Fingersmith 7) : 最後真相

持平而論，電視編劇在許多段落有優於原著的神來之筆，整體評價瑕不掩瑜．如果要挑最大敗筆，Sue自從關進瘋人院之後的角色塑造，全部被犧牲掉了，平白可惜了這麼一個會讓Maud深愛的角色，幾乎讓所有看過電視版的觀眾一面倒地偏愛Maud．所以在最後一段：Sue與Maud愛的大合解，特別要還原書中Sue真情熾熱的性格．畢竟這不是濫情的Happy Ending，而是尋尋覓覓的心之旅程 Journey of heart．天啊，在遙遠保守的維多利亞時代．

我的心是向著倫敦的指南針
電視版，Sue蓬頭垢面偕Charles同行，到一戶農家直接扣門，運用聲東擊西，偷走男主人家中的麵包、刀子、懷錶和衣物．原著中的過程就複雜多了，你可以感覺到Sue的臨場反應和思緒絕非泛泛之輩．受害戶不是男主人，而是女主人出門，留下一對姊妹，Sue騙她們出去為媽媽買麵粉，Sue才進屋偷走東西．

• 刀子在文學中常是男性陽具的象徵，所以書裡有刀的大多是男子，女人的刀都是偷來的．電視編劇非常細心地在Sue逃回倫敦的途中，改成是Sue偷了莊稼漢的麵包刀，而不是如原著從少婦家偷出，把刀具的象徵意義維持一致性．書中有刀的男子，刀具聯結性格，各有不同的表現：
  Mr. Lilly (Razor) ：某種權力的象徵，在Maud小的時候，他還用它威脅服從．Maud反來偷來割書報復，以其人之道還治其人之身．
  Gentleman (pen knife)：老是繞著計謀轉．在Briar曾用它來分梨而食；在新婚之夜則用來製造與Maud媾合的假象．
  John：動不動就拿刀，不是耀武揚威，就是威脅欺侮，還把Maud的行李割破
  Charles：又被稱作knife boy，他不是磨刀，就是擦鞋，都是充滿性暗示的行為
  
  農家的麵包刀：原著中，Sue是刻意挑中刀子，代表她真的有拿刀復仇的強烈意圖；電視版，Sue是在拿麵包時，順手把刀一包拎走，再加上一到Lant Street被紙牌一激，便提刀衝進屋裡，感覺上，拿刀之舉是臨時起意．

到底Sue是怎麼到達倫敦？電視版只有一個鏡頭交待，他們倆人晚上相靠睡在樹下，遠處有火車的聲音駛過，好像暗示他們是沿著鐵道走．在原著，他們扮成姊弟，有時是靠雙腿行走，有時是借搭農家的貨車，一路上除了深怕被瘋人院的員工逮住，Sue還要擔心Charles意志不堅，半路落跑．古代的道路系統並不發達，Sue找尋倫敦的路徑，除了從太陽方位來判斷，在很多岔口上，全憑念力決定："It was like that, then, all the way: every time we met the crossing of two of three roads, I would stand for a minute and think hard of London; and just as if I were Dick Whittington, the idea would come to me which road we ought to take."(P.491)

• Sue提到的Dick Whittington (1350-1423)是英格蘭的傳奇人物，曾任三任倫敦市長．最著名的傳說是他年輕時和一隻貓同行，從鄉下走到倫敦闖蕩致富．

Sue走到腳都破皮了："The blisters on my feet had opened, and were weeping like eyes..." (P.495) 我們在電視版只看到Maud一日脫逃走到流血，卻沒有機會看Sue沒日沒夜地趕路，何嘗不是受盡艱苦．

Sue還有另一個方法來判斷路程．空氣中的味道會告訴她，倫敦是否遙遠："But London still seemed far off. The air still smelled too pure."(P.495)．電視版將嗅覺的意念另外發揚光大．Sue在到達倫敦時，興奮地告訴Charles：聞聞這熱辣辣臭哄哄的倫敦味 (London! Oh the rotten horrible stink of it.)

