Henry James's unabashed look at the workings of the human heart, and the greed and malice which can pull it apart in a tale that still resonates today. A young couple, deeply in love but penniless, embarks upon a scheme to become rich by seducing a wealthy heiress who is terminally ill. But the plans they hatched have run awry, and in ways that they could never have foreseen. Introduction by Brenda Wineapple.