The Argosy, Vol. 35

About this issue

This serial novel (Chapter VII, March 1883) follows Winifred Power, a talented painter living in Paris with her uncle Mr. Russell and his wife. Once a wealthy family, the Russells have experienced financial decline through inheritance complications, banking failures, and personal betrayals. Winifred supports the household through her artwork while maintaining her characteristic generosity toward the unfortunate. The chapter centers on a crisis: Richard Dallas, half-brother of Winifred's volatile friend Gertrude, has been dismissed from his position as sub-curator at a provincial museum. Valuable Syracusan coins have gone missing—likely long before—but Richard is scapegoated due to his status as a half-foreigner and personal animosity from his superior. Gertrude arrives distraught, demanding action. Winifred's mother, the widowed Mrs. Chandos-Fane (now living with them), remains indifferent, preoccupied with aesthetic pursuits and her Angora kitten. The episode explores tensions between Gertrude's passionate frustration with her limited circumstances and Winifred's pragmatic resolve.