Hi, I haven't read the book. I watched the film last night.
I wanted to understand what the Peter Quick scam was.
I understand that Ruth Vigers was posing as a man. But what was she actually doing to the girls? Were her + Selina "raping" them? How was that supposed to have "cured" one girl (and failed on the American girl at the end)?
If anyone can explain I'd be grateful.
OK, I love this book so I hope I can help!
The scam was essentially Selina and Vigers in male drag as "Peter Quick": the two of them would surround a sexually-frustrated and rich young woman, turn her on by a masochistic scenario (the disrobing, close skin contact, dominating orders, "May I be used", etc.) and hopefully get her so thoroughly into these kinky sexual games that she keeps coming back for more. Moreover, some of their victims must find it invigorating: remember that Madeleine's mother says "I have never seen Madeleine's friend look so well!"?
So Selina and Vigers get the kinkier girls hooked = more sessions = more money = everyone's a winner.
Until Madeleine refuses, making Vigers angry enough to lash out in anger, and the whole scan gets exposed to Mrs Brink, who dies of shock (and a broken heart).
Thank you, ThreeOranges, for explaining! I just finished the book and had NO IDEA that Vigers was Peter Quick! Oh my God, what a story! But, I still have questions about:
1. Those wax hands in the British National Association of Spirtualists...how did they get there and how did they get made? I know they are Ruth's, but how did it happen?
2. How did Vigers and Selina know to target Margaret? How did they know she'd volunteer at the prison?
3. What about those letters? Did Ruth not mail them for Margaret (I only remember one to Mr. Shillitoe). What was she writing to Selina? I didn't quite get that part.
4. How was Selina getting the information to tell Mrs. Brink about her son?
Now, I'm anxious to see the movie. Thanks again!
Hi viamber!
Delighted to help (the Ruth/Vigers revelation is so understated it takes a little while to get it, yes!) Regarding your other questions:
1) Wax hands - no idea how people dipped their hands into hot wax in the 19th century, but it must have been possible: all I know is that they ARE Ruth's hands, because Margaret's reaction is "they look strangely familiar - as if I had gazed on them before; perhaps in my dreams" (no Mags, these are the hands that serve you dinner every night!)
2) They couldn't have known Margaret would specifically volunteer, but they are looking out for a prison vistor who is well-off, sheltered, idealistic and preferably susceptible to female beauty. When Margaret walked in (wearing mourning, showing that she'd recently been bereaved and hence was emotionally vulnerable) Selina must have felt all her Christmases had come at once! She sends Ruth word, and Ruth manages to get Boyd (the previous maid) to leave so she can replace her.
3) Those letters were being sent secretly between Selina and Ruth through Mrs Jelf. They couldn't afford to let them go through the official channels, obviously, so Selina convinced Mrs Jelf she was able to get in touch with her dead son in exchange for "favours" - deliver and receive my private letters, get my hair out of the storage box, etc.
4) How was Selina getting the info about Mrs Jelf's son, or Mrs Brink's mother? There's a section of Selina's diary, dated 30 September 1872 (about p.52, depends on edition) where she is shown with a client: at one point Selina blatantly ASKS the client to explain it for her: "Tell me truly now, you know very well who this spirit is and why he comes". The client then bursts into tears and confesses everything to her.
Here Waters is showing how "mediums" operate - if they don't have specific details, they get by on guesswork, mind-psyching and the victim's desire to believe. The client supplies all the information herself, and at the end will swear that "Miss Dawes knew so much about me! It's so uncanny!" (Look up "cold reading" on Google for more on this.)
Best wishes,
Oranges
Thanks again, Oranges. So much more clarity than before. I see what you mean, I went back to that passage (and it was on p. 52 in the paperback version).
Now, earlier, I read something that described Mrs. Brink as having "paraphilic infantilism". Was it you? Anyway, I looked it up and it means the desire to wear diapers and be treated as an infant. Is this what Selina was doing with Mrs. Brinks and if so where is the evidence?
In advance, thank you if you can answer this (whether it came from you or not)
Yes, the diagnosis of Mrs Brink's problem as "paraphilic infantilism" was me - I based that on her infantile regression in her "sessions" with Selina.
Looks like you have the same pb edition as I do, so revisit pp. 173-174 (Selina's diary, 8 January 1873) in which she describes exactly what she does with Mrs Brink. Selina voices Mrs Brink's mother and gives Mrs Brink the "kisses" Mrs Brink demands in her childish voice, then this happens:
When she has had her 30 kisses she sighs, then puts her arms about me, her head against her mother's bosom. She will keep like that for half an hour, until finally the gauze about the bosom will grow wet & she will say, "Now Margery is happy" or "Now Margery is full!" (p.174)
"The gauze about the bosom" - that's Selina's bosom - "will grow wet". Now, that's either Mrs Brink crying, or that's Mrs Brink indulging her desire to revert to infancy by suckling at Selina's breast through the gauze. (I think it's the latter, because of that line "Now Margery is full!")
And this is where Waters shows what a great writer she is - I hate frauds pretending to be mediums, but when I see Selina being exploited in this disgusting way I have to shudder for her. (Fortunately, none of Mrs Brink's perversion comes through in the ITV adaptation: what a relief!)
Thank you very much for your explantion that helped to understannd (better ) the film.
Greetings from Lisboa - Portugal