The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-03-18
Mor,.y Robrrt,,s I.ady Penelope.


Morley ROberts's Lady Penelope,
Morley Roberts, Lady Penelope IL. c.
Page 4 Coz Is extravaganza, pure ana
simple. but Of such bright and sparkling
brand that Il compels tolerance for the one
fault which mars it, diverting charm
the undue prolongation Of some OF lie comic
opera episodes.
The Lady Penelope Brading il a mar
Sellously equipped heroine. She has youth
and beauty and originality. She has houses
and lands. racing motors for escape, rat
riddled, moat guarded castles for refuge
purchased by her American mother, VINO
collected such things and died unhappy
because she couldn't buy Haddon Hall and
Arundel Castle. The Lady Penelope has
no sense Of humor to impede her man1uVres
and too dominant ideas TO govern her con-
duot-a violent aversion TO the fuss and
fumrnerv Of the fashionable wedding and
an ardent desire to reform the universe
The Lady Penelope has also eight lovers
tried and true, and she decides to begin her
work OF reformation in them by pair ing
them OF two by two in the way she thinks
will do them the most good. The French
man, who Is anti-Semitc and was mixed
no in the Dreyfus case, she persuades to
dine in public with the Jew broker. all
for the love Of her. Rufus Q, Plant from
Virginia, who fondly thinks he has an
English accent, but hates all noblemen'
she pairs with the English peer (gradu-
ate Of BalioD, who Ia sure he hasn't any
accent at all and dislikss Americans more
than getting up in the morning. She yokes
up the war correspondent with the artist
and sends them OF to the National Gallery
to study the Turner's and see how near
the sublime can come to the ridiculous
to consider the Whistlers and learn how
near the ridiculous can come 20 the sublime.
The dreamy poet and the Victoria Cross
Captain are put through their PAGES to-
eether. The Captain reads Browning.
The poet buys bulldogs and retrievers that
howl at night. The Lady Penelope In her
Joy at seeing her good work succeeding
announces that she will carry out her other
idea by marrying one OF the double quar-
tet in secret. Her aunt the Duchess, who
weighs sixteen stone and Is named Titania.
is Mortified. Bob, her young cousin, who
may be called the real hero Of the story,
SINCE he does more than any one else TO
accelerate the action and precipitate the
crisis, Is delighted. The story gets into
the newspapers aAd Is called THE Lady
Penelope's Handicap
Presently the Lady Penelope announces
that she is married. Each lover according
10 his solemn oath denies all part in the trans
action. The newspapers say she is married
to her groom. The Duchess insists that
she isn't married at all. Bob encourages
the lovers impaTtially and takes tips and
luncheons with equal grace from them all.
The Lady Penelope absents herself for days
and weeks at a time. going away always
in her huge yellow motor racer. Finally
she disappears altogether for some months.
Gossip dies out. The lovers are sure abe
IL not married, and they redouble their
efforts at self-improvement. Then the
Duchess calls gathering OF the clans.
The lovers all arrive, expecting to find
the Lady Penelope Brading. The Lady
Penelope does not come. The Times does
oome-as II always does in English novels
at breakfast. The first announcement
reads-"The Lady Penelope Brading, on
the 18th, Of a SON. The Duchess is borne
away in a dead faint. The lovers swear
softly under their breath and then 60 out
and tramp down the flower beds. One Of
them turns very red and then CHASTITY
pale and loses ell interest In his break
fast, Tut no one notices him. But they
are loyal English gentlemen, every one.
whst Rufus Q. Plant calls white men,
The Lady Penelope must be married that lie
certain. Before night each one Of the
eight has oonhded TO the Duchess that He
Is the man and is responsible for the an
nouncement In the Times. By the time the
eighth man has shouldered the RESPONSE
bility Of the announcement the Duchess Ia
in screaming Mysteries and the doctor Ia
sent for. The newspapers got hold Of il
and said that Penelope had married the
Rajah Of Jugpore and that the baby was
black. How the matter was finally adjusted
TO everybody's satisfaction-how the Bishop
was dragged into the pursuit Of Penelope
by Bob, and, not enjoying Bob's style OF
motor driving, was left In a lane miles from
anywhere to say q little combination
seryice' OF his own with a special clause
for motors not in the book Of Common
Prayer-whether the baby was white or
black-and who was really responsible for
the announcement in the Ti,nes-al may
be read In the book, where Il il set forth in
an entertaining and diverting manner.