# Lord Ernest Belville — The Black Mask character guide

> Lord Ernest Belville in The Black Mask by E. W. Hornung.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Lord Ernest, Belville, the late Lord Ernest Belville

**First appearance:** 0000-no-sinecure

## Snapshot

A highborn hypocrite with a revolver and a pair of handcuffs, Lord Ernest Belville is the rare adversary whose nerve and resource nearly match Raffles's own.

## Who they are

Lord Ernest Belville presents himself as a gentleman, but when he ambushes Bunny on a darkened bridge and waits for Raffles to emerge, his true nature shows: cold, patient, and utterly willing to kill. He is the story's most dangerous foil because he understands Raffles's methods and exploits his confidence. His confrontation with Raffles raises the stakes of the early arc, proving that the burglar's luck has limits and that someone has been watching all along.

## Relationships

### [Bunny](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_mask_se/characters/bunny)

_friendship_

Bunny and Lord Ernest Belville are friendly acquaintances, united through their shared connection to Raffles.

## In the story

### [To Catch a Thief](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_mask_se/chapters/to-catch-a-thief)

Identified as the thief of the diamond necklace.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_mask_se/chapters/i)

Identified by Raffles as the likely thief behind the recent robberies; interviewed by Raffles under a false identity.

### [Chapter II](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_mask_se/chapters/ii)

The target of the burglary; he is caught with stolen jewels and mistakes Raffles for a Scotland Yard detective.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_mask_se/chapters/iii)

Handcuffs Bunny, confronts Raffles, and falls to his death in the light well.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_mask_se/chapters/i)

Mentioned among Raffles' past scores.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_mask_se/characters/lord_ernest_belville
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_mask_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_black_mask_se/characters