. And that is what she longs for."

"A good lad! A very good lad," said the King, and he looked at the Queen, as if almost in joke; "but what is thy condition in life?"

"I am a freeholder," I answered, in my confusion, "ever since the time of King Alfred. A Ridd was with him in the isle of Athelney, and we hold our farm by gift from him; or at least people say so. We have had three very good harvests running, and might support a coat of arms; but for myself I want it not."

"Thou shalt have a coat, my lad," said the King, smiling at his own humour; "but it must be a large one to fit thee. And more than that shalt thou have, John Ridd, being of such loyal breed, and having done such service."

And while I wondered what he meant, he called to some of the people in waiting at the farther end of the room, and they brought him a little sword, such as Annie would skewer a turkey with. Then he signified to me to kneel, which I did (after dusting the board, for the sake of my best breeches), and then he gave me a little tap very nicely upon my shoulder, before I knew what he was up to; and said, "Arise, Sir John Ridd!"

This astonished and amazed me to such extent of loss of mind, that when I got up I looked about, and thought what the Snowes would think of it. And I said to the King, without forms of speech, —

"Sir, I am very much obliged. But what be I to do with it?" — Chapter 68

References

Blackmore, R. D. Lorna Doone. 2 vols. New York and Boston: Thomas V. Crowell, 1893.

Last modified 25 April 2006