Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images available at The Internet Archive) THE STORY OF A GOVERNESS BY MRS. M. O. W. OLIPHANT AUTHOR OF “A ROSE IN JUNE,” “SQUIRE ARDEN,” “VICTORIAN AGE OF ENGLISH LITERATURE,” ETC. NEW YORK R. F. FENNO & COMPANY 9 AND 11 EAST 16TH STREET COPYRIGHT, 1891 R. F. FENNO & COMPANY _The Story of a Governess_ THE STORY OF A GOVERNESS. CHAPTER I. Janet Summerhayes did not start in life with the feelings usually attributed to the young governess when beginning what is certainly a very thankless trade, with about as little prospect of continued prosperity as any in the world. Many representations of that sad and resigned young heroine have appeared before the world. We all know the appearance of the slight girl in deep mourning shyly coming into a strange house and a new world, shrinking alike from kindness and neglect; feeling that she is likely to be shut out there from everything that is agreeable, expecting humiliation, and, if not ready to take offence, at least quite aware that nobody is likely to take her feelings into consideration, or think that she is made of young flesh and blood like the others. There are many excuses for this frame of mind, and in many cases the worst prognostics are carried out. But I am very glad to say that this was not at all the idea with which the subject of this story prepared to go forth upon the world.