Mrs. Baxter

Laurie Baxter

Laurie's mother, who is more sympathetic to his emotional turmoil but also worried about his mental state.

Mr. Vincent

Vincent subtly manipulates Mrs. Baxter's grief and religious guilt to gain influence over the household.

Mr. Baxter

The Baxters are a married couple who disagree on how to handle Laurie's spiritualist involvement, causing marital tension.

Maggie Deronnais

Maggie provides séances for Mrs. Baxter, who is a grieving mother seeking contact with a deceased child.

Mr. Baxter

The Baxters are a married couple who disagree on how to handle Laurie's spiritualist involvement, causing marital tension.

Laurie Baxter

Laurie's mother, who is more sympathetic to his emotional turmoil but also worried about his mental state.

Mr. Vincent

Vincent subtly manipulates Mrs. Baxter's grief and religious guilt to gain influence over the household.

Maggie Deronnais

Maggie provides séances for Mrs. Baxter, who is a grieving mother seeking contact with a deceased child.

Maggie Deronnais

Maggie provides séances for Mrs. Baxter, who is a grieving mother seeking contact with a deceased child.

Mr. Baxter

The Baxters are a married couple who disagree on how to handle Laurie's spiritualist involvement, causing marital tension.

Laurie Baxter

Laurie's mother, who is more sympathetic to his emotional turmoil but also worried about his mental state.

I

Mrs. Baxter is anxious about Laurie's state and hopes Maggie can help him. She reflects on the past conflicts over Laurie's conversion and his relationship with Amy.

I

Hosts Mrs. Stapleton, uneasy about her spiritualist talk, seeks Maggie's advice.

II

Troubled by Mrs. Stapleton's claims, she seeks the Vicar's opinion to settle the matter.

III

Mentions Mr. Rymer's dismissal of Spiritualism, but is largely oblivious to Laurie's deeper turmoil.

IV

Mrs. Baxter follows her nightly routine, signaling bedtime for the household, and is a figure of normalcy against Laurie's inner chaos.

I

Mrs. Baxter is content and unobservant, contrasting with Maggie's inner turmoil.

II

Worries that Laurie is unhappy in his religion and plans to have Mr. Rymer influence him during his visit.

II

Shows maternal concern, noticing Laurie's peaked appearance and questioning him about Spiritualism.

VII

Writes to Maggie, detailing her fears about Laurie's obsession with Amy and his declining health.

III

Seen in Laurie's vision, nodding in her chair in the drawing room at home.

I

Dismisses the letter as trivial, showing her serene and narrow-minded nature.

III

Displays symptoms of avoidance and dignity, wishing to ignore the subject of Laurie's behavior.

XII

Mrs. Baxter is present in the household, and her reactions to the unfolding events contribute to the atmosphere of concern and unease.

I

Maggie deliberately keeps her uninformed about Laurie's condition, believing she would be of no help.

II

Absorbed in her devotional book, she feels unwell and retires to bed.

I

Fractious and recovering from influenza, unaware of the vague perils surrounding her son.

III

Kept in the dark about Maggie's absence; her condition is a concern.

IV

Dines in bed, experiences a frightening vision of Laurie, and shares it with Maggie.

V

Her house is the focus of the watchers' attention, though she is unseen.

III

Mentioned as being upstairs, also unaware of the conflict.