to remain at the restaurant to enjoy the view. Notably, the headwaiter has no dialogue in the story—his ideas are communicated secondhand by way of the narrator. Son of Alida Slade: Child who "inherited his father's gifts," but "died suddenly in boyhood." Harriet: Deceased great-aunt of Grace. According to a story handed down, Harriet and her sister loved the same man. To get rid of her sister, Harriet supposedly tricked her into exposing herself to Roman fever. She later died of the disease. Themes Power struggle for those in the upper classes: Engaged to Delphin Slade, Alida suspects that Grace might try to steal him from her. Alida tries to remove Grace from the picture by forging Delphin's signature on a letter inviting the latter to a nighttime rendezvous at the Colosseum. The plan backfires for Alida because her eventual husband actually meets with Grace. Alida still marries her beau, but it seems the soon-to-be Mrs. Ansley actually bears Mr. Slade's daughter, Barbara. Betrayal and deception: As a young woman, Mrs. Slade used subterfuge and machination in order to improve her marriage prospects. Grudges: In their middle age, Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley introduce decades-old surprises. Representation of female relationships Grace feels sorry for Alida, while Alida envies Grace. The women "visualize each other, each through the wrong end of her little telescope." Only through the sharing of their two perspectives do they begin to see a fuller picture of their past. Bibliography Almost universally praised by critics, "Roman Fever" earned a place in An Edith Wharton Treasury (1950) and The Best Short Stories of Edith Wharton (1958). It is the title story of Roman Fever and Other Stories, a collection of Wharton's writing originally published in 1964 and still in print. One of Wharton's most anthologized stories, "Roman Fever" is the subject of numerous critical studies as outlined in the partial bibliography provided below. Barrett, Dorothea. “Lions, Christians, and Gladiators: Colosseum Imagery in Henry James's Daisy Miller and Edith Wharton's ‘Roman Fever.’” Remember Henry James Conference, March 2014, Florence, Italy. Conference Presentation. Bauer, Dale M. “‘Roman Fever’: A Rune of History.” Edith Wharton’s Brave New Politics. Madison: U of Wisconsin P, 1994. 145-164. Berkove, Lawrence I. “‘Roman Fever’: A Mortal Malady.” The CEA Critic 56.2 (Winter 1994): 56-60. Bode, Rita, and Sirpa Salenius. "Students Abroad--In the Classroom: A Transatlantic Assignment on Edith Wharton's 'Roman Fever.'" Teaching Edith Wharton's Major