在原著，Sue真正的回鄉心情最後是由飛舞的海報來定案："When once the cart drew close to the side of a house that was pasted, two inches thick, with fluttering bills, I reached and tore free a strip of poster--held it for a second, then let it fly. It had a picture of a hand upon it, holding a pistol. It left soot on my fingers. Then I knew I was home."(P.497)

電視版的Sue還是衝動地不經大腦，直到家門前，看到Maud在窗台，才趕緊煞車佈局．原著中，Sue卻是一到倫敦便步步為營，不但變裝避人耳目(Sue頭上蓋罩紗，Charles圈上圍巾)，而且在老家附近租屋就近監視敵情．為了打持久戰，Sue還要籌募經濟來源，解決兩個人的日常生計．一開始，她典當了Charles的外套，外套的當票，意外地變成Sue控制他的工具．Charles三不五時的心浮氣燥，才是最讓Sue心力交瘁的管理難題(她都克服了)．Sue的急中生智，還包括利用Charles惹人憐愛的外貌來行乞．Sue最大的手筆是扒走了車上少婦的手錶，拿到一張可堂而皇之送Charles進老家探軍情的入場券．

靈犀交會
Maud與Mrs Sucksby相認之後的相處情形如何？從原著中不得而知，Maud與Mrs Sucksby的親情深濃，是從Sue監看後的驚訝不解來反襯．電視版自行增加二個鏡頭，一是Maud親自為Mrs Sucksby奉茶問起生父，一是Mrs Sucksby疼愛地梳理Maud的長髮，祝她生日快樂．

我之前曾提及，Maud與Sue的默契很差，牆就算薄得像紙，都是一種溝通障礙．可是倆人在Lant Street，雙方的靈犀像無形的電流，跨越一街之遙相通．Sue在這一端，氣得大叫，Maud在另一頭竟感應得到："She might have heard me--though I don't think she can have--for she turned her head and seemed to look at me, to hold my gaze across the dusty street and the darkness, for quite a minute. I don't think I blinked, in all that time. I don't think she did, her eyes stayed open--I saw them, and remembered their colour at last."(P.504) 我每看這一段，都會摒住呼吸．
稍後倆人相會時，Maud真的感覺到Sue曾在遠處偷看："You have watched us....At the shutter!" (P.525)

不過好景不常，Sue最後都會陷入被迫害妄想症："She liked to stand there, with her face against the sash--as if she knew I was watching, and mocked me!"(P.509) 不論Maud的任何反應，Sue老是想著Maud在嘲諷她．

Sue從睡在旁邊的Charles可以聯想到Maud："I thought of Maud, across the street, lying breathing in Mars Sucksby's arms, her mouth open like his(Charles), like a flower, her throat perfectly slender, and perfectly white and bare."(P.507) Sue一路出現又愛又恨的反應，到衝入老家雙方對質的那一段，內心更是波濤洶湧，絕非如電視版，好像只記恨似地便要撲殺Maud．

誤解是最遠的距離
Sue苦心計劃將Charles送進老家內，卻被Maud看到，硬塞了紅心二的紙牌，便急著要他離開．就算讀者觀眾們都知道，紙牌代表Maud的心，但是怎麼能怪Sue誤解了意思，因為Sue當時算命，明明算的是她和Gentleman的姻緣；但如果送出來的是頂針，Sue說不定較能了解含義．

電視版，Sue衝進屋內，如果沒有被Mrs Sucksby擋在中間，恐怕早就一刀殺死Maud．在原著，Sue朝思暮想，眼見Maud如記憶中的容顏和親耳聽她甜美聲音重現，她的復仇意志早就七折八扣，她對Maud的惡言相向只變得虛張聲勢，宣洩抱怨多於宣判罪行：
■ "She was dressed like a girl of the Borough, but her face was put back from the light, her eyes in shadow--she looked handsome and proud."(P.518)看到Maud的第一眼，雖然略顯憔悴，還是看得到她自傲俊美的神態
■ "Her voice was clear, and sweet. I remembered hearing it, now, in my dreams at the madhouse."(P.518)她的聲音讓Sue想起病院中不能自己的夢境
■ "It was the third time she(Maud)had spoken my name. I heard it and --despite myself-- I thought of the other times she had said it, so softly as that, and felt myself colour."(P.522)她的聲聲呼喚也讓Sue回想起最初的肌膚之親

