# La Beale Ettarre — The Cream of the Jest character guide > La Beale Ettarre in The Cream of the Jest by James Branch Cabell. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Ettarre, Dame Ettarre, La **First appearance:** 0004-ii-introduces-the-ageless-woman ## Snapshot The radiant lady of Storisende, betrothed to Sir Guiron and pursued by Maugis, whose beauty and elusive grace haunt Horvendile and shadow every woman Kennaston has loved. ## Who they are La Beale Ettarre is the sister of Count Emmerick and the center of a notable marriage-feast, a woman whose big blue eyes have troubled many men's sleep and whose happiness is shadowed only by the surviving menace of Maugis d'Aigremont. She pities Horvendile's hopeless love with genuine tenderness, yet cannot return it, and her serene certainty about virtue and nobility quietly rebukes his irony. As the figure Kennaston's imagination keeps circling, she is the inaccessible ideal whose various historical guises give the novel its recurring question: whether the woman we dream of can ever be the woman we marry. ## Relationships ### [Felix Kennaston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/felix_kennaston) _romantic_ Felix is obsessively in love with the idealized La Beale Ettarre, who is both his muse and a projection of his desires. ### [Horvendile](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/horvendile) _romantic_ Horvendile is a chivalric admirer of La Beale Ettarre, bound by courtly love and devotion. ### [Maugis d'Aigremont](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/maugis_d_aigremont) _friendship_ La Beale Ettarre and Maugis are courteous allies within the dream narrative, bound by chivalric codes. ### [Alison](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/alison) _rivalry_ Alison resents La Beale Ettarre as the idealized rival for Felix's emotional and creative attention. ### [Adam](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/adam) _friendship_ Adam serves La Beale Ettarre with loyalty in the dream world. ### [Cromwell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/cromwell) _rivalry_ Cromwell is an antagonist figure who opposes La Beale Ettarre in the historical dream sequences. ### [Count Emmerick](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/count_emmerick) _friendship_ Count Emmerick is a noble ally to La Beale Ettarre in the dream narrative. ### [Horvendile](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/horvendile) _romantic_ Horvendile is a chivalric admirer of La Beale Ettarre, bound by courtly love and devotion. ### [Felix Kennaston](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/felix_kennaston) _romantic_ Felix is obsessively in love with the idealized La Beale Ettarre, who is both his muse and a projection of his desires. ### [Alison](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/alison) _rivalry_ Alison resents La Beale Ettarre as the idealized rival for Felix's emotional and creative attention. ### [Maugis d'Aigremont](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/maugis_d_aigremont) _friendship_ La Beale Ettarre and Maugis are courteous allies within the dream narrative, bound by chivalric codes. ### [Horvendile](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/horvendile) _romantic_ Horvendile is a chivalric admirer of La Beale Ettarre, bound by courtly love and devotion. ## In the story ### [Book First](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/book-first) Introduced as the central figure, compared to the Phoenix, embodying unparalleled grace and beauty. ### [II: Introduces the Ageless Woman](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/ii-introduces-the-ageless-woman) The ageless woman, Count Emmerick's sister, betrothed to Sir Guiron. Watches from the turrets, fears Maugis, and pities Horvendile. ### [Of the Double-Dealer’s Traffic with a Knave](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/iv-of-the-double-dealer-s-traffic-with-a-knave) Desired by Maugis; she is preparing to marry Sir Guiron. ### [V: How the Double-Dealer Was of Two Minds](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/v-how-the-double-dealer-was-of-two-minds) Awakens to find Horvendile has betrayed the castle; she bravely asserts that heaven will defend the right. ### [VI: Treats of Maugis d’Aigremont’s Pottage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/vi-treats-of-maugis-d-aigremont-s-pottage) Grieves Guiron's apparent death, shrieks at Maugis, and fears Horvendile's madness. ### [VII: Journey's End: With the Customary Unmasking](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/vii-journey-s-end-with-the-customary-unmasking) Receives the half sigil from Horvendile and reunites with Guiron after Maugis's death. ### [Book Second](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/book-second) The inaccessible 'She' of the