Fingersmith 6

Fingersmith 6) : 異地同命

身份的錯異是原著最大的重點，而這一段最是精華之處．二位主角，不只是認知到，更是體驗到背負對方身份的可怕．她們身處兩地，卻面對相同的境遇：周遭環境壓制她們的本命，被迫失去自由意志．但在妥協的過程中，倆人的情感發展完全不同，Maud透過成為Sue，更加堅固她的愛情．相較於Maud在上一段，對Sue的愛早已超越恨，Sue此時則是第一次經歷對Maud愛恨交加的震撼，看Sue最後經歷由恨轉愛，是這個角色後半段的焦點．

在正敘故事之前，要先細品這一段落的鋪陳，作者從故事一開始就在塑造二位主角的鏡照對比，此處更是極盡精緻的工筆對仗：

虛虛實實的身份

Sue：Sue被陷以Mrs Maud Rivers的身份關進病院，她開始爭取身份認同時，不敢使用Susan Trinder(自以為是本姓的假姓)，還是必須用Susan Smith(為便於犯罪的假姓)，但是醫生完全不採信，而陷入Trinder/Smith的兩難.，於是她妥協接受Mrs Maud Rivers，想假借回應醫生所認定的正常身份來脫身，可是她沒有讀寫的能力，反而被認定病入膏肓(Mrs Maud Rivers不是真身份，所以她的努力是徒勞無功)．直到Charles意外地肯定Susan的存在，促使她用偷竊的能力逃離病院，暫時回復Susan Trinder．直到借助旁人，跨越閱讀的障礙，才能接觸事實，找到真正Susan Lilly的身份(Maud有讀寫能力，她一直都比Sue早一步了解真相)．

Maud：她剛到Lant Street，情緒非常激動，Mrs Sucksby曾解嘲You ain't quite youself，Maud很生氣地反駁："Not quite myself? What's myself to you? Who are you, to say how I might or might not be?"(P.341)這句話後來變得一語雙關．Mrs Sucksby接著娓娓道出Sue才是千金身份，Maud對身份的失落近乎形銷骨立："She(Maud) has only bones, stripped white! She is as white as a page of paper! She is a book, from which the words have peeled and drifted--"(P.355) Maud干為Sue的替身，是經過層層妥協，先是失落千金的本命，接著舅父遭離棄；千辛萬苦逃出，唯一希望書商Mr Hawtrey認定Mrs Rivers這個假身份，竟不願伸出援手．Maud最後知道Mrs Sucksby是生母，尷尬地發現自己真實的身份，為了母親而勉為Sue的替身．但是她也透過成為Sue，來表達對Sue的思念．

特別在Sue身上，她所期待與被期待的身份，常製造出強烈的錯位效果：
■ "He(Charles) looked me over, as I have said; then he tilted his head and looked past me, and past Nurse Spiller, as if he thought that Maud must be coming along behind."(P.475) Charles來尋訪Mrs Maud Rivers，意外看到成為替身的Sue
■ "'Here's your daughter', they'd say, unlocking the gate to Mrs Sucksby's cell; and every time, she would quickly lift her head and study my face, or glance beyond my shoulder, with a troubled look--"(P.544) Sue後來去探視在獄中的養母，獄卒通報是女兒探訪，讓Mrs Sucksby以為Maud真的跟在Sue的身後
■ "Her eye came back to mine, after that, as the day went on--though I saw her looking, too, about the court, as if in search of another."(P.547)　Mrs Sucksby在法庭最想看到的還是Maud
■ "Mrs Sucksby glanced again at me, and then again at Maud, then closed her eyes. She sighed, as if weary. 'To have lost you once, dear girl,' she said, 'And now, to lose you again--' 'You shall not lose me!' I cried; and her eyes flew open, and she held my gaze for a second, as if no understanding."(P.539)