電視版，Maud很快就放棄對Sue的溫柔呼喚，沒兩句話，便互相指責對方陷害．我不太滿意電視劇本的安排，可是看Elaine Cassidy瞬間爆發的情緒"To cheat me, to kill me!"還是讓人大呼過癮．倒是在原著，Maud完全卸下小姐脾氣，沒有情緒地回應："You came to Briar...to do that(kill me)..."(P.523)．此外，Maud還百般忍受Sue的責罵，只是平靜地一連四次催促Sue離開危險之地．

她們當著眾人，有一段坦白且點到要害的對話(P.526-527), Sue酸溜溜地抱怨Maud為什麼不去和自己的丈夫同寢，而要與Sue的養母同睡．Maud開始辯解，只差沒有說出「我只在乎妳」：

'You(Sue) don't suppose him anything to me? You don't think him a husband to me, in anything but name? Don't you know I hate him? Don't you know I hated him, at Briar?' (可惜Maud沒機會表白新婚之夜只是一場假戲．)
'Will you make out now,' I said, in a kind of trembling scorn, 'that you only did what you did because he made you?' (Sue的另一個意思其實是：Maud是不是依Gentleman的指令，令Sue愛上Maud，發生那些事情... )
'He did make me!--But not in the way you mean.' (想當初Maud是怕Gentleman透露她對Sue的暗戀，不得不被牽著走 )
I said, 'Will you pretend, that you aren't a swindling cheat?' (這句真是一語雙關，我的解讀是Sue在追問：妳－－Maud，真的沒有欺騙我的感情？ )
She said, 'Will you?' (所以Maud反問，那妳有欺騙我的感情嗎？)
....
'We might have cheated him. If you had told me. We might have--' (Sue責怪Maud當初為何不向她坦白．唉，誰叫妳次日清晨一付閃躲樣子，人家只好打消念頭 )
'What?'
'Anything. Something. I don't know what....'
She shook her head. 'How much,' she asked quitely, 'would you have given up?' (這一句問得Sue啞口無言，核心問題就在於Sue實在太以榮譽及目標為先．)

Gentleman的最後命運
Gentleman返回Lant Street的高潮戲，電視版大致是跟著原著的架構，有些很細微的弦外之音，要參看原著的全文．電視版對話：
Gentleman：Oh damn it, tell the poor bitch, how we used her. (噢，他媽的，告訴這個可憐的婊子，我們怎麼利用了她)
Maud：Richard don't say any more. (Richard，別再說了)
Gentleman：Oh my dear wife. Have you no feelings at all? Not that I know of. But I know you have. Damn it Maud, what does it matter to you? You're a fully fledged villain now, you don't have to care about either of them! (喔，我親愛的太太，你沒有一點感情的嗎！我知道我沒有．不過，我可知道妳有．天啊，Maud，妳這是幹什麼！妳現在已經是從頭到腳的壞人了，還在乎她們倆什麼啊！)

• 原著中，Gentleman其實一直隱約在拿Maud對Sue的感情(that thing)作文章，Maud的殺機和這一點脫不了關係："When you first started learning to be kind. What's it to you, what Sue knows?--Dear me, how you blush! Not that thing, still? And do you look at Mrs Sucksby? Don't say you care what she thinks! Why, you're as bad as Sue. Look how you quake! Be bolder, Maud. Think of your mother."(P532)．

Mrs Sucksby：Gentleman, enough! (Gentleman，夠了!)
Gentleman：Now I see the resembles. (噢，現在我看到相同之處了)
Maud：No, you see nothing. Nothing. (你什麼都沒看到，什麼都沒有！)
Gentleman：Why did I never suspect it? No wonder you kicked and cursed and she let you. Oh, this is rich! (我怎麼當初沒想到啊！難怪妳又踢又打又鬧的，她都由著妳，寵著妳喔，這下精采了！)

