Agnes Or The Art 0f Friendship

Agnes and Louisa are friends. When they were at school Agnes protected Louisa from the snobbery of their fellow pupils; now they are grown up, Louisa wants to shield Agnes from the worst effects of poverty. But at twenty-three life is more complicated than it was when they were children. How much should one give? How much can the other take? And can childhood friendship survive the vicissitudes of adult life?It is nearly Michaelmas and Louisa’s mother, beginning to despair of finding her daughter a suitable husband, fills their large house with eligible gentlemen. Agnes, meanwhile, has taken up residence in a cottage on the estate with a widow to whom she has recently become companion. The two parties mingle with unexpected and sometimes not altogether happy results.