# Austin — Short Fiction character guide

> Austin in Short Fiction by Arthur Machen.

**Role:** minor

**First appearance:** 0015-the-white-people

## Who they are

A character who interacts with the supernatural in the story.

## In the story

### [III: The City of Resurrections](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/iii-the-city-of-resurrections)

Austin provides Villiers with details about the Paul Street case and the mysterious death linked to Herbert's house.

### [IV: The Discovery in Paul Street](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/iv-the-discovery-in-paul-street)

Austin is mentioned as the source of the story about the Paul Street death, which Villiers relays to Clarke.

### [The Letter of Advice](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/v-the-letter-of-advice)

Austin listens to Villiers's story, shows him the book of drawings from Meyrick, and mentions Mrs. Beaumont's house.

### [VI: The Suicides](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/vi-the-suicides)

Austin reports the string of suicides to Villiers, linking them to Mrs. Beaumont's dinner parties. He describes a strange, dreamlike familiarity with Mrs. Beaumont's face and expresses horror at the inexplicable deaths.

### [VII: The Encounter in Soho](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/vii-the-encounter-in-soho)

Visits Villiers, hears the revelation, and is horrified by the manuscript; warns Villiers against entering Mrs. Beaumont's house.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/characters/austin
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/characters