The Argosy, Vol. 43

Lady Grace by Mrs. Henry Wood (author of East Lynne) continues in Chapter VII with the Dean and Lady Grace Baumgarten awaiting dinner guests at their Berkeley Square residence. The Dean, now fifty, harbors grave financial troubles stemming from Lady Grace's aristocratic tastes and expensive London lifestyle, which exceed his clerical income. Their son Cyras, who rejected entering the Church despite his father's wishes, fled to New Zealand three years ago as a common sailor to avoid burdening the family. He has since returned, flourishing as a clerk at a Wellington shipping firm.

During dinner, Cyras recounts visiting relatives while family friend and surgeon Brice discusses a learned gathering at Sir William Chant's house. The three men attend this medical discussion. Returning past midnight, they encounter a house fire erupting in a side street, which prompts them to investigate the commotion—the passage concludes as action begins around the blaze.