Amy and Effy Tribble place an advertisement in the Morning Post and hire themselves out as chaperones to prepare difficult young misses for marriage, educating them in their School for Manners. Lovely, wealthy and well bred, Clarissa Vevian has been unable to find a suitable husband because of her terrible clumsiness. Her petite and fastidious mother has tried to mould Clarissa into a dainty miss to fit the fashion - but all her efforts are doomed to failure. And when Clarissa enters the Tribble sisters' home, they fear their reputation for matchmaking success may be destroyed - along with their carpets and furniture!