
audiobook
Transcriber’s Note:
In a polished boarding school of 1880s Toronto, a proud socialite arrives with two very different daughters. Arabella, a refinement‑obsessed debutante, is earmarked for a curriculum of French, music, painting and polite conversation, while her humble cousin Mildred is consigned to the rigorous basics of spelling, arithmetic and pedagogy. Madame Duvant, the exacting headmistress, balances the students’ ambitions against the school’s reputation, setting the stage for a clash of expectations that ripples through the cloistered halls.
As the term begins, the girls navigate a world of silk ribbons, stern teachers and a looming, crumbling college across the grounds, where whispers of mischief and hardship linger. Their contrasting paths—one toward glittering society, the other toward practical mastery—invite listeners to explore themes of privilege, education, and the quiet strength found in perseverance. The story unfolds with wit and heart, offering a vivid portrait of Victorian‑era schooling and the choices that shape young lives.
Language
en
Duration
~1 hours (77K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
Canada: J. Ross Robertson, 1881.
Credits
Richard Tonsing and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from images made available by the HathiTrust Digital Library.)
Release date
2023-07-03
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1825–1907
A hugely popular 19th-century novelist, she wrote emotional, fast-moving stories that won a vast readership in her own lifetime. Though less famous now, her books were once among the best-selling American novels of the era.
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