The Portrait of a Lady
Macmillan’s Magazine
XLII (Oct. 1880): 401-427;
XLIII (Nov. 1880-Apr. 1881): 1-27; 81-106; 161-189; 249-272; 329-356; 409-432;
XLIV (May-Oct. 1881): 1-26; 81-106; 171-198; 241-267; 321-341; 401-420;
XLV (Nov. 1881): 1-19.
The Portrait of a Lady first appeared as serialized installments in Macmillan’s Magazine, running from October 1880 until November 1881. Prior publication in Great Britain was essential in order for James to retain his English copyright. Serialization in the Atlantic Monthly followed after a one-month delay (November 1880 through December 1881).
At regular intervals, James sent Macmillans’ printers, R. Clay, Sons & Taylor, his original manuscript copy (no longer extant). Already considerably experienced with serial publication, James sent clusters of chapters that he assumed would make up reasonable monthly parts. Duplicate proofs were returned in stages for the author’s correction, one set then going to America for use as copy-text by the Atlantic and the other retained for the pages of Macmillan’s.
A special note on chapter division: Both serial texts—and all bound volumes—of The Portrait of a Lady are divided into 55 chapters. But the chapter divisions of the serial texts differ from those of the other printed formats. Chapters 1 through 19 are identical in all formats. When recasting his novel for book publication, James divided serial chapter 20 at the point where Mrs. Touchett embarks for Italy (“Mrs. Touchett, before arriving in Paris, had fixed a day for her departure. . . .”); the remainder of serial chapter 20 thus becomes chapter 21 in the printed volumes. Correspondingly, chapter 47 of the book texts combines serial chapters 46 and 47—a natural inclusion, one might say, since both of them center on Henrietta Stackpole: her return to Rome; her news of Caspar Goodwood; her relations with Mr. Bantling. Chapters 48 through 55, thereafter, are identical in all formats.