認不出的自己
在不同的地方，二人同樣是發白的雙唇，凌亂的頭髮，佈滿血絲的雙眼，瘀青泛黃的臉色，和消瘦的臉龐：

Sue："One of them had stopped, and had her hand at her face.--I blinked. She blinked. She was me. I went slowly towards her, and looked myself over, in horror....My hair was still sewn to my head, but had grown or worked loose from its stitches, and stood out in tufts. My face was white but marked, here and there, with spots and scratches and fading bruises. My eyes were swollen--from want of sleep, I suppose--and red at the rims. My face was sharper than ever, my neck like a stick..."(P.458)她從病院畫室鏡子的反射看到自己真如瘋子般駭人的外貌．

Maud："I barely recognise myself. My mouth is white. My eyes are swollen and red, my cheeks the texture and colour of yellowing flannel. My unwashed hair is dark with grease at the scalp. The neck of the gown is low, and shows the lines and points of the bones about my throat."(P.376)她忍受Mrs Sucksby和Dainty的裝扮，從鏡中看到自已褪盡千金小姐的丰采

說不出口的真相
要爭取真實的身份，關鍵在於坦白自己的罪惡，但二位主角都不敢或不能揭發真相：

Sue：當醫生索性反問為什麼千金小姐需要大費周章來陷害婢女時，她一下子無言以對："I opened my mouth. Then I closed it. For, what could I say? I still supposed that if I only told him the truth, he would believe it. But the truth was I had plotted to steal a lady's fortune; that I had made myself out a servant, when I was really a thief."(P.440)

Maud：她威脅Gentleman要向警察告發，他反唇相譏："Tell him what? Tell him how you plotted to swindle an innocent girl?"(P.361)，Mrs Sucksby同樣把罪惡分擔到Maud身上："You let them take her...And oh, dear girl, don't you think you was your mother's daughter, then?"(P.366) 不過，Mrs Sucksby的話中還帶點家學傳承的揶揄．

支撐意念

Sue：對養母的愛，一直是Sue內心最大的支撐，在絕望的瘋人院亦不例外．如果愛是寬慰，那麼對Maud復仇就是Sue的生存意志：
■ "And when I was free, I would go to wherever Maud Lilly was, and--wasn't I my mother's own daughter, after all?--I would kill her."(P.427)關進隔離病房的第一天，她就發下毒誓．
■ "I lay with Maud's white glove in my fist, and now and then put the tip of one of its fingers to my mouth, imagining Maud's soft hand inside it; and I bit and bit."(P.446)在病院中，Maud的手套變成復仇的象徵物
■ "I got hold of Maud's glove, and ripped it till the stiches gave. Then I threw it to the ground and jumped on it."(P.495)逃出病院後，Maud的手套依然是最好的發洩對象

Maud：真的是全心全意愛著Sue，因為她已經一無所有，她除了自我鼓舞，在Lant Street唯一支持的信念就是要回去解救Sue．她的拯救方案，經過民間疾苦歷練，一次比一次實際：
■ "I must get out of London--go anywhere--back to Briar. I must get money. I must, I think--this is the clearest thought of all-I must get Sue! (P.368)第一次想趁Mrs Sucksby睡眠時偷鑰匙逃跑．
■ "For I must escape. I will escape. I'll escape, and go to Sue." (P.380)她心不干情願待在Lant Street時，腦中無時無刻構思回Briar借錢，或偷書賣錢．
■ "...Mr Hawtrey will help me, then. Mr Hawtrey will help me find Sue..."(P.381)終於覺得回Briar不智，應該就近尋求支援．
■ "I shall work, and earn a little money--enough to find out my friend(Sue) ..."(P.407)她真的找到了書商，高傲的不敢開口借錢，一轉念，居然現代感十足的要作職業婦女．

