The Argosy, Vol. 5

This is Chapter VII of "Anne Hereford," by the author of "East Lynne," serialized in The Argosy (March 2, 1868). The chapter, titled "Emily Chandos," follows fifteen-year-old narrator Miss Hereford as she embarks from London for a French finishing school. On the steamer, she meets Miss Emily Chandos, an elegant, confident seventeen-year-old returning to Mademoiselle Barlieu's establishment after a two-year stay. Chandos is traveling with English governess Miss Johnstone. During the crossing, a French gentleman, Monsieur Alfred de Mellissie (friend of Chandos's mother), boards and greets Chandos warmly, walking with her at the French port while others handle customs. Upon arrival, Chandos loses a velvet mantle and faces questioning from Mademoiselle Annette Barlieu about her interaction with de Mellissie, which she dismisses as innocent courtesy. The governess disapproves of the promenade, warning propriety matters.