THE PORTRAIT OF A LADY [Vol II only]

1881. In Three Volumes [sic]. London: Macmillan and Co., 1881. Original dark blue-green cloth lettered in gilt and stamped in black.

First Edition of the middle volume of this three-decker novel, often considered James's greatest work. Edel & Laurence and Blanck (BAL) both indicate that all 750 copies of the first impression (dated 1881) of Vol II have blank leaf R8 at the end; Supino more recently says that the first impression lacks this leaf, and that the 1882 second impression retains it. In this Vol II (dated 1881, and in the primary binding), not only is R8 present, it is in fact still unopened along the fore-edge with leaf R7. This is a bright, near-fine copy (one bumped fore-corner, a barely-visible hairline crack at the top of the rear joint, minor cracking of the original dark brown endpapers); unlike most copies that surface today, there is NO evidence of a lending library label on the front cover. It is sad that this volume has gone missing from its mates -- especially as the complete three-decker, in this condition, would easily command a price of $25,000. Supino 16.1.0/16.2.0; E&L A16a; Blanck 10553.