The Argosy, Vol. 45

Catalog Note "The Story of Charles Strange" by Mrs. Henry Wood (author of *East Lynne*) is a serialized domestic drama appearing in this April 1888 issue. Chapter X, "The House at Marshdale," depicts Lady Blanche Level's unexpected arrival at her husband's remote country estate by train. Finding Lord Level ill in bed with a fever from a riding accident, Blanche insists on discussing pressing personal matters despite his weakened state. The tension between them escalates when she refuses his demand that she return to London, declaring she will no longer be treated as a child. Her agitation precipitates a fever crisis in Lord Level, prompting the attending physician, Dr. Macferraty, to warn her against exciting the patient further. The narrative emphasizes domestic conflict, family secrets, and the complications of the couple's estrangement, with Blanche having recently returned from Germany without his permission.