The Argosy, Vol. 55

This June 1893 Argosy installment of the serial "Mr. Warrenne: Medical Practitioner" (Chapters XIX–XX) follows Florence Reynolds, a vain young woman navigating social humiliation at a ball hosted by Lady Jane Lockwood. Florence learns from Captain Le Grange that her father has married Mrs. Lyle, a widow with two children, while in Calcutta—news she had avoided hearing all day. Her carefully laid plans to secure advantageous marriage prospects crumble; she faints from the shock. Mr. Courtenay assists her discreetly. Mrs. Creswick, Florence's aunt, arrives to cushion the blow and travels with her to Erlsmede estate the next day. There Florence meets her new stepmother, the young and pretty Mrs. Reynolds, and her stepsiblingsPersonal conflict emerges as Florence struggles between resentment and her developing reliance on her aunt's steady sympathy. The narrative emphasizes Florence's character—determined, artificial, but capable of genuine feeling when confronted with loss.