The Argosy, Vol. 65

Colonel Fane's Secret (Chapter XVI: "A Friend in Need"), by Sydney Hockes, continues a serial narrative centered on Miss Vera Fane, a woman in severe distress following troubled events in Dublin. The chapter introduces Mr. Francis Bates, F.R.S., a wealthy London scientist of nearly forty who lives in Gloucester Terrace with his widowed, invalid sister. Bates encounters Vera by chance on the icy Broad Walk in Regent's Park; after catching her from a fall, she confides her desperate need for employment. Learning of her plight, Bates perceives an opportunity: his sister seeks a governess for her six-year-old son, Frank, a willful child. Bates discovers Vera living in abject poverty in humble Hampstead Road lodgings, undernourished and friendless. He arranges an interview between Vera and his sister, offering her the position as Frank's tutor—a development that brings Vera unexpected relief and hope after her suffering.