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Mr Smith

13 rue de Boris

Geneva

To my good friend Edward,

It has been many a difficult few months for me. As you may recall when I wrote to you last in the winter on my way to Rome, I was on my way to stay with my dearest Aunt, Mrs Costello. I very much hoped to meet with the young lady Miss Miller I had met previously in Vevey.

I got to Rome full of high hopes and expectations only for it to all end in tragedy. Miss Miller’s sudden death saddened me greatly and only made this trip to Italy all the worse.

When I first told my Aunt of Miss Miller back in Vevey, she warned me that Miss Miller and her family were common folk and that I should have nothing to do with them. Only now do I realise that I should have listened to her back then. I experienced much hurt in that trip to Rome. It could all have been avoided had I not ever set my eyes upon this beautiful lady. Upon arriving in Rome I was told of her gallivanting around with various men, however it was Mr Giovanelli who clearly had the majority of her attention. This very point hurts me the most as I was seemingly cast aside for a common Roman.

I always have and always will feel very responsible for her death, as her memory lives on forever in my head. If I had not pressured so much to go the Castle of Chillon with her, maybe I would not have become so besotted with her. Perhaps if I had gone around with the Miller family and not back to Geneva, then maybe she would never have met Mr Giovanelli in Rome. If only I had stayed with Miss Miller rather than going with Mrs Walker, or perhaps if I had made my feelings clearer, then she would never have been with Mr Giovanelli that night. It is true that he should not have taken her there that night, however the blame cannot be solely put on his head. He too was in love with Miss Miller and like me would do anything to please her. When she looks at you with that beautiful innocent gaze as if you are the only one she sees. Miss Miller is very hard to turn down.

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Although Miss Miller’s death caused me great distress, I can’t help thinking that maybe it was all for the best, maybe.

                            Yours truly,

                               Frederick Winterbourne

Character study: Winterbourne is a 27-year-old American, but he has lived in Geneva for most of his life. It is this that may make him seem more European than American. He falls in love with a girl, Daisy Miller, whilst visiting his ...

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