
The Wings of the Dove, Volume 1
by Henry James
'The Wings of the Dove, Volume 1' Summary
Kate Croy and Merton Densher are two betrothed Londoners who desperately want to marry but have very little money. Kate is constantly put upon by family troubles, and is now living with her domineering aunt, Maud Lowder. Into their world comes Milly Theale, an enormously rich young American woman who had previously met and fallen in love with Densher, although she has never revealed her feelings. Her travelling companion and confidante, Mrs. Stringham, is an old friend of Maud. Kate and Aunt Maud welcome Milly to London, and the American heiress enjoys great social success.
With Kate as a companion, Milly goes to see an eminent physician, Sir Luke Strett, because she worries that she is suffering from an incurable disease. The doctor is noncommittal but Milly fears the worst. Kate suspects that Milly is deathly ill. After the trip to America where he had met Milly, Densher returns to find the heiress in London. Kate wants Densher to pay as much attention as possible to Milly, though at first he doesn't quite know why. Kate has been careful to conceal from Milly (and everybody else) that she and Densher are engaged.
With the threat of serious illness hanging over her, Milly decides to travel to Venice with Mrs. Stringham. Aunt Maud, Kate and Densher follow her. At a party Milly gives in her Venice palazzo (the older Palazzo Barbaro, called "Palazzo Leporelli" in the novel), Kate finally reveals her complete plan to Densher: he is to marry Milly so that, after her presumably soon-to-occur death, he will inherit the money they can marry on. Densher had suspected this was Kate's idea, and he demands that she consummate their affair before he will go along with her plan.
Aunt Maud and Kate return to London while Densher remains with Milly. Unfortunately, the dying girl learns from a former suitor of Kate's about the plot to get her money. She withdraws from Densher and her condition deteriorates. Densher sees her one last time before he leaves for London, where he eventually receives news of Milly's death. Milly does leave him a large amount of money despite everything. But Densher does not accept the money, and he will not marry Kate unless she also refuses the bequest. Conversely, if Kate chooses the money instead of him, Densher offers to make the bequest over to her in full. The lovers part on the novel's final page with a cryptic exclamation from Kate: "We shall never be again as we were!"
Book Details
Language
EnglishOriginal Language
EnglishPublished In
1902Authors

Henry James
America, Britain
Henry James was born in New York City on April 15, 1843, into a wealthy and intellectually stimulating family. His father, Henry James Sr., was a Swedenborgian philosopher and his mother, Mary Roberts...
Books by Henry JamesDownload eBooks
Listen/Download Audiobook
- Select Speed
Related books

Comédie Humaine: Le Père Goriot by Honoré de Balzac
Le Père Goriot est un roman d’Honoré de Balzac, écrit en 1834, dont la publication débute dans la Revue de Paris et qui paraît en 1835 en librairie. I...

Doctor Izard by Anna Katharine Green
A brilliant doctor is found dead in his office, but there is no sign of forced entry or struggle. What happened to Doctor Izard? Anna Katharine Green...

The Heptameron of the Tales of Margaret, Queen of Navarre, Volume 1 by Marguerite of Navarre
Embark on a captivating journey through love, loss, and redemption in Marguerite of Navarre's timeless classic, The Heptameron. Unveiling the Secrets...

Bessie's Fortune by Mary Jane Holmes
This Book is a captivating tale set in the quaint town of Brookside. Within its idyllic streets, a web of secrets and scandals awaits, promising to un...

Fate of Fenella by Various
Fate of Fenella is a unique and captivating novel told through the perspectives of 24 different authors. The story follows Fenella, a beautiful and st...

Filibusterismo (The Reign of Greed) by José Rizal
El Filibusterismo, a sequel to Noli Me Tangere, plunges readers into the tumultuous Philippines under Spanish rule. The novel paints a stark picture o...

The Bishop's Secret by Fergus Hume
This is an enthralling mystery novel that transports readers to the late 19th century, where secrets and deceptions lurk beneath the pious veneer of s...

長生殿 (The Palace of Eternal Life, Abridged) by Sheng 昇 Hong 洪
The Palace of Eternal Life is a classic Chinese play that tells the tragic love story of Emperor Tang Xuanzong and his beloved concubine, Yang Guifei....

Captain Antifer by Jules Verne
The imagination with a captivating tale of treasure, treachery, and the unrelenting pursuit of a legendary fortune. Set sail on an extraordinary journ...

Green Rust by Edgar Wallace
A millionaire's death sets off a chain of events, leaving his niece, Oliva Cresswell, entangled in a web of secrets and danger. As she navigates her n...
Reviews for The Wings of the Dove, Volume 1
No reviews posted or approved, yet...