Lawrence Selden is surprised to see Miss Lily Bart, conspicuous in her elegant dress and her striking beauty, amidst the crowd at Grand Central Station in New York City in early September. After the close of the Newport, Rhode Island season, upper-class young ladies, such as Miss Bart, typically attend country house parties north of the city to escape the hot temperature. Puzzled that Lily does not appear to be catching a train, Selden watches her with amused curiosity, because “her simplest acts seemed the result of far-reaching intentions” (3). Selden usually encounters Lily in a ballroom, after her debut in society 11 years earlier. He wonders if she really is 29 years old now. Selden strolls past her, knowing that she will contrive to avoid him if she does not wish to be seen.

Lily tells Selden that she missed her train to attend a country house party at the Gus Trenors at Bellomont. She must wait two hours until the next train and thanks him for coming to her rescue. When Selden invites her to a restaurant, Lily does not want to be seen in public with him because of possible gossip and asks if there is a less frequented place.