The story follows a circle of adolescent pupils at a boarding school who, left without their headmistress and with the English teacher indisposed, occupy an afternoon with coffee and gossip. A stylish young gentleman arrives seeking the headmistress, provoking hospitable attentions, flirtatious speculation, and comic misunderstandings among the girls and the housekeeper. Episodes focus on manners, romantic fancy, and social posturing, rendered in light, episodic scenes that emphasize characterization, playful irony, and gentle satire of adolescent affectations, often accompanied by illustrative interludes.