# Henry Barnes — Sinister Street character guide

> Henry Barnes in Sinister Street by Compton Mackenzie.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Barnes, Mr. Barnes

**First appearance:** 0004-i-the-new-world

## Snapshot

A shameless Oxford friend whose cheerful criminality both repels and fascinates Michael, offering a living experiment in whether poverty or privilege makes virtue possible.

## Who they are

Barnes is the schoolmate turned Oxford companion whose boasts and dodges give Michael a window into a world far below Cheyne Walk. He insists that ten pounds a week would make him a bloody angel, and that Leppard Street looks like a punched cheese rind; his self-satisfied cynicism is both a challenge and a lure. As Michael hunts for Lily, Barnes becomes a useful, unsettling instrument for navigating the city's underside.

## Relationships

### [Michael Fane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se/characters/michael_fane)

_friendship_

Henry is a loyal and steady school friend who provides Michael with grounding and moral support during his youth.

### [Michael Fane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se/characters/michael_fane)

_friendship_

Henry is a loyal and steady school friend who provides Michael with grounding and moral support during his youth.

### [Michael Fane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se/characters/michael_fane)

_friendship_

Henry is a loyal and steady school friend who provides Michael with grounding and moral support during his youth.

## In the story

### [III: The Café d’Orange](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se/chapters/iii-the-caf-d-orange)

Encountered at the Café d'Orange; now looks like a down-at-heel actor, suspicious of Michael's interest.

### [IV: Leppard Street](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se/chapters/iv-leppard-street)

Barnes cynically accepts Michael's offer of five pounds a week, revealing his sordid past and his belief that money can solve moral difficulties.

### [V: The Innermost Circle](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se/chapters/v-the-innermost-circle)

Referenced indirectly through the cretonne fabric in Mrs. Smith's room, which Michael recognizes from Barnes' room.

### [VI: Tinderbox Lane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se/chapters/vi-tinderbox-lane)

Barnes agrees to stay in Michael's rooms at Leppard Street.

### [IX: The Gate of Horn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se/chapters/ix-the-gate-of-horn)

Mentioned as having a woman living with him at Leppard Street; Mrs. Cleghorne complains about him.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se/characters/henry_barnes
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/sinister_street_se/characters