MUCH ADO
ABOUT PETER
BY JEAN WEBSTER
AUTHOR OF
DADDY LONG-LEGS,
DEAR ENEMY, Etc.
NEW YORK
GROSSET & DUNLAP
PUBLISHERS
Made in the United States of America
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, INCLUDING THAT OF TRANSLATION
INTO FOREIGN LANGUAGES, INCLUDING THE SCANDINAVIAN
COPYRIGHT, 1905, BY THE S. S. McCLURE COMPANY
COPYRIGHT, 1907, BY THE CROWELL PUBLISHING COMPANY
COPYRIGHT, 1908, BY THE PHILLIPS PUBLISHING COMPANY
COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY HAMPTON'S BROADWAY MAGAZINE
COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY DOUBLEDAY, PAGE & COMPANY
PUBLISHED, MARCH, 1909
" ... PLUNGED INTO A RECKLESS FLIRTATION WITH
MARY, THE CHAMBERMAID"
CONTENTS
| CHAPTER | PAGE | |
| I. | Gervie Zame, Gervie Door | 3 |
| II. | The Ruffled Frock | 33 |
| III. | Their Innocent Diversions | 57 |
| IV. | Dignity and the Elephant | 81 |
| V. | The Rise of Vittorio | 113 |
| VI. | Held for Ransom | 139 |
| VII. | George Washington's Understudy | 175 |
| VIII. | A Usurped Prerogative | 209 |
| IX. | Mrs. Carter as Fate | 243 |
| X. | A Parable for Husbands | 281 |
GERVIE ZAME, GERVIE DOOR
Much Ado About Peter
I GERVIE ZAME, GERVIE DOOR
Peter and Billy, the two upper grooms at Willowbrook, were polishing thesides of the tall mail phaeton with chamois-skin rubbers and whistling,each a different tune, as they worked. So intent were they upon thismusical controversy that they were not aware of Mrs. Carter's approachuntil her shadow darkened the carriage-house doorway. She gathered upher skirts in both hands and gingerly stepped inside. Peter had beenswa