夢與思念

Sue：她的理智是對Maud報仇，但是夢境則是反其道而行 "For I never dreamed of her as I knew she really was--as a viper or a thief....I dreamed--you can't be blamed, can you, for what you dream?--I dreamed I loved her....And then I would lie and be illed with a terrible shame. For I hated her! I hated her!--and yet I knew that, every time, I secretly wished that the dream had gone on to its end."(P.462)為什麼她會夢到Maud？因為潛意識會透露與理智(報仇)的不一致．倒是Sue與Charles在返回倫敦的路上，Maud的影像日漸模糊 "Then I thought of Maud, wherever she was; and imagined her face. Her face seemed dim to me, however. The dimness bothered me."(P.492)我一直覺得，這就與Maud夢不到Sue一樣，其實是個好徵兆．

Maud："What's Sue, to me? I'm afraid, here, to remember the pressing of her mouth, the sliding of her hand. But I'm afraid, too, of forgetting. I wish I could dream of her. I never do."(P.384) 她沒有夢到Sue，因為她朝思暮想的都是Sue，不必再到夢境中去辯證理智與潛意識．

愛與離棄

Sue vs Mrs Sucksby：她一直殷切期盼養母的救援，最後卻是場空等．不過她很幸運沒有親耳聽到養母的離棄，是Maud代她承受痛苦："Didn't I do everything for her, just as her mother wanted? --kept her safe, kept her tidy, made a common-place girl of her? What have I done, but give her back the life you had from her?"(P.365)Maud為了不讓Sue受到真相的傷害，寧願自己默默承受Sue的憎恨．

Maud vs Mr Lilly：她並不愛舅父，但她以為至少他會想要協尋自己姪女的下落，沒想到是被掃地出門，Mr Lilly給Richard的羞辱信幾乎毀掉她的自信："...I wish you(Richard) joy of her! Her mother was a strumpet, and she has all her mother's instincts, if not her face. The check to the progress of my work will be serve; but I take comfort in my loss, from this: that I fancy you, sir, a man who knows the proper treating of a whore."(P.387)

母親形象
她們都有一個虛構的母親和真的生母，她們先前按照虛構的母親(對方的母親)的行徑，之後卻意外地經歷或見證生母的命運．

Sue：虛構的母親是行事大膽的殺人罪犯(養母編纂的故事)，所以Sue為不辱家傳而去欺騙Maud；可是當她意外地被關入瘋人院，倒是親身見證了當年生母在瘋人院的遭遇．生母曾受過一位叫Susan的侍女真心照顧，所以用侍女之名為女兒命名，Sue則是倒過來重覆這段經歷，以侍女身份善待千金小姐Maud．

Maud：她與Richard私奔，幾乎是虛構母親的歷史重演；Maud後來疑似在混亂中刺死Gentleman，原本有可能是她走上絞刑台，但Mrs Sucksby編纂虛構的母親殺人死於絞刑，所是Mrs Sucksby站在絞刑台，讓編纂的故事落實為命運，讓Maud同樣去見證生母的遭遇．

自助人助

Sue：相較於Maud的孤僻和自立自強，她借助不少人的支援，在Briar時，就可以看到她打通關的本領，既使在瘋人院，都或多或少有些人情安慰．最重要是得到Charles的意外協助，雖然她是用心機控制對方．如果廣意來說，那些在脫逃路程中，被Sue偷的農家婦，被扒竊手錶的都會婦女...都是Sue周遭隨手擷取的資源．

Maud：Mr Hawtrey是她唯一尋求援助的對象，但他把Maud的身份設定為Mrs Rivers，她註定沒有辦法經由這個假身份得到解救．Sue曾形容她是too much in her head，她沒有人可以對話，只能在內心自我對話自立自強：
■ "God damm you, Maud! You have longed for this. You have given up Sue, you have given up everything, for this. Be bold! "(P.328)克服初到Lant Street的恐懼
■ "You must be strong. You must be strong and ready to run. "(P.371)為了日後脫逃，強迫自己進食，想辦法在Lant Street生存下去
■ "Don't mind it, Maud. If you start to mind it, you will weep. "(P.394)逃出Lant Street，在陌生的倫敦街頭強打精神

