Chapter I: Front Matter

DARIEL

NOVELS BY MR R. D. BLACKMORE.

THE MAID OF SKER. Cheap Edition. Small crown 8vo, 3s. 6d. WITH
FRONTISPIECE. Large crown 8vo, 6s.

WM. BLACKWOOD & SONS, EDINBURGH AND LONDON.

LORNA DOONE: A ROMANCE OF EXMOOR. Illustrated _Edition de Luxe_,
crown 4to, parchment, 35s.; cloth, 31s. 6d. and 21s. New and
Cheaper Edition, 7s. 6d. Library Edition, cloth, 6s. Also in cloth,
with Photogravure Portrait of the Author, crown 8vo, cloth, 2s.
6d.; and limited Edition at 6d.

SPRINGHAVEN: A TALE OF THE GREAT WAR. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.
Illustrated Edition, 7s. 6d.

MARY ANERLEY: A YORKSHIRE TALE. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.

ALICE LORRAINE: A TALE OF THE SOUTH DOWNS. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.

CHRISTOWELL: A DARTMOOR TALE. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.

CLARA VAUGHAN. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.

THE REMARKABLE HISTORY OF SIR THOMAS UPMORE, BART., M.P. Crown 8vo,
2s. 6d.

EREMA; OR, MY FATHER'S SIN. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.

CRADOCK NOWELL: A TALE OF THE NEW FOREST. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.

CRIPPS THE CARRIER: A WOODLAND TALE. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.

KIT AND KITTY: A STORY OF WEST MIDDLESEX. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.

PERLYCROSS: A TALE OF THE WESTERN HILLS. Crown 8vo, 2s. 6d.

TALES FROM THE TELLING HOUSE. Crown 8vo, 5s.

LONDON: SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON & COMPANY, LIMITED St Dunstan's House, Fetter Lane, E.C.

DARIEL

A Romance of Surrey

BY

R. D. BLACKMORE

AUTHOR OF "LORNA DOONE"

WITH DRAWINGS BY CHRIS HAMMOND

WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONS

EDINBURGH AND LONDON

1897

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE
I A NIGHTINGALE 1

II THE FAMILY 9

III TOM ERRICKER 16

IV MR. STONEMAN 26

V TICKNOR'S MEW 39

VI TRUE HYGIENE 54

VII KUBAN 63

VIII THROUGH THE CORN 74

IX STRANGE SENSATIONS 89

X UPON THE GROUND 94

XI SÛR IMAR 102

XII IN THE BACKGROUND 109

XIII SMILES AND TEARS 119

XIV THE RUBY CROSS 132

XV SISTER _v._ SWEETHEART 143

XVI INTERNATIONAL ELEMENTS 149

XVII PEPPERCORNS 158

XVIII A LOVEBIRD 170

XIX TO CLEAR THE WAY 181

XX NOT FOR SALE 188

XXI VOICES OF THE VALLEY 192

XXII IMAR'S TALE--WAR 197

XXIII IMAR'S TALE--LOVE 208

XXIV IMAR'S TALE--PEACE 220

XXV IMAR'S TALE--CRIME 227

XXVI IMAR'S TALE--REVENGE 232

XXVII IMAR'S TALE--EXILE 241

XXVIII SANGUINE STILL 244

XXIX LARGE AND LONG VIEWS 252

XXX IN THE QUIET PLACES 261

XXXI PIT-A-PAT 266

XXXII A PAINFUL DUTY 276

XXXIII TREMBLING 282

XXXIV REJOICING 292

XXXV A RACE OF PLATERS 302

XXXVI GONE, GONE, GONE 313

XXXVII LOVERS MAKE MOAN 321

XXXVIII BLACK FRIDAY 334

XXXIX FRANGI, NON FLECTI 344

XL TWAIN MORE THAN TWIN 352

XLI A CROOKED BILLET 363

XLII FAREWELL, SMILER 373

XLIII THE LAND OF MEDEA 382

XLIV THE LAND OF PROMETHEUS 390

XLV AMONG THE GEMS 399

XLVI QUEEN MARVA 409

XLVII WOLF'S MEAT 420

XLVIII USI, THE SVÂN 427

XLIX THE EYE OF GOD 433

L TWO OLD FRIENDS 441

LI THE ROOT OF EVIL 448

LII STILL IN THE DARK 455

LIII A RUTHLESS SCHEME 464

LIV THE VALLEY OF RETRIBUTION 472

LV AT THE BAR 481

LVI HARD IS THE FIGHT 488

LVII BUT NOT IN VAIN 492

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

"BETWEEN WHOSE JAGGED MULLIONS FLOWED THE SILVERY LIGHT"; _Frontispiece_

"'ALLOW ME ONE MOMENT,' I SAID"; _Facing page_ 70

"SPRAWLING IN THE YELLOW STUBBLE"; 90

"WHY, IT MUST AT LEAST BE A PRINCESS"; 146

"HER SWEET, KIND FACE AS WHITE AS A SHROUD"; 168

"SHE TURNED AWAY HER FACE"; 218

"AT THE DOOR SHE TURNED, WITH A PROUD AND CALM FAREWELL TO ME"; 238

"WHAT LITTLE THERE IS, IS ENTIRELY A GENUINE ARTICLE"; 274

"SÛR IMAR RECEIVED US WITH A LOVING SMILE"; 300

"A WOMAN OF GREAT SUBSTANCE RUSHED UP AND CAUGHT HER"; 308

"'ROT!' I REPLIED, WITH LESS ELEGANCE THAN TERSENESS"; 340

"'I TELL YOU WHAT,' HE SAID, TURNING ROUND AND LOOKING AT ME WITH AUTHORITY"; 378

"GAZED AT THE CAPTAIN TILL HE SCARCE KNEW WHERE HE WAS"; 416

"'YES, I SEE,' HE ANSWERED SOFTLY"; 504

DARIEL: A ROMANCE OF SURREY