# Madame de la Rougierre — Uncle Silas character guide > Madame de la Rougierre in Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Madame, Madame de la Rougepot, old Madame, Poor Madame, de la Rougierre, Mademoiselle, Mademoiselle Blassemare, Mademoiselle de Blassemare **First appearance:** 0006-volume-i-iv-madame-de-la-rougierre ## Who they are A coarse, watchful French governess whose obsequious charm and prying habits mark her as something far more dangerous than a mere tutor. ## Relationships ### [Maud Ruthyn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/maud_ruthyn) _psychological_ Madame de la Rougierre is Maud's sinister governess who manipulates and terrorizes her, creating a deeply oppressive and fearful dynamic. ### [Mary Quince](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/mary_quince) _professional_ Madame de la Rougierre treats Mary Quince, Maud's maid, with condescension and uses her as a tool for surveillance and manipulation. ### [Dudley Ruthyn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/dudley_ruthyn) _psychological_ Dudley Ruthyn, Uncle Silas's son, collaborates with Madame de la Rougierre in a sinister plot against Maud, sharing a manipulative and predatory alliance. ### [Lady Knollys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/lady_knollys) _rivalry_ Lady Knollys immediately recognizes Madame de la Rougierre as a dangerous and deceitful woman, openly opposing her influence over Maud. ### [Uncle Silas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/uncle_silas) _psychological_ Madame de la Rougierre and Uncle Silas are co-conspirators in a plot to defraud and possibly murder Maud, bound by mutual greed and manipulation. ### [Mrs. Rusk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/mrs_rusk) _professional_ Madame de la Rougierre interacts with Mrs. Rusk, the housekeeper, as a fellow servant but uses her position to exert control and gather information. ### [Milly Ruthyn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/milly_ruthyn) _psychological_ Madame de la Rougierre manipulates and frightens the simple-minded Milly, using her as a pawn in her schemes against Maud. ### [Maud Ruthyn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/maud_ruthyn) _psychological_ Madame de la Rougierre is Maud's sinister governess who manipulates and terrorizes her, creating a deeply oppressive and fearful dynamic. ### [Milly Ruthyn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/milly_ruthyn) _psychological_ Madame de la Rougierre manipulates and frightens the simple-minded Milly, using her as a pawn in her schemes against Maud. ### [Lady Knollys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/lady_knollys) _rivalry_ Lady Knollys immediately recognizes Madame de la Rougierre as a dangerous and deceitful woman, openly opposing her influence over Maud. ### [Maud Ruthyn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/maud_ruthyn) _psychological_ Madame de la Rougierre is Maud's sinister governess who manipulates and terrorizes her, creating a deeply oppressive and fearful dynamic. ### [Mrs. Rusk](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/mrs_rusk) _professional_ Madame de la Rougierre interacts with Mrs. Rusk, the housekeeper, as a fellow servant but uses her position to exert control and gather information. ## In the story ### [Uncle Silas](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/uncle-silas) A French governess hired by Austin Ruthyn, who brings an unsettling presence to Knowl. ### [IV: Madame de la Rougierre](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-iv-madame-de-la-rougierre) Madame de la Rougierre arrives as Maud's governess, described as tall, masculine, and ghastly, with a cunning smile and unsettling mannerisms. ### [Sights and Noises](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-v-sights-and-noises) Displays hypocritical piety, manipulative behavior, and a dangerous temper; she feigns affection when observed by Maud's father and uses religious exercises to control Maud. ### [A Walk in the Wood](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-vi-a-walk-in-the-wood) Madame manipulates Maud, tortures her for information about the will, and is caught eavesdropping; she also wins a dispute with Mrs. Rusk over brandy. ### [Church Scarsdale](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-vii-church-scarsdale) Suspected of thieving and conspiring with the pedlar; behaves erratically at Church Scarsdale, singing a morbid ballad and pretending to be a corpse. ### [VIII: The Smoker](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-viii-the-smoker) Arranges a secret meeting with Dud in the churchyard to discuss Maud; feigns illness to avoid Lady Knollys and questions Maud about her. ### [IX: Monica Knollys](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-ix-monica-knollys) Mentioned as the French governess who will accompany Maud to London. ### [X: Lady Knollys Removes a Coverlet](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-x-lady-knollys-removes-a-coverlet) Pretends to be ill to avoid meeting Lady Knollys, but is eventually confronted. ### [XI: Lady Knollys Sees the Features](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-xi-lady-knollys-sees-the-features) Caught feigning illness; defensive and evasive when confronted by Lady Knollys. ### [Angry Words](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-xiv-angry-words) Manipulative and defensive; feigns illness and weeps to gain sympathy from Maud's father. ### [XV: A Warning](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-xv-a-warning) Attempts to deceive Maud into walking to Church Scarsdale, lies to the housekeeper, and physically tries to force Maud over a stile. ### [XVI: Doctor Bryerly Looks In](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-xvi-doctor-bryerly-looks-in) Attempts to force Maud to walk to Church Scarsdale; reacts with anger and later feigned cheerfulness when refused. ### [XVII: An Adventure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-xvii-an-adventure) Maud's governess, whose strange behavior and contradictory account of the incident raise suspicion. ### [A Midnight Visitor](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-xviii-a-midnight-visitor) The governess caught using a false key to open Austin Ruthyn's desk; she is dismissed after surrendering the key. ### [XIX: Au Revoir](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-i-xix-au-revoir) Madame departs from Knowl but intercepts Maud in the woods, delivering a sinister farewell and threatening to remember and watch Maud from afar. ### [In Search of Mr. Charke's Skeleton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xix-in-search-of-mr-charke-s-skeleton) Madame mocks and threatens Maud, calling her a 'calomniatrice' and vowing to humble her. She denies all accusations with feigned tears and convinces Uncle Silas of Maud's delusion. ### [XX: The Foot of Hercules](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xx-the-foot-of-hercules) Returns as Maud's governess, acting genially but still feared by Maud. ### [I Conspire](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxi-i-conspire) Maud's companion and spy, who accompanies her to Feltram and is suspected of colluding with Dudley. ### [The Letter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxii-the-letter) Attends to Maud after her fainting fit and later visits her for tea, behaving boisterously and hinting at her influence over Uncle Silas. ### [XXIII: Lady Knollys' Carriage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxiii-lady-knollys-carriage) Locks Maud in her room, deceives Lady Knollys, and later hints to Maud about leaving for France due to bad news from London. ### [XXIV: A Sudden Departure](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxiv-a-sudden-departure) Madame is dressed for the journey and given authority over Maud's travel arrangements, though she remains evasive about her earlier conversation. ### [The Journey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxv-the-journey) Escorting Maud; behaves cryptically and menacingly, hinting at a hidden agenda and testing Maud's loyalty. ### [XXVI: Our Bedchamber](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxvi-our-bedchamber) Madame orchestrates the deception, locking the door, hiding the key, and laughing at Maud's distress. She displays her vanity and sinister amusement. ### [XXVII: A Well-Known Face Looks In](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxvii-a-well-known-face-looks-in) Locks Maud in, dismisses her fears, and lies about the iron bars. ### [Spiced Claret](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxviii-spiced-claret) Drinks heavily, becomes furious and volatile, forgets to lock Maud's door, and eventually falls asleep after consuming spiced claret. ### [XXIX: The Hour of Death](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/chapters/volume-ii-xxix-the-hour-of-death) The victim; murdered in her bed by Dudley. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters/madame_de_la_rougierre - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/uncle_silas_se/characters