Originally published in 1902 by Scribners, The Wings of the Dove tells the story of Milly Theale, an American heiress suffering from a terminal disease and how those two properties - riches and an imminent demise - influence those who are close to her. The 'close' friends are an unmarried couple, Kate Croy and Merton Densher, the latter a former suitor of Milly, the former a schemer who seeks to obtain some or all of the Theale inheritance. The character of Milly Theale is based on the real life