• Gentleman如何看穿Mrs Sucksby與Maud其實是母女的隱情?電視版演得像是Gentleman的突然頓悟，原著則用「以手撫心」這個相同的肢體語言，來暗示母女同心：
  ■ "She(Maud) had not flinched, or started, at sight of me, as the others all had; she had only--just like Mrs Sucksby--lifted her hand to her heart."(P.518) Sue一衝進屋裡，已看到倆人動作的巧合
  ■ "She(Maud) had raised her hand to her heart....and she(Mrs Sucksby) stood, with her hand, like Maud's, at her bosom, beneath that diamond brooch. Then she felt him(Gentleman) looking, glanced quickly at Maud, and let her hand fall."(P.532) Gentleman同樣看到倆人動作的巧合，連Mrs Sucksby都有意識地想要避嫌

Mrs Sucksby：My heart! (噢，我的心！)
Gentleman：Your heart? You have a heart Mrs Sucksby? (妳的心？妳還有良心嗎，Mrs. Sucksby?)
Mrs Sucksby：Feel it here!你來摸摸
Gentleman：No, I should get your daughter to do that.(不，我該叫妳女兒來摸)

• 電視版，Gentleman說上一句台詞時，還對著Maud眨眼．在原著，Gentleman其實最後還有一句挑釁的話：" 'Feel that?' he said, with a glance at her bosom. 'I don't think so.' Then he smiled. 'You may get your daughter to do it, however. She's had practice.' "(P.533)這裡"Practice"應該不是指Maud已侍奉其母，而是指Maud曾有的女女情事

Gentleman中刀的瞬間，雖然是三個人一齊擠上前去，但百分之九十九的證據都顯示是Maud下的手，但三個人衝上去，各是為了什麼原因？

Maud：電視版只顯示，Maud是不想讓Gentleman揭穿與MrsSucksby的母女關係，免得傷了Sue的心，而且也為制止Gentleman繼續羞辱自己的母親沒有良心．但是在原著，還多了另一個重要動機：Maud不准Gentleman再挑明她和Sue的情事(that thing, practice)，畢竟之前在醫生來會診時，Gentleman都可以突然興起揭人隱私，難保他不會再藉題發揮．

Elaine Cassidy的表演詮釋預先做了鋪陳：之前她在Mrs Sucksby上茶時，快速搶走項鍊，打落杯子；之後與Sue對質時，甩開椅子，衝向Sue大罵．這些都塑造出Maud敏捷如豹的爆發力，可以解釋Maud會比別人更快搶到刀去刺殺Gentleman．

Mrs Sucksby：雖然她也不想讓Gentleman揭穿與Maud的母女關係，但我不認為她有攻擊Gentleman的動機，她一直想辦法要平息整個局面．她極有可能只是反射動作，想拉住Maud的衝動行事．

Sue：電視版中，她完全看不出動機，如果她有拿刀，可能是反射性想避免刀被人搶走．但在原著，Gentleman的最後一句話，對Sue造成的效果還是偏重於想修理Gentleman，制止他羞辱Mrs Sucksby．由於她並不曉得Gentleman已經知道Maud對她的感情，所以"practice"字眼就沒有引起刺激．

• 不可告人的愛情？ 在Virago討論版，曾談論Sue最初對這份感情的恐同症Homophobia．其實恐同症的比重並不高．別人的觀感還在其次，對方的觀感才是重點．Sue最擔心不能成為強悍的人物，達成任務取得財富以榮譽Mrs Sucksby，是她最大的心障．她還害怕Maud知道自己來Briar的目的，Sue某種程度是出於自卑，自認配不上Maud的「單純善良」，而想迴避對Maud的感情；Maud一直不願Gentleman把愛戀Sue的事情曝光，則是出於自傲，特別是Sue一直迴避對等的表態．難怪Gentleman玩弄這個題目時，會極度刺激Maud．

