The Ballad and the Source is a novel by Rosamond Lehmann, first published in 1944 by Collins in the UK. Set in Edwardian England, the book deals with the relationship between Rebecca, a young girl, and Sibyl Jardine, a complicated and domineering elderly woman. No. 1 on The New York Times Fiction best seller list for 3 weeks, from the issue of April 29, 1945. Wiki link