In which a new English boy, Bartholomiou Josselin, makes his peculiar and memorable entrance into a French boarding school, winning over both pupils and staff with his quiet charm and an unexpected white mouse. The narrative gently unfolds the everyday rigours and quaint customs of the institution, revealing a microcosm of youthful trials, friendships, and the smaller domestic details that paint a vivid picture of school life.

In which on a sweltering summer afternoon in 1847, a classroom at a Parisian institution hums with the bluster and fretfulness of boys enduring lessons in Latin and French under the watchful eyes of their masters, whilst the outside world drifts by through open windows scented with lime and lilac. Into this ordered scene breaks the arrival of a striking new English pupil, whose presence stirs a quiet sense of anticipation among the schoolboys and their teachers alike.

In which the narrator undertakes the noble and tender task of presenting a truthful and unvarnished portrait of an extraordinary man, whose gentle nature and boundless affection have left an indelible mark on those fortunate enough to know him. With the tenderness of lifelong devotion and the humility of a plain speaker, he prepares to recount a story woven closely with his own, seeking simply to honour a cherished friend’s memory with sincerity and love.