一屋子的人眼睜睜看著Gentleman流血過多而死．想當初新婚之夜，原著裡的Gentleman對女人的血，百般不屑，先是揶揄Maud有沒有剛好來潮，可免除他的皮肉之苦．接著便把月信形容成女人瘋狂的因子："How ill a man may grow," he says, "from the sight of the spilling of a little of his own blood. What monsters you females must be, to endure this, month upon month. No wonder you are prone to madness."(P.311)

諷刺的是，Mrs Sucksby在他彌留之際，用女人生產失血來安慰："I've seen women lose blood like this, from a baby; and live to tell of it"(P.536)這畢竟不是生產，Gentleman終究熬不過死亡．

• Gentleman的同志身份：他是書中徹頭徹尾的壞人，在拉子的故事中，有必要把男同志描寫得這麼壞嗎？我認為那個身份是個很好的「載具」．Mrs Sucksby在挑選他進行誘婚時，應該考慮過這點，確保Gentleman最後會把Maud完壁歸趙，而不會真的中途雙宿雙飛，占了那一半財產．而且就算Mrs Sucksby在懷疑Mr Lilly是否碰過Maud時，曾說過「給自己人總好過便宜了外人」，我想她內心還是不希望Gentleman碰Maud．此外，因為他的同志情，才引出Charles，意外救了Sue．如果他是異性戀，我很難想像有一位女侍會大膽地離開Briar，跑到瘋人院來幫助Sue逃跑？

明天過後
John或許把罪嫌推到曾狠打他一鈀的Mrs Sucksby，但是Mrs Sucksby後來是自願出面認罪，除了解救愛女，同時也向養女贖罪．

之後發生的事情有些非常光怪陸離，真理不明，真相不清．電視版Sue提到："Maud said she'd killed him, but nobody believed her. Because she was a lady, and a lunatic. (Maud說她殺了他，但是沒人相信．因為她是千金小姐，而且是個瘋子) 電視沒提到的是，原著裡瘋人院的醫生真的跑去看了Mrs Rivers (這回是Maud，而非Sue)．他一看大吃一驚，但卻很快地化危機為轉機，竟硬坳Mrs Rivers被他治癒，反而變成名醫："He said this showed how good his methods were. He had the papers give details of his house. He got lots of new lady patients out of it, I think, and quite made his fortune."(P.547)

電視版Sue提到："Gentleman weren't a gentleman after all.But a draper's son. Frederick Bunt. The papers said he had been brutally cut down in his manhood.And girls put his picture next to their heart." (Gentleman原來根本不是什麼紳士，而是個裁縫的兒子，真名叫佛雷德瑞克邦特，報紙上說他慘遭刺死，女孩們還把他的照片剪下來收藏)這一段與原著相差無幾，只是原著描寫到，Sue身處新聞的暴風眼當中，反而對外界的風風雨雨全都疏離，彷彿這些光怪陸離都與她無關．

• 詭譎的媒體力量：作者無心在這個題目上大作文章，我還是從Gentleman由壞人變英雄的案例，聯想起國外類似主題的作品：殺手變媒體名人的＜Chicago 芝加哥＞、＜妮可基曼愛的機密＞、＜閃靈殺手＞...

電視版演到Lant Street街坊鄰居湊錢幫助Sue，其中一位Tommy後來還幫助Sue唸遺囑．這一段的處理其實大大違背原著的精神．作者一直在塑造「眼見不足為憑」的環境，Maud與Sue之間就是真理不明，真相不清的慘例．Gentleman稍早就在散播Sue拿了錢落跑的故事，到了這件謀殺案爆發，街坊鄰居已經認定Sue是個壞胚子，是Mrs Sucksby為Sue頂罪："They talked about my mother, and the bad blood that flowed in me...though I had turned out bad--who(Mrs Sucksby) had stepped forward and taken the blame...When I walked out in the Borough, people cursed me. Once, a girl threw a stone at me."(P.542-543)街坊鄰居不像電視中友善，他們可是會拿石頭攻擊Sue．(石頭攻擊？這不是源自聖經的典故嗎？)

