The Works of Robert Louis Stevenson - Swanston Edition, Vol. 08

In Short

This volume pairs a full-length medieval adventure novel with a psychological suspense story. The main work follows Richard Shelton, a young squire navigating the betrayal of his treacherous guardian during the Wars of the Roses. As he aligns with a outlawed brotherhood, he attempts to rescue his love from forced marriage while caught between political factions. The volume concludes with a short tale about a murderer who confronts a sinister presence in an antique shop, forcing him to reckon with his own moral nature. Together, these stories explore loyalty, conscience, and redemption.

The Story

Richard Shelton grows up as the ward of Sir Daniel Brackley, a ruthless knight who shifts his allegiance between York and Lancaster to enrich himself. When a shadowy outlaw group known as the Black Arrow targets Sir Daniel's circle, Dick begins to question his guardian's integrity. He discovers that Sir Daniel murdered his father to seize his lands, assisted by a disgraced priest, Sir Oliver.

Dick flees Sir Daniel's hold alongside Matcham, a runaway youth who is actually Joanna Sedley in disguise. Sir Daniel has abducted Joanna to force her into a lucrative marriage. As Dick and Joanna travel through the forest, they form a close bond before Sir Daniel recaptures her. Dick joins forces with Ellis Duckworth, leader of the Black Arrow, and vows to free Joanna and bring his father's killers to justice.

His quest takes him to the seaside town of Shoreby. Working with the Black Arrow outlaws, including the roguish Will Lawless, Dick infiltrates enemy strongholds, steals a ship called the Good Hope, and allies with Lord Foxham. His efforts are repeatedly thwarted by the shifting fortunes of the war and Sir Daniel's cunning maneuvers, which include arranging a new marriage for Joanna with the wealthy Lord Shoreby.

When Richard of Gloucester—the future Richard III—arrives with Yorkist forces, Dick joins the battle. After victory in the bloody sack of Shoreby, Gloucester knights Dick for his bravery and grants him troops to pursue his personal enemies. Dick rescues Joanna, but his triumph is tempered by the violence around him. When he finally corners Sir Daniel, Dick chooses mercy over vengeance and spares his former guardian's life, though an outlaw's black arrow kills the villain anyway. Dick marries Joanna and retires from the brutality of civil war.

The volume shifts to a dark antique shop on Christmas Eve. A man named Markheim arrives under the pretext of buying a gift, then brutally murders the shopkeeper to steal his money. As Markheim searches the silent house, a mysterious visitor appears. This shadowy presence knows Markheim's past and offers to help him evade the police by murdering the returning housemaid. Horrified by the realization of his downward moral path, Markheim rejects the visitor's counsel. Choosing self-sacrifice over further bloodshed, he surrenders to the maid when she arrives.

How It Unfolds

A warning on the wind Dick Shelton learns of the Black Arrow brotherhood through a mysterious shot fired into Sir Daniel's stronghold, exposing his guardian's dark history.

Flight through the fen Dick escapes into the forest alongside a disguise-wearing youth named Matcham, dodging both Sir Daniel's men and the outlaws who hunt them.

Infiltration and discovery Disguised as a friar, Dick sneaks into the Moat House to find Joanna, only to be discovered and forced to leap into the icy waters of the moat.

Battle on the coast Dick commands a band of outlaws in Shoreby, commandeering a vessel named the Good Hope in a perilous attempt to rescue Joanna from a forced marriage.

The tide of war Dick aligns himself with Richard of Gloucester, earning his knighthood in the bloody battle for Shoreby while tracking down Sir Daniel's forces.

Vengeance foresworn Having trapped his former guardian in the forest, Dick chooses to grant him mercy, though a hidden archer delivers the final fatal shot.

The shadow in the shop In a brief companion story, a murderer named Markheim slays a dealer, only to face a strange spectral visitor who forces him to confront his moral ruin.

The People

Dick Shelton wants to avenge his father's murder and protect the girl he loves. Standing in his way is his treacherous guardian, Sir Daniel, alongside the bloody chaos of civil war. Dick grows from a naive ward into an independent, merciful knight who rejects blind vengeance.

Joanna Sedley seeks to escape an arranged marriage and regain control of her own destiny. Held captive by ruthless political opportunists, she conceals her identity as a youth named Matcham and shows remarkable resilience throughout her capture and rescue.

Sir Daniel Brackley wants power, wealth, and land, switching political sides whenever it benefits him. His greed is hindered by the Black Arrow brotherhood and Dick's growing rebellion, remaining a cruel hypocrite until his violent end.

Markheim wants money to repair his ruined life, but his path is blocked by his own cowardice and self-deception. After murdering a shopkeeper, he transforms when he chooses moral accountability over another act of evil.

In Its Own Voice

"A black arrow, Master Dick, is the seal of our abbey; it showeth you who writ the bill."

The outlaw Lawless explains the sinister signature left behind by the brotherhood as he and Dick prepare to infiltrate their enemies in clerical disguise.

"If I be condemned to evil acts, there is still one door of freedom open--I can cease from action."

Faced with a spectral visitor urging him to commit another murder to save himself, Markheim resolves to break his cycle of crime through self-surrender.

What It's Really About

This book explores the corruption of authority and the cost of moral compromise during social turmoil. Through Dick Shelton's journey, it questions whether honor can survive in a world where leaders switch allegiances for personal gain and justice is enforced by outlaws. The narrative contrasts the senseless brutality of the Wars of the Roses with individual conscience, showing that true nobility lies in mercy rather than revenge. In its closing tale, the volume shifts this reflection to an internal stage, examining free will and redemption. It argues that no matter how far someone has fallen into evil, they retain the power to choose good through a single act of moral courage.

Why Read It Today

This volume appeals to readers who enjoy classic historical adventure and psychological suspense. Stevenson captures the tension of medieval warfare with vivid momentum, filling the pages with secret passages, forest ambush, naval clashes, and political intrigue. His depiction of Richard of Gloucester offers an intriguing, unvarnished portrait of ambition in action.

The prose contains archaic 15th-century dialogue ("y' are," "an ye love your life") and period slang that requires a brief period of adjustment. However, the story moves swiftly once the central conflicts take hold. The inclusion of the short masterpiece Markheim provides a striking contrast to the main novel, offering a concentrated dose of psychological horror that balances the atmospheric action of the larger work. What stays with the reader is Stevenson's refusal to present war as purely heroic, grounding the excitement in real human choices.