their schemes for seeing her were manifold, each fearing
that one of the others would steal a march over himself. Not content
with calling, on every imaginable excuse, at the house of the relative
with whom she sojourned, they intercepted her in rides and in walks; and
if any one of them chanced to surprise another in the act of paying her
marked attentions, the encounter often ended in an altercation of great
violence. So heated and impassioned, indeed, would they become, that the
lady hardly felt herself safe in their company at such times,
notwithstanding that she was a brave and buxom damsel, not easily put
out, and with a daring spirit of humour in her composition, if not of
coquetry.

At one of these altercations, which had place in her relative's grounds,
and was unusually bitter, threatening to result in a duel, she found it
necessary to assert herself. Turning haughtily upon the pair of
disputants, she declared that whichever should be the first to break the
peace between them, no matter what the provocation, that man should never
be admitted to her presence again; and thus would she effectually
stultify the aggressor by making the promotion of a quarrel a distinct
bar to its object.

While the two knights were wearing rather a crest-fallen appearance at
her reprimand, the third, never far off, came upon the scene, and she
repeated her caveat to him also. Seeing, then, how great was the concern
of all at her peremptory mood, the lady's manner softened, and she said
with a roguish smile--

'Have patience, have patience, you foolish men! Only bide your time
quietly, and, in faith, I will marry you all in turn!'

They laughed heartily at this sally, all three together, as though they
were the best of friends; at which she blushed, and showed some
embarrassment, not having realized that her arch jest would have sounded
so strange when uttered. The meeting which resulted thus, however, had
its good effect in checking the bitterness of their rivalry; and they
repeated her speech to their relatives and acquaintance with a hilarious
frequency and publicity that the lady little divined, or she might have
blushed and felt more embarrassment still.

In the course of time the position resolved itself, and the beauteous
Lady Penelope (as she was called) made up her mind; her choice being the
eldest of the three knights, Sir George Drenghard, owner of the mansion
aforesaid, which thereupon became her home; and he