But at the Stroke of Midnight by Sylvia Townsend Warner
"But at the Stroke of Midnight" by Sylvia Townsend Warner tells the story of Mrs. Lucy Ridpath, an ordinary housewife who unexpectedly leaves her home, prompting concern from her husband, Aston. As the narrative unfolds, Lucy adopts the identity of her adventurous cousin Aurelia Lefanu, embarking on a journey of self-discovery and escape. Disguised as Aurelia, she sells her wedding ring and explores London, eventually staying at a guesthouse where she finds solace and freedom. Lucy's transformation leads her to engage with various characters, including a clergyman and a builder, as she immerses herself in a carefree life far removed from her past. However, her newfound happiness is shattered by the death of her cat, Lucy, which triggers a profound realization about her identity. Ultimately, the turmoil culminates in tragedy as Lucy is swept away by floodwaters while trying to bury her cat, marking a poignant end to her quest for autonomy and belonging. This tale explores themes of identity, freedom, and personal transformation, set against a backdrop of psychological complexity and emotional upheaval.
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But at the Stroke of Midnight by Sylvia Townsend Warner
First published: 1971
Type of plot: Psychological
Time of work: The late 1960's
Locale: London and its environs
Principal Characters:
Mrs. Lucy Ridpath , a housewife, married for twenty-five yearsAston Ridpath , her husband, a "born bachelor"Vere , Aston's sister, a "successful widow"Mrs. Barker , the charwoman
The Story
One ordinary Saturday, Mrs. Lucy Ridpath, from all appearances a typical routine-oriented housewife, leaves her home without informing her husband or anyone where she is going. Her husband Aston feels guilty that because of an "unlucky moment of inattention," he failed to listen or attend to her, part of his practice of taking her for granted. His sister Vere advises him to call the police; otherwise, he might be suspected of murder.
Taking on the identity of Aurelia Lefanu, Lucy's cousin, whose flightiness and adventurous personality "exert a powerful intoxicating influence on her," Lucy sells her wedding ring and visits the Tate Gallery, where she meets a man working for an art publishing firm. He takes her home, marveling at her aplomb and uncalculating frankness. He plans to take her to Provence, to save her from the lunatic asylum from which he suspects she escaped, but she disappears as he is trying to secure her passport.
Lucy as Aurelia spends her time as an anonymous rider on the London buses. She sleeps in the King's Cross Station waiting room and then finally gets Lancelot Fogg, a clergyman she meets at a funeral in Highgate Cemetery, to tell her where she can find a middle-aged hostel. The clergyman is awed at meeting a "spiritual woman" who strikes him as "exceedingly tranquil and trustful."
Lucy's stay with Miss Larke of St. Hilda's Guesthouse leads to her projecting her Lucy-self onto a tomcat, allowing her to continue as Aurelia. "Since her adoption of Lucy [the cat], she had become so unshakably Aurelia that she could contemplate being Lucy, too, so far as being Lucy would further Aurelia's designs." She then sends two letters to Aston demanding fifty pounds, one promising to return and the other promising to stay away. This equivocal or ambiguous message accurately conveys the schizoid state of Aurelia-Lucy. Aston replies with chagrin because he does not want to live with Lucy again; he prefers a "manly solitude," so he sends her four five-pound notes; Vere also replies, asking Lucy to stay away and enclosing one hundred pounds.
On a train, Lucy meets George Bastable, a builder and plumber, who rents for her a bungalow where his "young lady," now dead, once lived. Lucy spends the summer in an immunizing happiness, oblivious of past and future, living "with carefree economy" and enjoying Mr. Bastable's gifts of food. Her blackmail money spent, she begins to paint for vacationers in caravans, earning enough by the end of September to tide her over to Christmas. She busies herself gathering fuel for winter, with Lucy her cat acting as orderly timekeeper.
One foggy night, the cat comes home, dragging himself, head smashed in and jaw dangling, obviously hit by a car. His death triggers a shattering trauma and revelation: It was Aurelia's death that brought about Lucy's possession by the departed cousin. This "agony of dislocation" brings back to life Mrs. Lucy Ridpath. Amid the torrential rain, with floodwaters overwhelming the place, Lucy goes out to bury the cat, only to be swept away and killed by the roaring tumult of water.