The Argosy, Vol. 5

This excerpt from "Anne Hereford" by the author of East Lynne (serialized in The Argosy, May 1, 1868) depicts domestic drama centered on the mysterious arrival of Edwin Barley as a new tenant near the Chandos estate. The protagonist Anne, living as a guest with the Chandos family, becomes anxious upon learning of his presence, fearing he has followed her there deliberately. When the tenant's identity is revealed to Lady and Mr. Chandos, both react with profound alarm—he is Edwin Barley of Hallam, a wealthy man from Anne's past. Meanwhile, a household crisis unfolds when Mrs. Freeman collapses during luncheon and departs that evening to her sister's home, accompanied by Lady Chandos's attendant Hill. The chapter concludes with tension and unspoken dread as the family dines in telling silence.