Sue原先最害怕別人評價，現在她完全無視於別人的眼光，用無比的毅力堅守在她認為是歸屬地的Lant Street，就是因為這股完全豁出去的力量，她發現遺囑內容之後，便決定無論如何都要找到Maud:"...but I mean to find her. I don't care if it takes me all my life. I'll find her out, and tell her what I know. She might have gone away. She might be on the other side of the world. She might be married! I don't care. I'll find her, and tell her everything ...."(P.569) 在原著中的Sue變得非常有力量，如果沒有這份力量(I don't care)，我不敢想像她們的愛情在那樣的時代如何能長長久久?

電視版，Sue事後都沒有見過Maud．在原著，Sue曾夢過Gentleman，但聲音最後變成了Maud(她的聲音實在太令Sue魂牽夢引)．其實Maud在法庭上有驚鴻一瞥．Sue循著Mrs Sucksby的視線看到Maud："...But she caught my eye, and her gaze, as it had before, moved on: I watched it roam about the room, as if looking for someone or something else--finally it settled and seemed to clear, and I followed it and picked out, at the back of the rows of watchers, a girl drssed all in black, with a veil, that she was just putting down--It was Maud. I saw her, not expecting to see her: and I'll tell you this, my heart flew open; then I remembered everything, and my heart flew shut."(P.550)

愛是犧牲忍耐
Mrs Sucksby原本是故事中最為罪大惡極之人，她出面頂罪卻也完成最大的救贖－－不論是對生女還是養女．不知情的Sue在行刑前，日日至獄中陪伴養母，Mrs Sucksby內心必定倍受煎熬，吐實本是最好的解脫，但她再怎麼樣都忍住，不想再傷害Sue．原著描寫道："Once or twice she gripped me hard, and seemed about to speak on some awful matter; but always, at the last, she would turn the matter aside and it would be lost."(P.545)　(*看過＜亂世佳人＞的觀眾應該還記得，梅蘭妮臨終前，所有人都告誡郝思嘉千萬不要坦白和艾思禮的感情：不要只圖一己解脫，自私地枉加對方的負擔)

Mrs Sucksby明白總有一天真相會揭穿，所以她要求Sue一定要看著她行刑：Watch me tomorrow. Don't cover your eyes. Should you ever hear hard things of me when I'm gone,think back too(明天妳看著我走，不要閉眼．如果妳以後聽到關於我壞話，妳要多想想以前)Sue只要曾眼睜睜地看著她離開人世，將來就算Sue發現Mrs Sucksby曾有的冷酷無情，又何忍再追究其罪孽呢？

Sue看完行刑，聽到觀眾仍像往常一樣發出歡呼的聲音，她突然明白群眾歡呼的原因："I think I had used to cheer myself, at other hangings. I never thought what the cheering meant. Now I listened as those hurrahs went up, and it seemed to me, even in my grief, that I understood. She's dead, they might as well have been calling. The thought was rising, quicker than blood, in every heart. She's dead--and we're alive."(P.558)

電視版自行加了一段Maud至獄中探望Mrs Sucksby的情節．Maud不再閃躲Mrs Sucksby的撫摸，相反地，她緊握住Mrs Sucksby的手，還破天荒地喊了母親．這一刻，我們體認到，Maud從小缺乏關愛，長大後好不容易感受到的愛：短暫的母愛即將天人永隔；顛沛流離的愛情，為了Sue，也為了母親，她就要選擇隱藏真相，自我流放到Briar．日後，她們愛情的唯一希望，完全依靠Sue的一念之間．

Mrs Sucksby死後遺物交給女兒－－由Sue來領取．她意外地發現藏在衣襯裡的遺囑．在原著，她執意找陌生人來讀："I would not ask anyone I knew--anyone who had cursed me. I wanted a stranger."(P.564)當一切真相大白，Sue最掛念是Maud："I was thinking of Maud, letting me hate her. I was thinking of Maud, making me think she'd hurt me, to save me knowing who had hurt me most..."(P.567)終於，她了解，最愛她的人只有Maud．電視版出現回憶，原本Maud在新婚之夜淒厲的強求，在這一刻軟化成似水柔情．

