This e-Book is drawn from the Library of America’s Henry James: Complete Stories 1884–1891, one of five volumes collecting the complete stories of Henry James. This story was first published in Scribner’s Magazine, June, July–September 1888. Its first English book publication was in A London Life, The Patagonia, The Liar, Mrs. Temperly (London and New York: Macmillan, 1889).

This e-Book presents the text of the printing chosen for inclusion here but does not attempt to reproduce features of their typographic design. Spelling, punctuation, and capitalization often are expressive features, and they are not altered, even when inconsistent or irregular. The following is a list of typographical errors corrected, cited by page and line number: 455.2, this she; 520.25, heattempted.

Notes

In the notes below, the reference numbers denote page and line of the print edition (the line count includes titles and headings). No note is made for material included in standard desk-reference books such as Webster’s Collegiate, Biographical, and Geographical dictionaries. Quotations from Shakespeare are keyed to The Riverside Shakespeare, ed. G. Blakemore Evans (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1974). For further background than is provided in the notes, see Henry James Letters, ed. Leon Edel (Cambridge: The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, Vol. I—1843–1875 [1974]; Vol. II—1875–1883 [1975]; Vol III—1883–1895 [1980]; Vol. IV—1895–1916 [1984]) and The Complete Notebooks of Henry James, ed. Leon Edel and Lyall H. Powers (New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1987).

442.2 larmoyer] Weep.

442.12 c’est de naissance] It’s inborn.

443.26 Nous verrons cela] We’ll see to that.

445.17 Ce n’est pas pour vous blesser] I don’t want to upset you.

445.40 pour me renseigner] To inform myself.

459.17 cabotin] Graceless; boorish.

459.32 ces dames] These women.

478.4 Lecky] W.E.H. Lecky (1838–1903), Irish historian, author of History of Rationalism in Europe (1865) and History of European Morals from Augustus to Charlemagne (1869).

488.18 Mr. John Timbs] Prolific popular writer (1801–75) of such works as Things Not Generally Known, Familiarly Explained (1857), Hints for the Table (1859), School Days of Eminent Men (1864), English Eccentricities and Eccentrics (1866), and Clubs and Club Life in London (1872).

492.2 imprévu] Unforeseen.

512.19–20 Meyerbeer’s Huguenots] Les Huguenots, by Gustave Meyerbeer, first performed at the Paris Opera in 1836.

526.19 Voyons un peu!] Let me see.

528.29 Vous faisiez votre cour] You paid court to her.

538.6 éclaircissement] Exposure.

540.22 the ‘Bradshaw’] Railroad schedule.