The Argosy, Vol. 51

The Fate of the Hara Diamond (serial, author unnamed)

Chapter XVIII-XIX: Janet accepts a position as companion to the aristocratic Lady Chillington at Deepley Walls estate, earning thirty guineas yearly—a liberation from dependency. Her duties include midnight visits to the "Black Room," where Sir John Chillington's unburied corpse remains in a coffin, maintained per his twenty-year will requirement. This arrangement preserves the estate for Lady Chillington rather than passing it to a distant cousin, Sir Mark. Janet overcomes initial dread to perform the candle-lighting ritual alone. Chapter XIX shifts to romance: Major Strickland invites Janet to his villa, the Lindens, where she meets his elderly French aunt Félicité. Janet grows disappointed at Captain George's absence, discovering unexpected romantic feelings she despises in herself. The Major, now secretary of the Horticultural Society and prize rose grower, escorts her through his gardens.