在原著，Sue的反應很激動，當著Dainty的面說出："...If I had said--If she had turned--If I had known--I would have kissed her--"(P.568)　Sue悲傷過度，大病了一場，我一開始還擔心這個故事居然要如此悲劇收尾，還好這是再出發前的潛行，Sue康復後，便自己帶著行囊和Danity貢獻的棺材本，二度踏上至Briar的旅程．

回到愛的發生地
當地人告訴Sue，Miss Lilly回來照顧Mr Lilly，直到他不久前往生．Sue來到莊園時，開始下起雨(電視版是大晴天)，她不得其門而入，只好爬窗進入屋內．Sue幾乎在房子裡每個角落收拾對Maud的思念．她在餐廳，開始想像Maud用餐的樣子："I had never been in here before. But I had used to try and imagine Maud, as she sat, with her uncle, at her supper; I had used to imagine the little bits she would take at her meat...."(P.574)她還想像Maud在畫室中朗讀的樣子，接著便上樓走到書房，聽到聲音："I caught my breath. The murmur stopped, then started again. It was not in my own head, I could hear it--it came, from the library..." (P.575)

她們會面的情緒轉折，電視版與原著的註釋方式略有差異．在原著，Maud雖然一開始保持警戒距離，倒是很快就向Sue道歉．在說到You do not know me，原著中的Maud出現一絲難以啟齒地掙扎"She seemed, for a moment, almost to struggle with herself."(P.579)

等到Maud念完一本書的部份章節，Sue的第一個反應，認為Maud之前故意裝清純引誘她：'You knew it all,' I said. That's the first thing I thought. 'You said that you knew nothing, when all the time--'但是Maud堅決回答：'I did know nothing,' she said.關於這一段的辯證，請回過頭看第三篇的愛恨情轉，其中性事與五個感官的分析．

Sue的第二個反應，是不忍Maud要承受如此淫狎內容，Maud則很自傲：'Don't pity me,' she said, 'because of him. He's dead. But I am still what he made me. I shall always be that...'

電視版，Maud根本不猶豫，直接就拿起書，念完後對Sue嗆聲：I'm not the good, sweet girl you thought I was. This is what I am. (我不是妳想的那個美好、純潔的女孩．這，才是我)

電視版的Maud，態度慢慢軟化，向Sue道歉，為了Mrs Sucksby頂罪不肯說出真相，心防開始決堤，Sue上前抹淨她額頭的墨漬，想要安慰她...桌上的文稿不小心滑落地面．

原著的順序不太一樣，Sue上前抹淨她額頭的墨漬，倆人接著相吻，Maud手上的文稿才滑落地面："When I kissed her, she shook....We moved apart...She had still held the paper. Now it fluttered to the floor."(P.582)

Sue問起文稿的內容，原著裡Maud的回答有點讓人意猶未盡："It is filled with all the words for how I want you...Look"(P.582)可是電視版，倆人直到這一刻都還未接吻，一直高傲的Maud，最後完全放下身段，努力表達：They're full of words saying..How I want you. How...I love you. Maud主動吻了Sue．看Elaine Cassidy嘔心瀝血詮釋最後一句話，不僅讓Maud占有了Sue的心，更令全球觀眾都愛死了這位才貌雙全的女演員．

電視版的結尾，一大片陽光灑進書房，倆人再度相吻，象徵一個充滿希望美好的愛情結局．可是我偏愛原著中，窗外天色昏暗，落雨不斷，倆人在火爐前，席地而坐，就著燭光，Maud用她令人魂牽夢引的聲音開始喃喃念起....

"She took the lamp. The room had got darker, the rain still beat against the glass. But she let me to the fire and made me sit, and sat beside me. Her silk skirts rose in a rush, then sank. She put the lamp upon the floor, spread the paper flat; and began to show me the words she had written, one by one."(P.582)