Produced by Al Haines. [Illustration: Cover art] [Illustration: LADY PENELOPE BRADING Who had ideas of her own] Lady Penelope By Morley Roberts _Author of_ "Rachel Marr," "The Promotion of the Admiral," etc. _Illustrated by_ Arthur William Brown L. C. Page & Company _Boston_ _Mdccccv_ _Copyright, 1904, 1903_ BY L. C. PAGE & COMPANY (INCORPORATED) _All rights reserved_ Published February, 1905 _COLONIAL PRESS Electrotyped and Printed by C. H. Simonds & Co. Boston, Mass., U.S.A._ *LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS* LADY PENELOPE BRADING . . . . . . . . . _Frontispiece_ Who had ideas of her own. CAPTAIN PLANTAGENET GOBY, V.C., LATE OF THE GUARDS Who was ordered to read poetry. LEOPOLD NORFOLK GORDON Some said his real name was Isaac Levi. AUSTIN DE VERE He wrote poetry, and abhorred bulldogs and motor-cars. THE MARQUIS DE RIVAULX Anti-Semite to his manicured finger-tips. RUFUS Q. PLANT Born in Virginia. CARTERET WILLIAMS, WAR CORRESPONDENT He wrote with a red picturesqueness which was horribly attractive. JIMMY CAREW, A.R.A. He was the best looking of the whole "horde" THE EARL OF PULBOROUGH Clever; but indolent. *LADY PENELOPE* *CHAPTER I.* All the absurd birthday celebrations were over, and Penelope was twenty-one. She declared that her whole life was to be devoted to reform. She meant to reform society, to make it good and useful and straightforward, and simple and utterly delightful.