The School Queens: Large Print By L. T. Meade Cicely Cardew and her sister Merry were twins. At the time when this story opens they were between fifteen and sixteen years of age. They were bright, amiable, pretty young girls, who had never wanted for any pleasure or luxury during their lives. Their home was a happy one. Their parents were affectionate and lived solely for them. They were the only children, and were treated-as only children often are-with a considerable amount of attention. They were surrounded by all the appliances of wealth. They had ponies to ride and carriages to drive in, and each had her own luxurious and beautifully furnished bedroom. It was Mr. Cardew's wish that his daughters should be educated at home. In consequence they were not sent to any school, but had daily masters and governesses to instruct them in the usual curriculum of knowledge. It might be truly said that for them the sun always shone, and that they were carefully guarded from the east wind. They were naturally bright and amiable. They had their share of good looks, without being quite beautiful. They had not the slightest knowledge of what the world meant, of what sorrow meant, or pain. They were brought up in such a sheltered way that it seemed to them that there were no storms in life. They were not discontented, for no one ever breathed the word in their presence. Their requests were reasonable, for they knew of no very big things to ask for. Even their books were carefully selected for them, and their amusements were of a mild and orderly character. Such were the girls when this story opens on a bright day towards the end of a certain July. Their home was called Meredith Manor, and Merry was called after an old ancestor on their mother's side to whom the house had at one time belonged. We are delighted to publish this classic book as part of our extensive Classic Library collection. Many of the books in our collection have been out of print for decades, and therefore have not been accessible to the general public. The aim of our publishing program is to facilitate rapid access to this vast reservoir of literature, and our view is that this is a significant literary work, which deserves to be brought back into print after many decades. The contents of the vast majority of titles in the Classic Library have been scanned from the original works. To ensure a high quality product, each title has been meticulously hand curated by our staff. Our philosophy has been guided by a desire to provide the reader with a book that is as close as possible to ownership of the original work. We hope that you will enjoy this wonderful classic work, and that for you it becomes an enriching experience.

L.T.ミードはヴィクトリア朝の少女の内面を繊細に描く名手です。本作の魅力は、黄金の鳥籠のような邸宅で育った双子の姉妹が、未知なる世界の予兆に触れる瞬間の静謐な緊張感にあります。著者は、富に守られた無垢な日常を、いずれ訪れる人生の嵐を際立たせるための舞台装置として見事に構築しており、その筆致は極めて格調高く流麗です。 姉妹の絆を軸に、特権的な純真さが現実という磨石にかけられ、真の強さへと昇華していく過程は圧巻です。無垢な少女時代との決別と成長を描く本作は、単なる教育小説の枠を超え、現代を生きる私たちの心にも「自己の確立」という深い問いを投げかけてくる、文学的芳香に満ちた珠玉の逸品といえるでしょう。