The Black Robe
'The Black Robe ' Summary
Romayne returns to his Yorkshire home, called Vange Abbey. Even in his own home, the Frenchman's younger brother's awful cries follow him. He finally leaves for London, to visit his old friend Lord Loring, who is the patriarch of a well-heeled Catholic family. While there, he meets Stella Eyrecourt, who falls in love with him. A Catholic priest named Father Benwell, who serves as a spiritual leader for the Lorings, determines that he will convert Romayne to the church, employing the services of young priest, Arthur Penrose, to this end. This is all done in an attempt to bring Romayne's family home, Vange, back to the church, who owned it before Romayne's family.
Romayne, who is still haunted by the duel, sends Major Hynd to enquire about the family of the man he killed in hopes of assisting them monetarily. Additionally, he confides in Penrose who becomes a true friend to Romayne, despite his presumed ulterior motives.
Father Benwell employs various tactics to undermine Romayne's marriage to Stella, finally culminating in the revelation of Stella's prior bigamous marriage to Bernard Winterfield. Winterfield had fallen in love with Stella and married her while erroneously believing that his wife from a previous marriage was dead.
Eventually, Romayne is promoted to an ecclesiastical post in Paris. However, knowing that he is dying, Romayne finally decides to see Stella and his son. Father Benwell brings Romayne's lawyer to his deathbed, trying to confirm the validity of the will in an attempt to ensure the church inherits Vange. But as he dies, Romayne acknowledges he loves his wife and child, and has the will destroyed. This causes Vange and the entire inheritance to pass to his family, foiling Benwell's plans.
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1881Author
Wilkie Collins
London
William Wilkie Collins was an English novelist and playwright known for The Woman in White (1859), and for The Moonstone (1868), which has been called the first modern English detective novel. B...
More on Wilkie CollinsDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books
The Case of the Lamp That Went Out by Auguste Groner
"Joseph Muller: Detective - Being the Account of Some Adventures in the Professional Experience of a Member of the Imperial Austrian Police." The body...
Linda Tressel by Anthony Trollope
It is a timeless classic that takes readers on a compelling journey through the challenges faced by its eponymous heroine. Published in 1867 Set in th...
The Professor by Charlotte Brontë
The Professor, A Tale. was the first novel by Charlotte Brontë. It was written before Jane Eyre, but was rejected by many publishing houses. It was ev...
Over the Hills and Far Away: A Story of New Zealand by Charlotte Evans
A young woman leaves her home in England to start a new life in New Zealand, but she soon finds that the journey is more than she bargained for. Syno...
The Ghost Girl by Henry Kitchell Webster
The frozen body of a young woman is found in the river. But she is not just any young woman. She is the spitting image of a girl who died years ago, a...
The Hundredth Chance by Ethel M. Dell
It tells the story of a young woman's journey to find love and redemption. First published in 1917, the book explores themes of family, forgiveness, a...
Jan Of The Windmill by Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing
"Jan Of The Windmill" by Juliana Horatia Gatty Ewing is a timeless classic that transports readers to a world of rustic charm and heartwarming tales....
The Way of an Eagle by Ethel M. Dell
Muriel Roscoe has come to India to live with her father, a general. When the fort where they are staying comes under attack, General Roscoe charges th...
Daddy-Long-Legs by Jean Webster
Daddy-Long-Legs is a 1912 epistolary novel by the American writer Jean Webster. It follows the protagonist, Jerusha "Judy" Abbott, as she leaves an or...
Poor Miss Finch by Wilkie Collins
Poor Miss Finch is a novel about a young blind woman who temporarily regains her sight while finding herself in a romantic triangle with two brothers.
Reviews for The Black Robe
No reviews posted or approved, yet...