Ellen Wood ; edited with an introduction and notes by Elisabeth Jay
New York :
Oxford University Press,
2005
l, 644 p. ;
20 cm
Oxford world's classics
Includes bibliographical references
"This book looks at the anxieties of the Victorian middle classes who feared a breakdown of the social order as divorce became more readily available and promiscuity threatened the sanctity of the family. In this novel the simple act of hiring a governess raises the spectres of murder, disguise, and adultery"--Provided by publisher