Summary
Chapter 7
One day while Maisie is still living at her father's house, Mrs. Wix visits out of the blue. Maisie believes Mrs. Wix came on this day because both her father and Miss Overmore are away, supposedly investigating a school for Maisie to attend, but Miss Overmore returns a day early and so catches Mrs. Wix. Mrs. Wix announces that she has come because she has a message from Ida for Maisie, saying she had to come to deliver the message because letters sent for Maisie obviously do not get to her. The important message for Maisie is that her mother is engaged to be married to a man named Sir Claude. Miss Overmore seems shocked by this revelation and says that it "would of course put an end to any further pretension to take her daughter back" (37). Mrs. Wix argues against this and then pulls out a photograph of Sir Claude to show Maisie. Maisie admires the photo of Sir Claude greatly and begs to keep it. Mrs. Wix clearly wants to keep the photo for herself, but quickly surrenders it to Maisie. Miss Overmore insults Mrs. Wix by saying she will not touch the photograph because it is "an object belonging to Mrs. Wix" (38), and Mrs. Wix retaliates by informing Maisie that she will definitely be returning to her mother's house soon. Miss Overmore tops this by implying that Maisie's father is married, then explaining exactly how: "Papa's not about to marry—papa is married, my dear. Papa was married the day before yesterday at Brighton...He's my husband, if you please, and I'm his little wife. So now we'll see who's your little mother!" (39).
Chapter 8
After Mrs. Wix leaves, Miss Overmore realizes that she would be hypocritical to criticize Ida further for her marriage, so she silently gazes at Sir Claude's photo. Maisie is surprised when Miss Overmore pronounces Sir Claude "horrid" (40) and is further confused when Miss Overmore suggests they put the photo on display in the schoolroom. Maisie asks Miss Overmore if she will be different now that she is married to Beale, and Miss Overmore responds that she will be completely different. She asks Maisie to call her Mrs. Beale from now on (and she is referred to as such for the rest of the novel).
From this point on, Mrs. Beale fully takes on the role of Beale's companion rather than Maisie's governess, and Maisie's care and studies are largely neglected. Her days are filled with listening to her father and step-mother entertain guests downstairs and being taken on walks by a poor, uncultured servant named Susan Ash. One day when Maisie comes home from a walk with Susan Ash, she finds Sir Claude waiting for her at her father's house. He is friendly and charming, and he announces that he has actually come to take Maisie to her mother's house. During this conversation, Mrs. Beale and Sir Claude seem to get along very well, making light jokes at the expense of their spouses; Maisie notes that Miss Overmore "went on to their visitor so familiarly that it was almost as if they must have met before" (44). At the end of the conversation, everyone repeats that Maisie has brought Mrs. Beale and Sir Claude together. Then Sir Claude takes Maisie off to her mother's house, with Miss Beale promising to send Maisie's clothes and other items the next day.
Chapter 9
Maisie is now back her mother's house being cared for and taught by Mrs. Wix. After such a long time not having any lessons, Maisie spends long, fulfilling days studying with Mrs. Wix. Maisie's mother won't see Maisie for three days once she has arrived at the house, but Sir Claude visits the schoolroom often. Sir Claude tells Maisie that Ida does not know about him visiting Beale's house, let alone getting to know Beale's new wife. When Maisie finally does get an audience with her mother, she plays dumb to keep Sir Claude's positive relationship with Mrs. Beale a secret.
As the weeks go on, Ida often goes days at a time without seeing Maisie. Sir Claude also is away from the house for days at a time, but he always brings back presents for both Maisie and Mrs. Wix to show he's been thinking of them. Maisie's adoration for Sir Claude grows because of how well he treats Mrs. Wix. She thinks about how "He shook hands with her, he recognised her, as she said, and above all, more than once, he took her, with his stepdaughter, to the pantomime and, in the crowd, coming out, publicly gave her his arm" (51). In other words, he treats Mrs. Wix not only as a person, but as if she is a respectable, beautiful lady. Mrs. Wix takes to talking about her love for Sir Claude to Maisie, figuring that Maisie can handle it because she is already aware of such matters from her parents' relationships. Maisie admits that she loves Sir Claude too.