鑰匙與藥物的監控

Sue：Sue在瘋人院受到禁錮，她的挑戰在於偷取護士的鑰匙逃出；待她與Charles逃亡，怕他半夜不告而別，Sue還偷偷把兩人鞋帶綁在一起，和Mrs Sucksby有次在就寢時銜住Maud的頭髮，有異曲同工之妙．

瘋人院常用藥物行管理之便，Sue其實也知道
■ "I think the tea--which tasted bitter--must have had a draught in it. I slept through a day--or it might have been two days; and when I finally came to myself, I came to stupid."(P.442) 剛到瘋人院，初識藥物控制的厲害．
■ "But then, when Nurse Spiller came to the door with a can of tea and gave me a basin of it, I took it, but did not drink it. I tipped it on the floor..."(P.445)剛開始還會想辦法保持清晰
■ "He gave me drinks of creosote--had the nurses hold me, while he poured it into my mouth."(P.456)醫生強迫她寫Maud的名字，Sue只會寫自己的名字，導致醫生採用激烈的用藥手段
■ "...for they got us in bed at seven o'clock--gave us those draughts, to make us sleep--then they sat till midnight..."(P.461)有一段時間完全對院規就範
■ "...until Nurse Spiller brought round our draughts. I had got used to taking mine, along with the other ladies, but tonight I tipped it away--into the mattress, this time..."(P.487)與Charles約定脫逃前夕，再度企圖保持腦筋清晰

Maud：Maud一開始的key keeper是Mrs Sucksby，後來是Dainty．Dainty管鑰匙的樣子簡直就像病院的護士；有一晚Mrs Sucksby不盡然是在監控她，更近似於珍惜所藏："Mrs Sucksby like a miser with a piece of gold catches up a lock of my hair and presses it to her mouth." (P.367)

Maud原本就有使用鎮定劑的習慣，到了Lant Street，初期除了鎮定，亦被拿來當作監控Maud的手段：
■ "...bring out my bottle of medicine: he lets the liquid drop, three times, into the glass of brandy, then sizes my head and presses the glass to my lips."(P.356)第一次知道與Sue是交換身份，失控狂笑後，Gentleman用來平撫她的情緒(電視版乾脆讓她昏倒)．
■ " I remember that I weep again, and given more of my drops in brandy." (P.366)在Lant Street的第二個夜晚，他們還是用藥物來解決Maud沮喪的心情
■ " Then they dose me again with medicine and brandy; and a day or two passes in darkness."(P.371)攻擊Gentleman失敗的下場，就是被賜予昏睡．

暑熱與惡劣空氣

Sue：病房悶熱不通風，她聽說有人受不了而死去"The air in our rooms, for instance, became like soup. I think one or two ladies actually died, through breathing that air..."(P.460)

Maud：Lant Street的廚房同樣悶熱，到是Mrs Sucksby 有一次告訴Maud有人因吸到污染的空氣染霍亂而病死，Maud曾嘗試深吸一口以求一死 "May one take a fever, from a draught of foetid air? I lie down at her side until she sleeps; then go back to the window, press my face to the gap between the sashes, breath deeper."(P.389)　Maud曾經數度表示輕生，但她的求生本能一直強過尋死的意念．

似曾相識的住所

Sue："The heat makes the windows cloud. She(Sue) likes to stand, then, and draw loops and hearts and spirals upon the glass."(P.267) 在Briar，Maud描述Sue站在佈有水氣的窗前，畫著Maud當時並不明瞭的環狀、心型和螺旋形的圖案．

Maud："The view is of a slip of muddy stret, a house with ointment-coloured shutters with heart-shaped holes, a wall of brick, with loops and spirals marked upon it in yellow chalks." (P.340)她第一次走上樓，看到Lant Street街景，就像是Sue在Briar的思鄉塗鴉．