epigraph, representing the idealized beloved and object of Kennaston's fictions. ### [VIII: Of a Trifle Found in Twilight](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/viii-of-a-trifle-found-in-twilight) Ettarre is the heroine of Kennaston's romance; he has ended her love-business with Guiron, and the found disk is woven into the tale as her breast-ornament. ### [XI: How There Was a Light in the Fog](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xi-how-there-was-a-light-in-the-fog) Appears in Kennaston's dream, discussing dreams and the sigil of Scoteia. ### [XIV: Peculiar Conduct of a Personage](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xiv-peculiar-conduct-of-a-personage) Mentioned as holding the other half of the sigil. ### [XV: Of Vain Regret and Wonder in the Dark](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xv-of-vain-regret-and-wonder-in-the-dark) Appears as the woman in the dream; her loveliness is revealed when the door opens. ### [Book Third](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/book-third) The ethereal figure Kennaston yearns for, appearing in his dreams. ### [XVI: They Come to a High Place](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xvi-they-come-to-a-high-place) Awaits Kennaston by a stone balustrade, speaks of waiting long, and is puzzled by his inability to touch her. ### [XVII: Of the Sigil and One Use of It](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xvii-of-the-sigil-and-one-use-of-it) The object of Kennaston's dreams; touching her causes the dream to end. ### [XIX: Local Laws of Nephelococcygia](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xix-local-laws-of-nephelococcygia) Present in every dream, she is the central figure of Kennaston's dreamworld, though she does not recall his book's events. ### [XX: Of Divers Fleshly Riddles](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xx-of-divers-fleshly-riddles) Referenced as the one who ended Kennaston's lifelong loneliness. ### [XXI: In Pursuit of a Whisper](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxi-in-pursuit-of-a-whisper) Accompanies Kennaston on his nightly journeys to see cities and historical figures. ### [XXII: Of Truisms: Treated Reasonably](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxii-of-truisms-treated-reasonably) Touching Ettarre ends the dream, allowing Kennaston to dismiss distasteful existences. ### [Book Fourth](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/book-fourth) Appears in Kennaston's dreams, embodying the ideal he pursues. ### [XXIX: Of Poetic Love: Treated with Poetic Inefficiency](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxix-of-poetic-love-treated-with-poetic-inefficiency) The object of Kennaston's idealized love in his dreams; he momentarily sees her in Muriel's face. ### [XXX: Cross-Purposes in Spacious Times](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxx-cross-purposes-in-spacious-times) The unattainable ideal; appears disguised as the boy Master Skirlaw in Kennaston's dream, but vanishes when he tries to touch her. ### [XXXI: Horvendile to Ettarre: At Whitehall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxi-horvendile-to-ettarre-at-whitehall) Present at Whitehall, reveals her role in inspiring powerful men and the secret of the mirror. ### [XXXII: Horvendile to Ettarre: At Vaux-le-Vicomte](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxii-horvendile-to-ettarre-at-vaux-le-vicomte) The silent listener; Horvendile addresses her throughout, expressing jealousy and adoration. ### [Horvendile to Ettarre: In the Conciergerie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxiii-horvendile-to-ettarre-in-the-conciergerie) Explains that all women reflect her beauty and that the dream is ending. ### [Of One Enigma That Threatened to Prove Allegorical](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxiv-of-one-enigma-that-threatened-to-prove-allegorical) Appears as death or the ghost of a dead loved one, offering Kennaston a moment of poignant emotion. ### [Sundry Disclosures of the Press](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxvi-sundry-disclosures-of-the-press) Identified as the dream counterpart of Kathleen; Kennaston reflects on never having touched her hands or lips. ### [Considerations Toward Sunset](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxvii-considerations-toward-sunset) The fictional character in Kennaston's book, revealed to be inspired by his wife. ### [One Way of Elusion](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/chapters/xxxviii-one-way-of-elusion) Referenced as the dream counterpart of Kathleen; her truth that 'All men I must evade at the last' is realized in this chapter. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters/la_beale_ettarre - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_cream_of_the_jest_se/characters