The Virgin and the Gypsy

Yvette and her sister Lucille return from the relative freedom of a French finishing school to their gloomy family home. The rectory atmosphere is tense from the start, with the pedantic father, the prim aunt Cissie, and the aging grandmother exerting strict control. Yvette begins to feel the weight of this domestic prison and limited contact with Mary and Uncle Fred.

The rector and other relatives scrutinize Yvette’s behavior, isolating her from the social life of the village. The house becomes a battleground for authority, tradition, and Yvette’s growing restlessness. The sense of imprisonment deepens as she navigates the oppressive rules of the home.

During a frivolous car ride with Leo Wetherall and friends, a gypsy stops them and offers fortunes. The gypsy’s wife tells Yvette to beware of the voice of the water, an omen that unsettles her. The encounter plants the first seeds of Yvette’s fascination with the gypsy and his world.

The following week, Yvette revisits the gypsy encampment and meets the gypsy’s wife who reinforces the omen with a fortunetelling. The encounter leaves a lasting impression on Yvette, deepening her curiosity and sense of rebellious possibility. She begins to view the gypsy and his world as more than childish fantasy.

Back at the encampment, Yvette befriends Mrs Fawcett and her lover Major Eastwood, whose defiance of social convention fascinates her. Their camaraderie challenges the rectory’s conservative norms and makes Yvette rethink her own restrictions. The rector’s disapproval of the Eastwoods grows, foreshadowing conflict with the family.

Yvette organizes a church fundraiser concert, drawing attention from the parish and testing her father’s limits. He refuses to admit the Eastwoods to the event, exposing the clash between Yvette’s rebellion and his authority. She ends up giving the funds raised to the gypsies, turning her protest into a calculated act of revenge.

Recognizing the signs of rebellion, the rector threatens Yvette if she does not reform and forbids her from seeing the Eastwoods again. The home becomes even more emotionally strained as Yvette confronts the limits of her independence. The threat marks a turning point toward a more decisive break with the family’s control.

Defying the rector’s restrictions, Yvette says goodbye to the Eastwoods and they discuss her relationship with the gypsy. She faces the reality behind her fantasies and must choose how to navigate her own desires within the family’s expectations. The exit deepens the rift with her father but also sharpens her sense of self.

On her way home by bike, Yvette sees the gypsy’s horse tethered to an old barn door. Inside, she briefly witnesses the gypsy with Mary, realizing the man is a real, tangible figure rather than a mere fantasy. This revelation confronts her with the adult dimensions of desire and power.

At Leo Wetherall’s 21st birthday party, Yvette publicly slaps him, denying him what he assumes is his right to marry her. The act marks a decisive break from social expectations and demonstrates Yvette’s agency. The party scene intensifies the social pressures surrounding her relationships.

As the story reaches its denouement, the voice of the water delivers a liberating, revelatory conclusion. Yvette’s internal tensions reach a threshold, reframing her as someone who asserts independence beyond the rectory’s constraints. The film closes on a note of ambiguous liberation rather than a tidy resolution.