The Story...
倫敦夢醒
電視版，Maud眼眶含淚離開瘋人院．她氣憤地把戒指丟向Gentleman，戴回手套與外界隔離．到了倫敦，看到忙碌的街景，原本還有一絲興奮，但馬上從小提袋中拿出Two of Hearts的撲克牌，開始想起了Sue．在原著，Maud原本極其嚮往倫敦，一路上卻夢想幻滅．人群的壓力，和背叛Sue的不安，讓她有輕生之念："I am afraid the crowds will overburden the train--perhaps overturn it. I think. I deserve to be crushed in the wreck of a train; and almost hope they do."(P.324)

倫敦在她想像中類似獨立的莊院"I have always supposed London a place, like a house in a park, with walls: I've imagined it rising, straight and clean and solid." 沒想到盡是殘破的房舍，漫漫分佈，而且到處是晾曬的衣服"laundry everywhere, drooping and yellow."(P.325)這個晾曬衣服不斷滴水的意象，後來運用在電視版Gentleman在Lant Street門口教訓Maud的一景，稍後再提．

有趣的是Maud提到對招牌告示的恐懼 "There are words, all ove the face of London. I see them, and cover my eyes."(P.326)電視版可惜只有驚鴻一瞥，沒有特別著墨．

Maud被連哄帶騙引到Lant Street，Mrs Sucksby從後方繞著Maud打量，回頭對Gentleman，像是稱讚叨回獵物的獵犬：Good boy．我覺得選角casting真的很用心，二個人特徵相似，活脫就像一對母女．

Maud馬上察覺這是Sue的賊窩，恐會遭到謀財害命，一心想要離開．硬闖不成，行李被攔下，眾人像海盜一樣將行李隔空對傳．Maud情急下抱起嬰兒，脅以摔死以求去，結果Mrs Sucksby(這裡有六七個小孩，死一兩個都不會有人在乎!)四兩撥千斤便讓她束手就擒．電視版的Maud因為一夜折騰，靠在Mrs Sucksby的大椅上便睡著了(第一集中，Gentleman來Lant Street提案前，Mrs Sucksby同樣的姿勢小睡在同一張椅上)．在原著，Maud的漫漫長夜才剛開始，電視版則細分好幾段，與Sue的場景平行剪接．　

病院殘夢
Sue在電視版的遭遇編劇過於平面，在原著中她在院中思考反省，想盡方法突破，吃了很多苦．特別是她對Maud的愛恨糾結，非常立體的情緒轉折，可是在電視版，觀眾只看到她對Maud的記恨，卻看不到原著中她在夢裡不能自己的渴望(參見前面的「夢與思念」)．如果Sue不曾強烈地想望Maud，就削弱了她最後千辛萬苦回到Briar尋求Maud的動機．

電視版對Sue遭到性污辱只是點到為止．可是原著從她一開始進瘋人院，工作人員早就知道Mrs Rivers「不正常的性喜好」，"The one"的標籤如影隨形地跟著Sue．一天晚上，在護士Betty的慶生會，其他護士起哄要跳壓在Sue的身上，比賽誰較有威力，最後擦槍走火，一個護士竟然邪惡地故意在Sue身上磨蹭起來．Sue懷疑Maud洩漏私情，受不了恥辱，憤而反抗，結果演變成醫生用浸池水療來壓制Sue的瘋狂反抗．絕不是如電視版，Sue在園裡放風時行為失控，就被抓去水療．

細說從頭
Mrs Sucksby試圖對Maud示好："You don't imagine you ain't more welcome here, than anyone?"，Maud回答的句子文法漂亮極了，再配上Elaine Cassidy抑揚頓挫的聲音演出："I can't imagine that you mean me any kind of good, since you persist in keeping me here, when I so clearly wish to leave."(P.335)(我無法想像你們對我會有什麼善意，我已經表明我要離開，你們卻強迫我留下來！)

