The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-01-10

if, indeed, to bear out his name), and tn,
Lady Penelope was left alone as mistress
of his house. By this time she had appa
rently quit, forgotten her careless declara-
tion to her lovers collectively; but the lovers
themselves had not forgotten it, and as she
would now be free to take second one oi
them, Sir John Gale appeared at her dool
as early in her widowhood as it was proper
and seemly to do so.
She gave him little encouragement; fo1
of the two remaining, her best beloved was
Sir William, of whom, if the truth must
be told, she had often thought during her
short married life But he had not yet
reappeared. Her heart began to be so
much with him now, that she contrived to
convey to him by indirect hints through
his friends that she would not be displeased
by a renewal of his former attentions. Sir
William, however, Inexperienced her
gentle signalling, and from excellent, though
mistaken, motives of delicacy, delayed to
intrude himself upon her for long time
Meanwhile Sir John, now created baro-
net, was unremitting, and she began to
grow somewhat piqued at the backward
ness of him she secretly desired to be for
ward
"Never mind" her friends said jestingly
to her, knowing of her humorous remark,
as everybody did, that she would marry
them all three if they would have patience
"Never mind; why hesitate upon the order
of them? Take 'em as they come"
This vexed her still more, and regretting
deeply, as she had often done, that such
careless speech should ever have passed
her lips, she fairly broke down under Sir
Johns importantly and accepted his hand.
They were married on fine spring morn
ing, about the very time at which the un-
fortunate Sir William discovered her pre-
ference for him, and was beginning to
hasten home from foreign court to de-
clare his unaltered devotion to her. On
his arrival in England he learned the sad
truth
IF Sir William suffered at her precipi-
fancy under what she had deemed his ne
glect, the Lady Penelope herself suffered
more. She bad not long been the wife of
Sir John Gale before he showed DISPOSE
tion to retaliate upon her for the trouble
and delay she had put him to ia winning
her. With increasing frequency he would
tell her that, as far as he could perceive,
she was an article not worth such labor as
he had bestowed in obtaining it, and such
snubbings as he had taken from his rivals
on the same account. These and other
cruel things he repeated till he made the
lady weep sorely, and well-nigh broke her
spirit, though she had formerly been such
mettlesome dame. By degrees it became
perceptible to all her friends that her life
was very unhappy one; and the fate of
the fair woman seemed yet the harder in
that it was her own stately mansion, left
to her sole use by her first husband, which
her second had entered into and was en-
jOying, his being but mean and meagre
thing.
But such is the fippancy of friends that
when she net them and secretly confded
her grief to their ears they would say,
cheerily 'Never aind; there's third to
come yet" at which maladroit remark she
would show much indigRation and tell
them they should know better than to trife
on such solemn theme. Yetthat the poor
lady would have been only too happy to be
the wife of the third instead of Sir dahp,
whom she had taken, was painfully obyi-
Gus, and much she was blamed for her fool
ish choice by some people, Sir William,
however, had returned to foreign cities on
learning the news of her marriage, and had
never been heard of since.
Two or three years of suffering were
passed by Lady Penelope as the despised
and chidden wife of this man Sir John,
amid regrets that she had so greatly mis-
taken him, and sighs for one whom she
thought never to see again; till it CHANGED
that her husband fell sick of some slight
ailment. One day after this, when she was
sitting in his room looking from the win
dow upon the expanse in front, she beheld
approaching the house on foot form she
seemed to know we'll Lady Penelope
Withdrew silently from the sick room and
descended to the hall, whence, through the
doorway, she saw entering between the two
round towers which at that time hanked
the gateway Sir William Hervey, as she had
surmised, but looking thin and travel-worn.
She advanced into the court yard to meet
him.
81 was passing thr ough Casterbridge,"
he said, with faltering Difference, tand 1
walked out to ask after your ladyship's
health. felt that 1 could do no less; and,
of course, to pay my respects to your good
husband, my heretofore acquaintance
But o, Penelope, th'st look sick
and sorryf'
II am heartsick, that's all, " said she.
They could see in each other an emotion
which neither wished to express, and they
stood thus long time with tears in their
eyes.
"He does not treat 'ee well, hear, said
Sir William in a low voice. 'sMay God in
Heaven forgive him; but it is asking a
great DEAL
"Hush, hushr' said she hastily.
=