The Argosy, Vol. 21

# Edina by Mrs. Henry Wood

This chapter from Wood's serial novel continues the romantic and social complications in Trennach. Young surgeon Frank Raynor secretly sends money to the impoverished Mrs. Bell to compensate for her missing husband Josiah, whose disappearance weeks earlier has left the family destitute. Meanwhile, at the Mount estate, family dynamics shift as Mrs. St. Clare discovers a romantic attachment developing between her younger daughter Daisy and Frank Raynor. Her elder daughter Lydia, jealously opposed to the match on social grounds, urges intervention. However, Mrs. St. Clare adopts a pragmatic stance, noting that Daisy has "drifted deep" into love and that Frank, despite his modest profession, is the heir to Eagles' Nest and a gentleman. She resolves to let the matter proceed, philosophizing that marriage prospects are scarce and eligible girls often remain unchosen. The narrative balances financial hardship, family scheming, and emerging romance within provincial society.