電視版，Maud乍醒的廚房，沒有John, Dainty在場，故事很快切到Mrs Sucksby是整個計劃的主謀者，她拿著Maud的項鍊，這時候，Maud以迅雷不及掩耳的速度搶走項鍊(非常驚人的肢體表演)，讓Mrs Sucksby打破茶杯．Elaine Cassidy詮釋的Maud就像貓一樣的敏感，不論是迴避Mrs Sucksby，反抗Gentleman，她再一次證明她是同輩中最有天份的演員．

劇情很流暢地道出二人在襁褓時交換身份的秘密，從Marianne私奔、未婚生子、Lilly家族來尋，至Mrs Sucksby及時更換嬰兒...Imelda Staunton演來確實出神入化，震得Maud最後不支昏到－－這是電視播放的版本，第二集的結尾，無法免俗地用了點煽情技巧．(電視播放版是三集，每集一小時，但到了DVD，卻變成二集，每集一個半小時)

• Maud在初識Gentleman，曾因他提及母親住瘋人院之事而感到衝擊，但她強忍支撐，不屑於昏倒："I will not swoon. Only girls in books do that, for the convenience of gentlemen."(P.230)所以我就不了解電視版為什麼要讓她昏倒?

原著在開始細說從頭之前，還有些小插曲．Mrs Sucksby試圖為Maud介紹John和Dainty．John的見面禮是用刀割開Maud的行李(Sue辛苦縫補的那一個?)，最後丟還Maud："He leans and leers at me again. 'I liked you better,' he says, 'when you was a chair.' " (P.339) 雖然Maud來到Lant Street，我一直不覺得她真的來到Sue的家，直到 John的這一句，我突然想起當時Sue的行前訓練，彷彿昨日之事．

Mrs Sucksby後來領Maud上樓，避開 John和Dainty，故事才開始娓娓道來．電視版點到交換嬰兒的原因，但少了Marianne的心理側寫，為什麼她堅持Sue以尋常人家的身份成長．Marianne遇人不淑，未婚生子的遭遇，是個典型的悲劇．她感到千金小姐的身份不是光環，而是咀咒．當她生下女兒，她充滿怨尤，不但擔心這個女娃將來要面對社會對女性的歧視，"Then God help her! For the world is cruel to girls. I wish she had died, and me with her"(P.346) 恨不得女娃不要存活－－同樣地，Maud亦恨不得親手把母親殺死．然而Marianne最不能忍受的是將來女兒在父兄的教育下，會讓孩子憎恨自己的母親．所以Marianne安置小孩的邏輯是：

1) 不要讓她被父兄帶走；
2) 不要讓她成為千金小姐，因為那種身份是負擔 "...what does being a lady do for you, except let you be ruined?"(P.352)；
3) 既然要隱瞞身份，就要命名平凡，便以一個僕人的名字命名："There was a servant that was kind to me once--kinder than ever my father or my brother was. I want her named for her. I shall call her for her. I shall call her--Susan"(P.352)；
4) 為了徹底平凡，便請Mrs Sucksby撫養；
5) 為了報答Mrs Sucksby養育女兒，也為照顧女兒將來成家立業的生計，於是允諾滿18歲時(電視版是21歲)，一半財產給女兒，一半財產給Mrs Sucksby所監護，後來被調包的小孩．"...I'll settle a half my fortune on her; and Susan shall have the rest. She shall have it, if you'll only take her for me now, and bring her up honest, and keep her from knowing about her inheritance till she has grown up poor and can feel the worth of it!"(P.353)

Mrs Sucksby雖然遵守了諾言，代為撫養Sue，但是她不甘心於一半的財產，而是覬覦全部的利益．就像所有古老的寓言，貪心只有悲劇的下場．

Marianne最後是否真的如她所願，沒有被親生女兒怨恨？Sue的心情是很複雜的，她不知該怨Mrs Sucksby較多，還是要怨Marianne更多？Maud可是結結實實地痛恨Marianne，卻發現怨錯了對象，到了最後，她不忍，也不能去怨，為她犧牲的親生母親．

