r husband being a
pleasant man, and his family, though not so noble, of as good repute as
her own, all things seemed to show that she had reckoned wisely in
honouring him with her preference.

But what may lie behind the still and silent veil of the future none can
foretell. In the course of a few months the husband of her choice died
of his convivialities (as if, indeed, to bear out his name), and the Lady
Penelope was left alone as mistress of his house. By this time she had
apparently quite forgotten her careless declaration to her lovers
collectively; but the lovers themselves had not forgotten it; and, as she
would now be free to take a second one of them, Sir John Gale appeared at
her door as early in her widowhood as it was proper and seemly to do so.

She gave him little encouragement; for, 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, misapprehended her gentle signalling, and from
excellent, though mistaken motives of delicacy, delayed to intrude
himself upon her for a long time. Meanwhile Sir John, now created a
baronet, was unremitting, and she began to grow somewhat piqued at the
backwardness of him she secretly desired to be forward.

'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 a careless speech should ever have passed her lips, she fairly
broke down under Sir John's importunity, and accepted his hand. They
were married on a fine spring morning, about the very time at which the
unfortunate Sir William discovered her preference for him, and was
beginning to hasten home from a foreign court to declare his unaltered
devotion to her. On his arrival in England he learnt the sad truth.

If Sir William suffered at her precipitancy under what she had deemed his
neglect, the Lady Penelope herself suffered more. She had not long been
the wife of Sir John Gale before he showed a disposition to r