Captain Ralph Crewe, a wealthy English widower, enrolls his young daughter Sara, who had been living in India, at Miss Minchin's boarding school for girls in London, to prepare her for a life in high society. Crewe dotes on his daughter so much that he orders and pays the headmistress for special treatment and exceptional luxuries for Sara, such as a private room for her with a personal maid and a separate sitting room (see Parlour boarder), along with Sara's own private carriage and a pony.