Mr. Incoul’s Misadventure · Character

Miss Maida Barhyte

A red-haired, blue-eyed young woman of Greek profile and vanished fortune, she agrees to marry for money while confessing she does not love.

major

Also known as Miss Barhyte, Barhyte, Maida

First appearance: Miss Barhyte Agrees to Change Her Name

As a major figure in Mr. Incoul’s Misadventure, Miss Maida Barhyte is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

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Maida Barhyte receives Mr. Incoul in a shabby boardinghouse parlor and tells him plainly that her mother wishes the match and she does not, yet the debts and the disappeared inheritance leave her little room. She has the beauty of a young Olympian and a frankness that disarms servants and suitors alike. Her honesty in that first interview makes her later silences and unexplained departures the more unsettling, and the marriage she accepts becomes the hinge on which the whole misadventure turns.

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See Miss Maida Barhyte in Miss Barhyte Agrees to Change Her Name

Character Web

13 connections

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Relationship types

Other

Character groups

Minor and mysterious figures
Protagonist
Brief mentions and social backdrop
Central family and drama

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point
Closing

This scene is the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Mr. Incoul’s calcul…

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In the story

Miss Maida Barhyte appears across 18 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Mr. Incoul’s Misadventure
Subject of Mr. Incoul's suspicions, though not directly active in this chapter.
Mr. Incoul
A delicious young girl whom Mr. Incoul meets at a reception; he is drawn to her and asks her a question that startles her.
Miss Barhyte Agrees to Change Her Name
Accepts Mr. Incoul's proposal under strict conditions; secretly arranges to meet Lenox Leigh that evening.
After Darkness
Recalls her summer romance with Lenox Leigh at Mt. Desert, her first experience of love, and the subsequent decline of their relationship due to financial hardship and societal changes.
An Evening Call
Reveals her acceptance of Mr. Incoul's proposal; struggles with her love for Lenox and her sense of duty, ultimately insisting they must part forever.
V: A Yellow Envelope
Finds the yellow envelope; begins to understand her husband's wealth; overhears Lenox Leigh's name and feels dread and longing.
VI: Biarritz
Accompanies Mr. Incoul to view the villa; her beauty is admired at the beach; she is a strong swimmer.
What May Be Seen from a Palco
Settles into her luxurious apartment at the villa, enjoys the morning sounds and the bullfight, and is deeply shaken by the sight of Lenox Leigh.
An Unexpected Guest
Nervous and distracted by Lenox's presence; exchanges private words with him on the terrace; urges him to leave.
Mr. Incoul Dines in Spain
Strolls on the Côte des Basques with Lenox Leigh, sitting on the sand in a secluded spot.
X: The Point of View
Lenox anxiously awaits a message from her, but none arrives; she leaves Biarritz with her husband.
XI: The House in the Parc Monceau
Mr. Incoul's wife; is told they are leaving for Paris at five, reads an English journal to distract herself, and later travels to Paris.
Mr. Incoul Is Preoccupied
Enjoys Parisian social life as an envied bride, but is troubled by her husband's silence; she writes a decisive note to Lenox Leigh and resolves to end their connection.
XIII: What May Be Heard in a Greenroom
Hosts a box at the Opéra with guests; notices Mr. Incoul's changed mood upon his return.
XIV: Karl Grows a Moustache
Sends Lenox a brief, categorical note ending their relationship; her handwriting suggests unaccustomed strength.
XV: May Expostulates
Makes a vulnerable romantic gesture to Mr. Incoul before he leaves for the club, but receives only a cold, triumphant look.
XVI: The Bare Bodkin
Maida is recalled in Lenox's memories as a revelation and a source of past happiness.
Maida's Nuptials
Is confronted by Mr. Incoul, breaks down in tears, and is forced to drink a sedative.

Chapter companion notes

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See Miss Maida Barhyte in Miss Barhyte Agrees to Change Her Name