The Argosy, Vol. XXIII

Gabriel's Appointment This serial installment, Chapter XIII of an ongoing narrative, follows Joel and Martin's arrival at a London Mission-house to rejoin their employer Gabriel Bruce, who has been recuperating from an assault in a railway carriage. The mysterious attack—possibly motivated by a hammered metal object Bruce wears on a chain—appears orchestrated by multiple assailants rather than a single criminal. The chapter interweaves domestic and criminal threads: Lucy, a kitchen helper, encounters the courteous Joel and develops an immediate attraction; meanwhile, Grace, Lucy's sister, harbors a secret visitor—a man named "Darch" (possibly "Jones") who claims he needs to remain hidden while establishing his innocence regarding a house fire, though he solicits Grace's assistance with unnamed plans. Grace urges him toward reform through the clergyman Mr. Forrest. The chapter closes with Darch observing the Mission-house, contemplating an associate's failed attempt on Bruce.