The Big Bow Mystery · Character

Arthur Constant

A white-handed scholar who lodges among Bow's working men, eats their food, blacks his own boots, and rises early to rally striking tram-men.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Arthur Constant, Mr. Constant, Constant

First appearance: I

As a supporting figure in The Big Bow Mystery, Arthur Constant is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

The victim, found dead in his locked room under mysterious circumstances.

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Arthur Constant, B.A., occupies the upstairs rooms at 11 Glover Street, where his landlady cannot reconcile his gentleman's hands with his appetite for an artisan's life. He is a light sleeper and a saintly one, so eager to serve the tram-men that he asks to be woken at seven for their meeting. His earnest slumming puzzles Mrs. Drabdump, who suspects parliamentary ambition, and his introduction through Tom Mortlake quietly ties the lodger to the labor world the mystery will dissect.

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See Arthur Constant in I

Character Web

16 connections

A slice of how Arthur Constant sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Professional
Friendship
Other

Character groups

Central Mystery Characters
Protagonist

+11 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

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

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

In this excerpt, the emotional and psychological peak occurs as Grodman, the apparent leader of the agitation…

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Relationships

Mrs. Drabdump
professional · positive
Jessie Dymond
romantic · positive
Tom Mortlake
friendship · positive
Edward Wimp
professional · ambivalent
Edward Wimp
professional · ambivalent
Mrs. Drabdump
professional · positive
Tom Mortlake
friendship · positive

Mrs. Drabdump
Mrs. Drabdump is Arthur Constant's landlady, providing him lodging and basic domestic services.
Jessie Dymond
Arthur Constant and Jessie Dymond are secretly in love, planning to marry despite social obstacles.
Tom Mortlake
Arthur and Tom are friendly acquaintances, with Tom unaware of Arthur's secret romance with his sister.
Edward Wimp
Wimp investigates Arthur Constant as a potential victim and later as a suspect, maintaining a formal detective-subject dynamic.
Edward Wimp
Wimp investigates Arthur Constant as a potential victim and later as a suspect, maintaining a formal detective-subject dynamic.
Mrs. Drabdump
Mrs. Drabdump is Arthur Constant's landlady, providing him lodging and basic domestic services.
Tom Mortlake
Arthur and Tom are friendly acquaintances, with Tom unaware of Arthur's secret romance with his sister.

Relationship notes

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See Arthur Constant in I

In the story

Arthur Constant appears across 7 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Big Bow Mystery
The victim, found dead in his locked room under mysterious circumstances.
I
The lodger who fails to answer his door; presumed dead by Mrs. Drabdump.
II
The deceased; described as a cheerful, soft-hearted young idealist; his body found with throat cut in a locked room.
III
Deceased; described through witness testimony as a brilliant, selfless idealist, though a letter reveals a rare moment of pessimism.
IV
The victim; his character is discussed in Grodman's letter and a passage from his last letter to Lucy Brent is quoted, showing his hopeful outlook on his East End work.
V
Mentioned as the victim and as the subject of Mortlake's earlier criticism.
XII
The victim; Grodman describes their friendship and the circumstances leading to his murder.

Chapter companion notes

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See Arthur Constant in I

See Arthur Constant in The Big Bow Mystery