The Argosy, Vol. 62

About this issue

The Argosy, November 1886 contains "The Mistress of Brae Farm" by Rosa Nouchette Carey, serialized in Chapter XLVI-XLVII. Lorraine, a physically weakened woman recently separated from her beloved, arrives by train to Black Nest, a Welsh estate owned by the formidable elderly Miss Bretherton. The property sits dramatically on a crag overlooking a foaming stream and snow-capped mountains. After an exhausting journey, Lorraine is settled into comfortable quarters by the attentive servant Pritchard. Miss Bretherton, eccentric and sharp-tongued but ultimately kind-hearted, reveals her intention to keep Lorraine as a permanent guest and close companion. The narrative details the Gothic atmosphere of the dark oak-paneled house, Miss Bretherton's menagerie of white cats, and explores themes of grief, isolation, and female companionship in a remote Welsh setting.