# Susan Vincent — Salem Chapel character guide > Susan Vincent in Salem Chapel by Margaret Oliphant. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Miss Susan, Susan, poor Susan, Susan Vincent, Poor gentle Susan **First appearance:** 0000-i ## Snapshot Arthur's gentle sister, whose sudden illness in Carlingford turns the minister's household into a sickroom and his mother into a nurse. ## Who they are Susan Vincent is the quiet, devoted daughter whose fragility anchors the domestic side of Arthur's ministry, the reason his mother hurries through lamplit streets and cuts short conversations with strangers. Her illness absorbs the family's attention at the very moment Salem's troubles demand Arthur's, dividing the loyalties of the Vincent household. Gentle and largely silent, she matters less for what she does than for the anxious gravity her bedside casts over the novel's opening. ## Relationships ### [Arthur Vincent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/arthur_vincent) _family_ Susan is Arthur's younger sister, and he feels a protective, brotherly affection toward her. ### [Miss Vincent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/miss_vincent) _family_ Miss Vincent and Susan are sisters, with Miss Vincent often guiding and advising the younger Susan. ### [Mr. Fordham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/mr_fordham) _romantic_ Mr. Fordham courts Susan Vincent, though his intentions are complicated by his interest in Lady Western. ### [Dr. Rider](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/dr_rider) _friendship_ Dr. Rider is a friend to Susan Vincent, offering her medical advice and friendly support. ### [Miss Vincent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/miss_vincent) _family_ Miss Vincent and Susan are sisters, with Miss Vincent often guiding and advising the younger Susan. ### [Arthur Vincent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/arthur_vincent) _family_ Susan is Arthur's younger sister, and he feels a protective, brotherly affection toward her. ### [Arthur Vincent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/arthur_vincent) _family_ Susan is Arthur's younger sister, and he feels a protective, brotherly affection toward her. ### [Dr. Rider](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/dr_rider) _friendship_ Dr. Rider is a friend to Susan Vincent, offering her medical advice and friendly support. ### [Mr. Fordham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/mr_fordham) _romantic_ Mr. Fordham courts Susan Vincent, though his intentions are complicated by his interest in Lady Western. ### [Mr. Fordham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/mr_fordham) _romantic_ Mr. Fordham courts Susan Vincent, though his intentions are complicated by his interest in Lady Western. ### [Miss Vincent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/miss_vincent) _family_ Miss Vincent and Susan are sisters, with Miss Vincent often guiding and advising the younger Susan. ## In the story ### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/v) Her engagement to Mr. Fordham is announced; she is described as timid and reluctant to mention Fordham in her letters. ### [IX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/ix) Adds a postscript to her mother's letter, detailing her wedding preparations and happiness. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xii) Mentioned as being unaware of the letter; her engagement to Mr. Fordham is the central concern; left alone in Lonsdale without protection. ### [XIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xiii) The subject of family anxiety; her safety and the mystery of Fordham weigh on Vincent and his mother. ### [Chapter XIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xiv) Mentioned as having written a note announcing the arrival of the governess and the beautiful girl; engaged to Mr. Fordham. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xv) Mentioned as the victim of the man's betrayal; her mother and brother are desperately trying to protect her. ### [Chapter XVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xvi) Has disappeared from home, having left with Mr. Fordham and a woman in a blue veil, accompanied by the maid Mary. ### [Chapter XVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xvii) Referenced as the missing daughter; Mrs. Vincent insists she will be at Carlingford and is safe in her brother's house. ### [XVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xviii) The missing daughter whose whereabouts cause the family's anguish; her mother fears she may return to Carlingford or Lonsdale. ### [The Midnight Train](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xix) Mentioned as Vincent's lost sister, abducted by Colonel Mildmay under Fordham's name; her plight drives the action. ### [XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xx) Mentioned as the missing sister, deceived by Fordham, believed to be taken abroad; her fate remains unknown. ### [XXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxi) The missing daughter; Mrs. Vincent is desperate for her return and fears for her safety. ### [Chapter XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxiii) Lying unconscious in bed, described as marble-like and transformed by woe; suspected of murder. ### [Chapter XXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxiv) Implicated in the shooting of Colonel Mildmay; has fled the scene before Vincent's arrival. ### [XXV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxv) Lies unconscious or raving in a fever, transformed by trauma; her cries and words hint at a violent past. ### [Chapter XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxvi) Her situation is the central calamity; Vincent seeks legal help and fears for her reputation. ### [Chapter XXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxviii) Mentioned as exonerated by Colonel Mildmay's deposition; not physically present in the chapter. ### [XXIX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxix) Lies ill in bed, the subject of the vindication and her mother's anxious care. ### [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxxiii) Lies ill in the sickroom, the cause of Mrs. Vincent's restless movements and concern. ### [Chapter XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxxiv) Recovery does not progress; Dr. Rider is serious about her utter languor and apathy. ### [Mrs. Hilyard's Confession](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxxvii) Mentioned as ill and as the one Mrs. Hilyard's child called out for instead of her mother. ### [XXXVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xxxviii) Begins to recover her memory and speech, clinging to her mother and telling her story in broken syllables. ### [XLI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xli) Reported by Mrs. Vincent to be much better, remembering everything and expressing indignation at the doubts about her brother. ### [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/chapters/xliii) Returns from abroad transformed into a tall, majestic woman with a calm and commanding presence; reunites with Arthur at Folkestone, speaking with a low, liquid voice. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters/susan_vincent - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/salem_chapel_se/characters