The Argosy, Vol. 51

The Fate of the Hara Diamond (Chapter V–VI)

This serial installment, author unnamed, follows Janet Hope's recovery after accidentally falling into a river. Rescued by young George Strickland, Janet awakens at Rose Cottage, home of his uncle Major Strickland. The Major is puzzled by Janet's striking resemblance to someone from his past—someone he knew years ago and presumed dead. Janet reveals she is an orphan who has spent her life at Park Hill Seminary; her parents are deceased, her father drowned abroad and mother dead a year later.

The narrative establishes the cottage's modest economy and the Major's practical resourcefulness. George, an orphan himself raised by his uncle, takes Janet boating on the river and shows her a ruined haunted house with a murderous history. Their conversation suggests growing rapport. The excerpt ends as they prepare to return Janet to Deepley Walls. The story emphasizes romantic mystery and family secrets.