The Cask · Character

M. Lefarge

A French detective who does the legwork — questioning porters, chasing dressmakers, and pressing the Chief on theories the others have not yet considered.

supporting

Also known as Lefarge

First appearance: part i london

As a supporting figure in The Cask, M. Lefarge is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

French detective who previously worked with Burnley on the Marcelle murder case; assigned to collaborate on the current investigation.

In the storyIX: M. le Chef de la SûretéOpen this moment free

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Lefarge is the steady, methodical half of the investigative pair, the one who remembers that the cask's weight was extraordinary and that the carter's description might be worth fifty francs. He is not afraid to challenge the Chief's narrowing focus, suggesting that someone entirely outside the Felix-Boirac triangle may be responsible. His patient reconstruction of the cask's movements gives the middle chapters their spine.

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Character Web

20 connections

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

Relationship types

Professional
Rivalry
Other

Character groups

Central Investigators and Suspects
Protagonist
Victim and Extensive Supporting Cast

+15 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 when La Touche, having barely survived a life-thr…

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Relationships

M. Boirac
professional · ambivalent
Inspector Burnley
professional · negative
Mr. Felix
rivalry · negative
Mr. Felix
rivalry · negative
M. Boirac
professional · ambivalent
Inspector Burnley
professional · negative
Inspector Burnley
professional · negative
M. Boirac
professional · ambivalent
Mr. Felix
rivalry · negative

M. Boirac
M. Boirac and M. Lefarge are business associates or colleagues, with Lefarge possibly involved in Boirac's schemes.
Inspector Burnley
Inspector Burnley questions M. Lefarge as a witness and potential accomplice in the murder investigation.
Mr. Felix
M. Lefarge and Mr. Felix are adversaries, with Lefarge suspected of conspiring against Felix.
Mr. Felix
M. Lefarge and Mr. Felix are adversaries, with Lefarge suspected of conspiring against Felix.
M. Boirac
M. Boirac and M. Lefarge are business associates or colleagues, with Lefarge possibly involved in Boirac's schemes.
Inspector Burnley
Inspector Burnley questions M. Lefarge as a witness and potential accomplice in the murder investigation.
Inspector Burnley
Inspector Burnley questions M. Lefarge as a witness and potential accomplice in the murder investigation.
M. Boirac
M. Boirac and M. Lefarge are business associates or colleagues, with Lefarge possibly involved in Boirac's schemes.
Mr. Felix
M. Lefarge and Mr. Felix are adversaries, with Lefarge suspected of conspiring against Felix.

Relationship notes

How these ties play out is in the reading companion — open the free preview.

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In the story

M. Lefarge appears across 12 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

IX: M. le Chef de la Sûreté
French detective who previously worked with Burnley on the Marcelle murder case; assigned to collaborate on the current investigation.
X: Who Wrote the Letter?
Leads the interrogation of Le Gautier and Dumarchez, and reports to Chauvet.
XI: Mm. Dupierre Et Cie
Arranges for the cask to be transported, provides background on Dupierre et Cie.
At the Gare St. Lazare
French detective assisting Burnley; conducts interviews and examines the cask at the yard.
XIII: The Owner of the Dress
French detective working with Burnley, suggests advertising for the carter.
XV: The House in the Avenue de l'Alma
Leads the investigation at the Boirac residence, questions François, and searches the house for evidence.
Inspector Burnley Up Against It
French detective working with Burnley; absent during Burnley's lunch but later reports at the Sûreté meeting.
A Council of War
Contributes the theory that the body was placed in the cask in London, and suggests that Felix may have written the Le Gautier letter.
XVIII: Lefarge Hunts Alone
Leads the investigation alone, verifying Boirac's alibi and tracing Felix's movements.
XIX: The Testing of an Alibi
Conducts the investigation into Boirac's alibi, traveling to Charenton and Brussels.
Disappointment
The predecessor detective whose investigation La Touche is checking; his findings are consistently confirmed.
A Clue at Last
Referenced as having previously searched for the typewriter used for the Le Gautier letter.

Chapter companion notes

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See M. Lefarge in part i london

See M. Lefarge in IX: M. le Chef de la Sûreté