# Father Chupin — Monsieur Lecoq character guide > Father Chupin in Monsieur Lecoq by Émile Gaboriau. **Role:** supporting **Also known as:** Chupin, the wicked old Chupin **First appearance:** 0000-monsieur-lecoq ## Snapshot An old peasant who delivers bad news with a mourner's face and a reveller's heart, savoring every pang he inflicts. ## Who they are Father Chupin moves between the villages and the château, carrying tidings that ruin his neighbors and quietly enjoying the wreckage. His ironical smile and gleam of malicious joy betray a man settling scores for a lifetime of slights, and he knows exactly which fears to stoke in each listener. As the peasants learn that the Duc de Sairmeuse means to reclaim their lands, Chupin's whispered reports become the spark that turns private grievance into open resistance. ## Relationships ### [Monsieur Lecoq](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/characters/monsieur_lecoq) _professional_ Father Chupin serves as a key informant and assistant to detective Monsieur Lecoq, providing local knowledge and leads. ### [Monsieur Lecoq](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/characters/monsieur_lecoq) _professional_ Father Chupin serves as a key informant and assistant to detective Monsieur Lecoq, providing local knowledge and leads. ### [Monsieur Lecoq](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/characters/monsieur_lecoq) _professional_ Father Chupin serves as a key informant and assistant to detective Monsieur Lecoq, providing local knowledge and leads. ## In the story ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/i) Implied as the owner of the den (Mother Chupin's husband), though not directly named in the excerpt; the establishment is referred to as Mother Chupin's drinking-shop. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/vii) Referred to as the 'murderer' and the male prisoner; shows familiarity with prison procedures. ### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/i) Arrives as a messenger, secretly reveling in the distress he causes, and manipulates the peasants by targeting Lacheneur. ### [II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/ii) Mentioned as the messenger who delivered the fatal news to Lacheneur. ### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/iii) Leads his family in shouting 'Vive Monsieur le Duc de Sairmeuse' as the carriage passes, ingratiating himself with the duke. ### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/vii) Orchestrates the enthusiastic welcome for the duke, manipulating the peasants with fear and false promises. ### [XII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xii) Follows Martial and spreads calumnies about Lacheneur, claiming Marie-Anne is to marry Chanlouineau. ### [XV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xv) Pours venomous reports into the Duc de Sairmeuse's ears, fueling his suspicions. ### [Chapter XX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xx) Brings news of the uprising and reveals that Martial de Sairmeuse is among the rebels. ### [XXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xxiii) Referred to as the spy-in-chief whose revelations about the conspiracy and Martial's involvement trouble the duke. ### [XXVII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xxvii) Appears as a witness for the prosecution, testifying against the baron with visible anxiety and terror. ### [XXXI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xxxi) Denounces Lacheneur to claim the reward, then quarrels with Balstain over the bounty. ### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xxxii) Summoned by the duke, he appears subdued and reports that the townspeople are rejoicing at the baron's escape. ### [XXXIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xxxiii) Refuses Martial's offer of payment, expressing regret and shame for betraying Lacheneur, and flees in panic. ### [XLII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xlii) Now a despised outcast, he is expelled from Sairmeuse, lives in semi-intoxication, and is hired by Blanche to watch Martial and find Marie-Anne. ### [XLIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xliii) Reluctantly continues surveillance for Blanche, growing tired and suspicious of the task. ### [XLV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xlv) Is confronted by Blanche for his negligence and paid to continue surveillance. ### [XLVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xlvi) Helps Blanche flee the scene, is stabbed four times by the innkeeper, and dies after revealing the murder to his son. ### [XLVIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/xlviii) Mentioned as having carried Blanche from Marie-Anne's chamber and later found dead at the Borderie. ### [L](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/chapters/l) Deceased; suspicion for the crime falls on him, which protects Blanche from discovery. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/characters/father_chupin - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/monsieur_lecoq_se/characters