▁B ax by ▁by ▁the ▁colon el ▁The ▁Lady ▁Pen el ope ▁by ▁the ▁man ▁of ▁family ▁The ▁Duch ess ▁Of ▁Ham pt ons hire ▁by ▁the ▁quiet ▁gentleman ▁The ▁Hon ou rable ▁Laura ▁by ▁the ▁spark ▁ ▁Public ation ▁All ▁ten ▁stories ▁were ▁published ▁in ▁serial ▁mag az ines ▁before ▁Hard y ▁collected ▁them ▁into ▁book ▁form . ▁" The ▁Duch ess ▁of ▁Ham pt ons hire " ▁and ▁" The ▁Hon ou rable ▁Laura " ▁were ▁written ▁relatively ▁early ▁in ▁Hard y ' s ▁career , ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 8 ▁and ▁ 1 8 8 1 ▁respectively . ▁" The ▁First ▁Count ess ▁of ▁W esse x " ▁and ▁" The ▁Lady ▁Pen el ope " ▁were ▁written ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 - 8 9 . ▁Hard y ▁re vised ▁all ▁four ▁of ▁these ▁stories ▁significantly ▁before ▁adding ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁collection ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁The ▁remaining ▁six ▁stories ▁were ▁written ▁in ▁early ▁ 1 8 9 0 ▁and ▁published ▁in ▁bow d ler ised ▁form ▁in ▁a ▁special ▁Christmas ▁number ▁of ▁The ▁Graph ic ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 8 9 0 . ▁ ▁Hard y ▁collected ▁all ▁ten ▁stories ▁together ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁time ▁in ▁A ▁Group ▁of ▁No ble ▁D ames , ▁which ▁was ▁published ▁in ▁England ▁by ▁Os good , ▁Mc Il va ine , ▁& ▁Co . ▁and ▁in ▁America ▁by ▁Har per ▁& ▁Brothers ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 1 . ▁The ▁critical ▁reception ▁of ▁the ▁book ▁was