The Argosy, Vol. XXXVI

Winifred Power, August 188[?] This serial installment (Chapter XXII, "Mrs. Hatherley's Revenge") depicts a dramatic nocturnal discovery in the library of Sir John Hatherley's estate. Mrs. Hatherley catches her niece-by-marriage, Lady Gertrude, searching a bureau and seizes a mysterious receipt mentioning "Richard Dallas" and a Psalter, accusing Gertrude of theft. Mark Hatherley intervenes, locking away the evidence and dismissing the confrontation. Meanwhile, catastrophic news arrives: the Aztec Mine Company has collapsed fraudulently, and Sir John suffers a paralytic seizure. Mark discovers his father's financial deception was deliberate and systematic—Sir John maintained his social standing through elaborate fraud, including passing paste diamonds as genuine gems. Gertrude, learning of the fraud, generously surrenders her actual jewelry to offset his debts. Household gossip spreads, with servants and society figures like Mrs. Burton turning against Gertrude while elevating Mrs. Hatherley in public esteem.