Ida and Sir Claude seem happily married for the most part—while they each sometimes go off for multiple days alone, they also go off together, likely to enjoy "brilliant society" (52). While they are away, Maisie and Mrs. Wix are left alone to scrounge for dinner in the pantry, often ending up hungry. Maisie finds out that Mrs. Beale has been trying to visit her, but Ida will not allow it. Ida is especially adamant about this not happening because "[Maisie's] stepfather had backed her stepmother up" (53). Maisie asks Sir Claude if he is still in communication with Mrs. Beale but doesn't get an answer.
Chapter 10
This chapter consists entirely of a confusing conversation between Sir Claude and Maisie. They start by discussing Mrs. Beale; Maisie says that she knows Mrs. Beale won't give her up, even though Ida and Mrs. Wix won't let them be in contact. Sir Claude promises that he hasn't seen Mrs. Beale since the day he picked up Maisie to bring her to her mother's house. When Sir Claude brings up Mrs. Beale's youth, Maisie gets tangled up in the idea of which of her guardians are younger or older than one another. When Maisie comes out of this period of reflection, she and Sir Claude again discuss the idea of Maisie bringing Sir Claude and Mrs. Beale together. Sir Claude remarks, "We are together—it's really most odd. She's thinking of us—of you and me—though we don't meet" (56). They move on to talking about whether Maisie will go back to her father's house, with Sir Claude saying she definitely will go back there. This brings Maisie to say that she has also brought Sir Claude and Mrs. Wix together, and Sir Claude responds that she has brought everyone together besides him and Maisie's mother, who are "not together—not a bit" (56). Sir Claude says that he thinks Mrs. Beale will come to take Maisie back to her father's house at some point when Ida is away, and he promises that he'll find a way to visit her often when she's at her father's without her mother knowing. The chapter ends with Sir Claude saying he's not afraid of Maisie's father, but he is afraid of Maisie's mother.
Chapter 11
Ida and Sir Claude's relationship seems to have completely deteriorated by this chapter. Whereas Ida used to go out often with Sir Claude and laugh naturally at his charming humor, she is now constantly rushing out alone in low-cut dresses. Ida coldly tells Maisie that she has "washed her hands" of her and given her care over to Sir Claude. However, on another day Ida uses Maisie in an argument with Sir Claude, clutching the little girl and weeping over how Sir Claude has stolen her child. Maisie is not all that disturbed by her mother's outburst, but she is upset that Sir Claude goes away for a while after this as if in reaction to having the responsibility for Maisie thrust on him in this way.
One day, Ida brings a new man, perhaps a new suitor, to visit Maisie. The man is named Mr. Perriam, and Maisie describes him as "short and massive" (61). Mrs. Wix explains to Maisie that Mr. Perriam must be very rich. Ida tells Maisie that she's told Mr. Perriam all about her daughter, as she tells everyone, and as the man looks around the room Maisie feels the schoolroom becoming like a cage. After he leaves, Maisie never brings him up again. Eventually, Sir Claude comes back home, bringing presents for Maisie and Mrs. Wix as always, though Mrs. Wix gets an umbrella after already having received an umbrella from Sir Claude recently. Maisie mulls over which of her guardians is on each other's "side" (63).
Sir Claude begins to visit Maisie and Mrs. Wix more, being more present in Maisie's lessons and talking at length with Mrs. Wix about his troubled marriage. Mrs. Wix tells Maisie that they must try to get Sir Claude into Parliament, as this will save him from his miserable life.
Chapter 12
Thinking of how Ida has said Maisie's father would rather be dead than have responsibility of her, Maisie thinks to herself that she has "two fathers, two mothers and two homes, six protections in all" and yet she doesn't "know 'wherever' to go" (66). Ida and Sir Claude's relationship continues to worsen, and Ida has seemingly begun another affair with a man named Lord Eric. While Maisie, Mrs. Wix, and Sir Claude are spending time together one day, Mrs. Wix has the sudden idea that "the right thing" (68) would be for the three of them go off to live together. Mrs. Wix threatens that this could happen anyway as a result of Ida leaving Sir Claude. Sir Claude says that people would talk badly if he leaves her rather than her leaving him. Mrs. Wix continues to press Sir Claude, saying that doing this would save him and that making Maisie his "duty" would "repay [him] a thousandfold" (70). Sir Claude eventually ends the conversation by saying that Mrs. Wix is being too dramatic but promising never to forsake them.
