Fingersmith Page #7

I'll be forced to sign for her.

Thanks to your help.

What have I done?

Damn you, I told you

to keep away from me!

Leave her!

And what do you want with me?

Well, we still have to collect

Susans half of the money.

You want me to be Sue.

Oh, she's sharp Mr. Ibbs.

I don't believe you.

It's because I'm nothing.

I don't even know my name.

After I've signed

you're planning to kill me,

don't you?

No dear.

You're one of us now.

And you're a lady.

You would be my companion.

Because I need a real lady like you

to show me how to become one.

When you have the money.

You are ridiculous.

You should both be in the mad house.

Pass me off as Sue?

Mr. Ibbs will tell the lawyer

he's know you all his life.

She is your legal guardian.

The doctors knows you was a maid,

you have no friends in London,

no money, no name even.

You, as you say, are nothing.

And you will do as I say.

I will tell the lawyer.

How you plotted to swindle

an innocent girl?

Are you truly so wicked?

So vile?

That is vile!

Poverty.

You think life is hard with money?

Well, you should try it without.

It is one month before

your twenty-first birthday

one week of barely living

will help you make up your mind.

Two weeks after the plunge

I was prepared to be anyone

they wanted me to be.

Only the thought

of Mrs. Sucksby kept me going.

Mrs. Sucksby used to say

people ain't never interested

in the truth, Sue.

But in what they want to hear.

I am Mrs. Maud Rivers.

This is truly remarkable.

I've got you to thank, doctor.

You've looked after me so well.

You would like to see Mr. Rivers?

I need to see him,

oh, my poor husband,

and my maid.

What...

Who has put up with so much.

How I long to see them both again!

And so you shall.

Dr Graves...

A little test, Mrs. Rivers.

Please...

write your name.

I think it begins with

a different letter, doesn't it?

Remarkable!

the delusion even extends

to her motor functions,

it is there we will break her.

Once your own writing

comes back to you,

your husband will be here

to sign you out.

Rivers?

He has to sign me out?

Rivers?

I thought about Sue every day,

as Mrs. Sucksby stroke off the days

to my twenty first birthday.

If only I could escape and get to Sue.

There you are, Mrs?...

Rivers.

Well done.

Did you like her?

Sue?

She turned out bad, didn't she, but?

I don't know.

I miss her sometimes.

She was fun.

We used to have a good laugh.

Here, you do it.

What is it?

I don't feel very well.

You never do!

Is that what they call

a ladies constitution?

I suppose it must.

Ahh!

I need to go to the privy.

I don't want to bother you.

It's no bother, madam.

It will be if you're not here

when Mrs. S gets back.

Dainty, I'm really not well.

Come out then.

It's my time of the...

It rushes!

I can't leave you.

Open the door.

The men might come.

But Mrs. Sucksby told me

not to leave you.

Maud?

Please.

Help!

Please help me!

What's happened?

I need to go to a hotel.

Come on.

Rotner Street!

O dear, just look at you!

Such pretty little feet.

And such finely turned ankles.

- Let me go.

- Now, now.

Help!

- Don't be silly.

- Help!

I'm only trying to..

Ahh!

Don't think that I wasn't

only trying to help you!

I walked through the night.

Running away if anyone approached me.

My thin slippers tore,

and my feet were cut and bleeding

before I found what I was looking for.

The only street that I had

heard of in London.

The one my uncle's

books came from.

Miss! Miss!

You can't go in there!

Mr. Halltree!

Maud!

Please help me.

What are you doing here?

You were always saying...

That was at Briar

before what happened.

You mustn't come here.

You came through the shop,

did the police see you?

I won't faint. I promise you.

Your feet!

Good God!

Mrs. Rivers!

You have a visitor.

Are you here today or not?

Don't you recognize him?

We didn't know each other from Adam.

Then,

it was the little boot boy from Briar.

It was that look what saved me.

He recognized me!

He knew who I was.

And I knew what I must do

in that instant.

Oh Charles!

Charles, how wonderful to see you!

Don't say who I am,

and don't go.

Oh Miss!

I'm not Miss Lilly anymore.

You're..

This is a mad house, ain't it?

Do you know who I am?

It's Miss Smith, ain't it?

Bless you!

Miss Smith who's..

You mustn't call me that here!

That was Briar, Charles..

Mr. Lilly had a stroke

after what happened.

I'm so sorry to hear that.

Gave me the creeps, he did.

Mr. Wader Stuart beat me

so much I ran away.

I've got no job, no character.

I wanted to find Mr. Rivers

who was so kind to me also.

He said I polished his boots better

than anyone else in the whole world.

And my auntie told me that

Mrs. Rivers was living here...

and I thought this was a grand house.

Your auntie?

Mrs. Cream.

Where Mr. and Mrs. Rivers

stayed after their wedding.

Five minutes to tea ladies!

Do you want to see Mr. Rivers?

- More than anything.

- Anything else in the world?

So do I.

And Mrs. Rivers.

Ladies, ladies, ladies!

Have you money?

Five shillings and..

Locksmith.

Get one inch black key. And a file.

ONE INCH BLACK KEY!

Bring it when you next visit.

And I do hope Mr. Lilly improves.

I must go in file now.

Do come again soon, Charles.

Thank you.

Rivers keeps you without shoes?

So I should not have run away.

You cannot run away from your husband.

There is someone here

he's done a great wrong too.

I must save her!

I thought if I can stay at your house..

My house?

That is impossible, my dear.

I have wife and children.

I see.

Not now!

Rivers is entirely to blame.

Having taken you he might

at least have kept you close.

He saw what you were.

And what am I?

Mr. Halltree?

Ah, Thomas.

Really, you must not.

You seem to forget.

I've seen much worse at Briar.

Whip your backside until

the blood runs down your...

Second part down wrong font.

They set it in Clarandon,

and the rest is in Garamond I think.

You're right, so it is.

I could work here for you.

Impossible.

Please.

You have been kind.

I think you are kind.

I beg you, if you could

find me some room, at a hotel.

- Anywhere.

- It's out of the question.

Lant street was foul,

it was the last place I wanted to go.

But I had nowhere else.

Mrs. Sucksby!

Nobody say a word,

but a word.

Find gentleman,

tell him she's been found.

Mr. Ibbs, kettle.

Oh my!

Dear girl, come on. Come in!

Come in get warm.

Get gentleman! Be quick!

Come here.

I knew you'd come home.

Please don't touch me,

stifle me, smother me...

pretend to love me.

Pretend?

When...

Sue's...

mother came here...

People will tell you that...

that I had a baby

of my own which died.

At least...

that's the story around here.

Nobody questioned it.

Babies do die in Lant Street in particular.

Many of time I've sat here...

thinking how I last held you

when you was a few days old.

Imagining how you'd grown.

Your eyes.

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