Weir of Hermiston by Robert Louis Stevenson. Short summary

5 seconds

Archie Weare, son of a judge, falls in love on the family estate with a girl named Kirsty. His friend seduces her, and Archie kills him. The judge must sentence Archie to death, but Kirstie’s brothers set him free.

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Stevenson’s unfinished novel. The action takes place in Scotland during the Napoleonic Wars.

The protagonist, Archie Weare, is the son of the local lord and both judge and executioner, according to traditional Scottish ways, Adam Weare. The latter regards Robert McQueen as his model. Archie criticizes his father, who banishes him to the family estate of Hermiston.

There, Archie falls in love with Kirsty, the housekeeper’s niece. This is where the novel ends, but Stevenson’s correspondence shows a sequel. Archie’s promiscuous friend, Frank Innes, seduces the girl. A quarrel ensues between him and Archie, and Archie kills his rival. But Kirsty’s brothers hold him responsible for his sister’s dishonor.

Archie’s father leads the investigation and faces a terrible choice — he must sentence his own son to death. Kirsty’s brothers discover the truth, break into the prison and free Archie. He and his beloved escape to America.