Final answer:
In Daisy Miller, Winston thinks the woman prisoner could be his mother due to similarities he sees between her and Daisy. These similarities lead him to imagine the possibility.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the book Daisy Miller by Henry James, Winston thinks that the woman prisoner dropped on his lap could conceivably be his mother due to her appearance and behavior.
Winston is attracted to Daisy Miller, the protagonist of the book, and he sees similarities between her and his own mother. This connection leads him to imagine the possibility that the woman dropped on his lap could be his mother.