原著裡的Maud了解自已不過是瓜代Sue的身份，失落的衝擊何其之大，但是她絕不會昏倒，只是情緒崩潰："I am not weeping, as they suppose. I am laughing--I am gripped with a terrible laughter--and my look must be ghastly....She is a book, from which the words have peeled and drifted--"(P.355) Maud更形容自己像一本書，文字從頁面剝離飄零...極度淒美的超寫實意象．

身份的互換，再互換
Gentleman將鎮定劑混在酒裡讓Maud喝下，以便她繼續聆聽精神虐待；電視版則是在Maud喝下摻藥的酒，次日甦醒後，披頭散髮直向Mrs Sucksby詢問她的親生母親．Mrs Sucksby此時只說Maud是棄嬰，讓她處於沒有身份，無所倚靠的處境．Maud惟一的出路，是反過來假裝Sue的身份，讓Gentleman越俎代庖，替沒有行為能力的妻子取得財產處理權，同時讓Mrs Sucksby以監護人身份取得另一半財產．

Maud斥責他們喪心病狂，Gentleman火大反斥Maud不懂人間疾苦："窮困才是卑劣！有錢的生活妳都覺得苦悶，妳來試試看沒錢的( That's vile, poverty. You think life is hard with money, you should try without)" 請注意看電視版，Gentleman把Maud強拉到門口時，門外曬掛著的衣服，正墜落著一滴一滴的水珠，就是原著中Maud對倫敦的初印象"laundry everywhere, drooping and yellow."(P.325)

Maud至此的自由之夢完全破滅："I have been bold and detrminded. I have bitten down rage, insanity, desire, love, for the sake of freedom. Now, that freedom being taken from me utterly, is it to be wondered at if I fancy myself defeated? I give myself up to darkness; and wish I may never again be required to lift my head to the light." (P.366)

她或許放棄了自己，接受擺佈，假裝Sue的身份，但她內心始終未忘懷Sue，沒有放棄解救Sue．電視版不斷沿用頂針和撲克牌的象徵，我們看到Maud還戴上Sue的手鐲並親吻．在原著，Maud甚至連髮型服飾都仿傚以前的Sue．後來Sue看到Maud時，她誤解Maud的動機，難過Maud取代她的一切，而且還比她改變得更好．

• 這是一個很有趣的現像，在有些同性的情愛互動中，常會傾向共同的樣貌．例如Tipping The Velvet，Nan愛慕Kitty，仿傚Kitty從女裝變為男裝；現實生活中，Ellen DeGeneres與Anne Heche熱戀時，Anne剪成Ellen一般的短髮．但在一些主流商業電影中，卻常用作負面的手法：如＜Basic Instinct第六感追緝令(1992)＞Catherine(莎朗史東Sharon Stone)和女心理醫生在大學時有互為模仿的愛恨情仇；＜Single White Female 雙面女郎 (1992)＞Hedy(Jennifer Jason Leigh)對Allie(Bridget Fonda)過於強烈的感情，Hedy便模仿Allie，企圖佔有Allie的一切

在另一邊，Sue放棄向醫生驗明正身的策略，她假裝承認是Maud，想藉此表示正常以便出院．可是醫生要求她要回復書寫能力．電視版，Sue寫不出Maud的名字，只不過是被看穿技倆；原著中，院方是強迫Sue每天寫，每次寫不出來就受罰，直到最後醫生認定她病入膏肓，改造無望．

解救與救贖
Maud終於等到逃脫的機會．她擺脫Dainty的監控，不顧一切地找尋她認為可以求助的書商朋友．我們在Tipping The Velvet已經領教過，倫敦的街道不利於年輕單身女子獨行，所以Nan以男裝才能自由地出現在市道上．形單影隻的Maud，不只是引人側目，而且差一點被紳士誘拐上車(Nan就是上錯了Diana的座車)

