# Mr. and Mrs. Merritt — Short Fiction character guide

> Mr. and Mrs. Merritt in Short Fiction by Arthur Machen.

**Role:** minor

**Also known as:** Merritt, Mr. Merritt, the foolish Merritt

**First appearance:** 0036-the-terror

## Who they are

A couple who encounter strange phenomena during the Terror.

## Relationships

### [Dr. Lewis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/characters/dr_lewis)

_professional_

Dr. Lewis provides medical care to the Merritt family, with frequent home visits.

### [Dr. Lewis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/characters/dr_lewis)

_professional_

Dr. Lewis provides medical care to the Merritt family, with frequent home visits.

### [Dr. Lewis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/characters/dr_lewis)

_professional_

Dr. Lewis provides medical care to the Merritt family, with frequent home visits.

## In the story

### [Mr. Remnant’s Z-Ray](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/vi-mr-remnant-s-z-ray)

Mr. Merritt visits Porth with his wife; describes the terror and unexplained events in Midlingham, including a man who vanished after taking a shortcut.

### [VII: The Case of the Hidden Germans](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/vii-the-case-of-the-hidden-germans)

Merritt, Lewis's brother-in-law, recounts the conspiracy theory about Germans hiding underground in the Midlands.

### [VIII: What Mr. Merritt Found](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/viii-what-mr-merritt-found)

Mr. Merritt is the central figure, recovering from dismay and exploring the countryside, while his wife is present but passive.

### [IX: The Light on the Water](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/ix-the-light-on-the-water)

Merritt is on holiday in Meirion, unaware of the full terror; he witnesses a light from a farmhouse and later theorizes it caused the boat disaster.

### [X: The Child and the Moth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/x-the-child-and-the-moth)

Mentioned as conscious of the restrictions on wandering; part of the summer visitors.

### [At Treff Loyne Farm](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/xi-at-treff-loyne-farm)

Merritt is mentioned as the foolish farmer who thought he saw signal lights from Penyrhaul.

### [XIV: The End of the Terror](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/short_fiction_6_se/chapters/xiv-the-end-of-the-terror)

Referenced in Lewis's recollection of the evening with flashlights.

## Links

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