After this conversation, nothing changes. Maisie becomes aware that Mrs. Wix's salary is not being paid, but Mrs. Wix is too polite to ask Sir Claude for it to be taken care of. He does have them sent a large cake and starts to take Maisie out more to parks, sports games, restaurants, shops, and the like. Ida, for her part, stays away from the house more and more, often for most of the week, as if practicing for "a more considerable absence" (72).
Analysis
James creates parallels through purposefully confusing names in this section and throughout the rest of the book. Specifically, he has Miss Overmore take on the name Mrs. Beale once she marries Beale Farange. This is confusing because Ida is still generally referred to as Mrs. Farange, the last name of her ex-husband and the name the reader might expect Miss Overmore to take after marriage. The women's uses of these names are revealing on a number of levels. Firstly, Ida keeping the last name Farange shows her continued connection to Beale Farange. As the narrator ironically states in the first chapter of the book, Ida and Beale were in a way more married after their divorce. Secondly, Miss Overmore taking the name Mrs. Beale rather than Mrs. Farange shows that she has a less deep connection with him, as a first name has more connection to one's surface identity while a last name connects to one's family and history. Finally, Mrs. Farange and Mrs. Beale having names that could cause the reader to confuse which character is which brings out parallels between the women, such as their scheming natures and lack of genuine care for Maisie.
Sir Claude's photograph, which Mrs. Wix shows and eventually gives to Maisie, is an important symbol in the book. Upon seeing the photo, Maisie instantly adores the man. The fact that Maisie feels such fixation on the man from only his photograph might imply that her love for Sir Claude is superficial. However, others might think this is evidence of a connection so deep that it could be experienced immediately—like love at first sight. In addition, Mrs. Wix having to make the decision of whether to let Maisie keep the photograph foreshadows Mrs. Wix's love for Sir Claude and Maisie's need to choose between the two caretakers in the last chapters of the book.
Maisie's education is an important theme in these chapters, particularly because it is so neglected at such an important time in her childhood. Once Miss Overmore marries Beale to become Mrs. Beale, she focuses more on her husband than her student-cum-step-daughter. The couple does purport to explore the idea of Maisie attending boarding school, but this never comes to fruition. When Maisie is returned to the care of Mrs. Wix at her mother's house, she and Mrs. Wix spend whole days studying to make up for lost time; however, it was stated upon the introduction of Mrs. Wix earlier in the book that the woman had little formal education herself and mostly "taught" Maisie through telling her stories. Maisie's lack of education throughout the book is tangible evidence of the negative effect of her upbringing. Just as the emotional neglect she has suffered will likely affect her ability to form stable relationships, her educational neglect could prevent her from understanding the world and supporting herself.
The subject of Maisie's parents cheating on their new spouses finally becomes explicit in Chapter 11 when the character of Mr. Perriam is introduced. While Maisie's parents have both acquired new, younger spouses in the chapters leading up to this point, this has been done after they were divorced from one another, and only vague reference is made to social taboos they may have broken while married. With the introduction of Mr. Perriam, it becomes clear to the reader that Ida is an adulterer. A number of Ida's lovers will be introduced throughout the rest of the book, including Lord Eric, the Captain, and Mr. Tischbein; Beale also has at least one extramarital affair, with a woman named the Countess, while married to Mrs. Beale. While Mrs. Beale's reaction to Beale's adultery will be shown to be strongly negative, Sir Claude seems to be almost completely unfazed by Ida's, perhaps because of his guilt over his continuing relationship with Mrs. Beale.
A thread of irony that runs throughout What Maisie Knew, but is is made explicit in Chapter 12, is the fact that Maisie has more parents and homes than a child usually would, and yet she feels alone and homeless. Maisie thinks to herself, "With two fathers, two mothers and two homes, six protections in all, she shouldn't know 'wherever' to go" (66). This paradox calls attention to the impact of Maisie's parents' actions and speech toward her; because they constantly fight over her custody, she does not feel a sense of love and stability.