腳破血流的Maud終於見到Mr Hawtrey，以為可以獲救．可是他畏懼破壞Mr Lilly的關係，害怕流言，只想把Maud送回其丈夫了事．Mr Hawtrey很像Tipping The Velvet裡的Zena，一開始他們都看起來像是朋友，是關鍵時刻的一線希望，但他們只會讓主角更加絕望，絕望到主角只能靠自己的力量重新站起來，為情節帶來大幅反彈．

原著中，Maud看見桌上編印中的文稿，習慣性地想要確認是什麼字體；電視版改得更為積極，Maud馬上糾正出錯的段落．雖然只是一個小段落，我認為電視編劇的方式會比較符合Maud性格的一致性．

電視版在Mr Hawtrey直言拒絕相救後，Maud便回到Lant Street．在原著，Mr Hawtrey其實請了一個婦人，將Maud騙到臨時收容所流放，後來Maud在惡夜來臨，無計可施的情況下："A moon has risen--a crescent, slender, filthy-brown."(P.413)，不得已將內衣典當給婦人和車伕，才回到Lant Street．

電視版，絕對高傲的Maud對於回到Lant Street還是不留情面地畫清界線："請你不要碰我，壓制我，讓我窒息，假裝愛我 Do not stifle me, smother me, pretend to love me" 相較之下，原著裡Maud的反應略顯楚楚可憐："I begin to weep--in frustration, exhaustion....'Why must you also love me? Why must you smother and torment me, with your grasping after my heart?"(P.415)

My own, my own dear girl.....Imelda Staunton演技入木三分，一場爐邊認親的戲，讓觀眾幾乎要原諒這個貪心婦人的所有罪行，至少Maud是原諒了她．對戲的Elaine Cassidy只放了一點點表情出來－－less is more!

意外的應許
Sue曾以紙牌假算命，而自己的命運卻充滿意外轉折："Blame Fortune. Fortune's blind, and works in peculiar ways...Fortune kept me at Dr Christie's(瘋人院) nearly all that summer long; then listen to who it sent me."(P.473)一個原在Briar工作，唇紅齒白的男孩Charles誤打誤撞來探訪"Mrs Rivers".

不論在原著還是電視版，Charles在前段故事稀薄的像過場的空氣，不只讀者觀眾要努力回想，連Sue一下子都想不起來他是誰．Charles繞著Gentleman轉，幫他擦鞋打理，電視版甚至讓Charles直接對Gentleman說：I miss you．男孩是來找Gentleman，而Sue突破精明起來，借力使力，說服Charles偷渡鑰匙和銼刀，以便同行找尋Gentleman．

Mr Hawtrey認定Maud是Mrs Rivers，錯誤的身份注定脫逃失敗．然而Charles看到的是Sue，所以她的真實身份終於獲得解放．電視版用一連串的短接和特寫鏡頭，把Sue的身手描繪的活靈活現．

原著中，Sue用鑰匙開門的剎那，不禁祈求：" 'Dear God, I swear, I'll be good, I'll be honest the rest of my days, I swear--'It caught, and stuck. 'Fuck! Fuck!' I said."(P.489)每次看到這段就很想大笑．作者曾在接受訪問時表示，她認為聖經是最過譽的一本書．我想Sue對上帝的祈求應是不會應驗．

Sue回頭在鑰匙孔塗上護士貝蒂用來擦手指的藥油，就像她在逃出Briar時使用牛油如出一轍，門閂應聲開啟．她聽到一些微弱的聲音飄盪，但沒有任何人看見她的行蹤．她爬上高樹，越過圍牆，降落到自由的土地上．與Charles一起會合，前往倫敦的路上：Sue的返鄉復仇之路．她將會發現，對Maud，到底是愛，還是恨．