In this introductory section—note that James does not call it a prologue—we are given just the bare essentials of the story. It will be left for the manuscript, that is, the governess, to tell the main story. The only outside or objective facts we have in the entire narrative come from this section. But at the same time, we must be aware that these come from Douglas, who is accused of having been in love with the governess, and thus his view may be colored.
