The Argosy, Vol. IX, March 1, 1870

BESSY RANE This issue contains the opening installment of "Bessy Rane" by the author of "East Lynne," serialized as Part the First. Chapter VII finds Sir Nash Bohun and his son James departing Dallory Hall after attending a funeral. Mr. North, the master of house, grieves the loss of his eldest son Edmund while remaining isolated and melancholic. He finds solace only in cultivating his elaborate spring flower garden—hyacinths, daffodils, primroses, and tulips—despite his wife Madam's demands he abandon it. Financial pressures plague him invisibly; Madam constantly demands money while the household maintains a facade of wealth. The narrative also notes his dissolute younger son Sidney's troubled demeanor. When the Bohun party departs, Matilda North petulantly demands permission to visit their Kent estate, frustrated her mother refuses the invitation.