# Mr. Hilbery — Night and Day character guide

> Mr. Hilbery in Night and Day by Virginia Woolf.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** a Mr. Hilbery

**First appearance:** 0001-night-and-day

## Snapshot

A retired editor who knows more about Shelley's punctuation than any man in England, and would rather ponder Coleridge's marriage than his own daughter's troubles.

## Who they are

Mr. Hilbery presides over the Hilbery household from a subterranean study lit by a green lamp, where he edits his review and settles whether Byron slept at the Nag's Head or the Turkish Knight. When Katharine brings him family news, he balances his fingertips, reserves his thoughts, and pronounces judgment with pleasant deliberation. His comic absorption in minutiae and his refusal to act make him both an anchor and a quiet obstruction as Katharine navigates duty, marriage, and her own desires.

## In the story

### [VII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/night_and_day_se/chapters/vii)

Engages in witty banter, shares a story about his disillusionment with public meetings, and observes Katharine with a mix of affection and skepticism.

### [VIII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/night_and_day_se/chapters/viii)

Discusses Cyril Alardyce's situation with Katharine; shows a detached and superficial attitude; forgets to tell Mrs. Hilbery about the matter.

### [Chapter XXVI](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/night_and_day_se/chapters/xxvi)

Asks Katharine to fetch a book; stands by the fire at the party.

### [Chapter XXX](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/night_and_day_se/chapters/xxx)

Listens attentively to Cassandra's piano playing, weighs the intention of her phrases, and stops her to complain about a noise from the window.

### [XXXII](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/night_and_day_se/chapters/xxxii)

Confronts Rodney about the broken engagement, is shocked by Rodney's confession, and orders them to settle affairs outside his house.

### [XXXIV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/night_and_day_se/chapters/xxxiv)

Presides over dinner; watches Katharine and Ralph leave with a resigned sigh.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/night_and_day_se/characters/mr_hilbery
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/night_and_day_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/night_and_day_se/characters