At thirty-five Claire de Castel-Sombre has come to terms with being a governess, and has a pride all her own. She is currently with the Wargrave family in London. One day the Wargraves' cousin Charles, who is often with them, notices Mademoiselle for the first time as a person. Soon he is thinking of her constantly, though when he finally "speaks", things do not go as planned.
British publishing information
Periodical: Cornhill Magazine Nov - Dec 1889
First edition: William Blackwood and Sons (collected in A Widow's Tale) 1898
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