The Eye of Osiris · Character

George Hurst

A bachelor solicitor at Eltham whose quiet dinner hour is shattered when his guest vanishes from a locked study between the front door and the table.

supporting

Also known as Mr. Hurst, Hurst, George

First appearance: The Vanishing Man

As a supporting figure in The Eye of Osiris, George Hurst is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Relative of John Bellingham at whose house the missing man was last seen.

In the storyThe Vanishing ManOpen this moment free

See George Hurst in The Vanishing Man Book page

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Hurst is the relative John Bellingham came to visit, a conventional man whose orderly household becomes the stage for an impossible disappearance. He arrives home, passes into his study, and emerges to find his guest gone, with the housemaid certain no one left by the front. His prompt report to Jellicoe and the Bellinghams sets the investigation in motion, and his account of that evening remains one of the case's most puzzling and consequential testimonies.

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See George Hurst in The Vanishing Man

Character Web

17 connections

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

Relationship types

Rivalry
Family
Professional
Other

Character groups

Central Investigation Characters
Protagonist
Legal Proceedings Participants

+12 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
Aftermath
Closing

This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological nadir of the narrator's d…

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Relationships

John Thorndyke
rivalry · negative
George Hurst is a suspicious and antagonistic figure who opposes Thorndyke's inquiries… How this plays out →
Ruth Bellingham
family · negative
Arthur Jellicoe
rivalry · negative
Mr. Loram
professional · ambivalent
John Thorndyke
rivalry · negative
George Hurst is a suspicious and antagonistic figure who opposes Thorndyke's inquiries… How this plays out →
Ruth Bellingham
family · negative
Mr. Loram
professional · ambivalent
Arthur Jellicoe
rivalry · negative
John Thorndyke
rivalry · negative
George Hurst is a suspicious and antagonistic figure who opposes Thorndyke's inquiries… How this plays out →
Arthur Jellicoe
rivalry · negative

John Thorndyke
George Hurst is a suspicious and antagonistic figure who opposes Thorndyke's inquiries into the case.
Ruth Bellingham
George Hurst is Ruth Bellingham's cousin, and their relationship is strained due to inheritance disputes.
Arthur Jellicoe
Arthur Jellicoe and George Hurst are at odds over family matters and the disappearance of the Bellingham fortune.
Mr. Loram
George Hurst and Mr. Loram are business associates involved in legal and financial dealings related to the case.
John Thorndyke
George Hurst is a suspicious and antagonistic figure who opposes Thorndyke's inquiries into the case.
Ruth Bellingham
George Hurst is Ruth Bellingham's cousin, and their relationship is strained due to inheritance disputes.
Mr. Loram
George Hurst and Mr. Loram are business associates involved in legal and financial dealings related to the case.
Arthur Jellicoe
Arthur Jellicoe and George Hurst are at odds over family matters and the disappearance of the Bellingham fortune.
John Thorndyke
George Hurst is a suspicious and antagonistic figure who opposes Thorndyke's inquiries into the case.
Arthur Jellicoe
Arthur Jellicoe and George Hurst are at odds over family matters and the disappearance of the Bellingham fortune.

Relationship notes

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

See George Hurst in The Vanishing Man

In the story

George Hurst appears across 8 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

The Vanishing Man
Relative of John Bellingham at whose house the missing man was last seen.
III: John Thorndyke
Hurst is identified as the cousin at whose house the missing man was last seen alive. Berkeley mentions that Hurst may be putting pressure on Bellingham and that he did not like the look of him.
Legal Complications and a Jackal
The cousin who stands to inherit under the will's conditions and proposes a financial arrangement.
The Evidence Reviewed
Discussed as a suspect; Thorndyke reveals his past financial indiscretion and notes the scarab evidence is compromised by his presence.
A Voyage of Discovery
His solicitors have given notice of an application in the Probate Court, prompting the need for Paul's examination.
Which Carries the Reader Into the Probate Court
The petitioner applying to presume John Bellingham's death and prove the will.
XVII: The Accusing Finger
Hurst is identified by Thorndyke as likely to shift suspicion onto Ruth to protect himself.
A Strange Symposium
Discussed as a potential beneficiary of the defective will and a suspect in the disappearance.

Chapter companion notes

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See George Hurst in The Vanishing Man