# Durrance — The Four Feathers character guide > Durrance in The Four Feathers by A. E. W. Mason. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Colonel Durrance, Jack Durrance, Jack, Mr. Durrance **First appearance:** 0003-i-a-crimean-night ## Snapshot Blinded in the Sudan and prouder of his heightened perception than of his old soldiering, Durrance loves Ethne while quietly knowing she loves another. ## Who they are Durrance is Harry's old comrade from Suakin and now Ethne's suitor, a man whose blindness has sharpened rather than dulled his gift for reading people. He conceals his knowledge of the three feathers — and the fourth — waiting for the right moment to speak. His patient, almost unnerving perceptiveness makes him both Ethne's refuge and her most dangerous witness. ## Relationships ### [Ethne Eustace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/ethne_eustace) _romantic_ Durrance is deeply in love with Ethne, but his feelings are complicated by her engagement to Harry and his own blindness. ### [Mrs. Adair](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/mrs_adair) _friendship_ Mrs. Adair is a close confidante and social ally to Durrance, often helping him navigate his personal and social challenges. ### [Harry Feversham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/harry_feversham) _rivalry_ Durrance sees Harry as a rival for Ethne's affection, and their interactions are marked by tension and unspoken competition. ### [Lieutenant Sutch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/lieutenant_sutch) _friendship_ Durrance and Sutch have a respectful friendship, often discussing matters of honor and duty. ### [Lieutenant Calder](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/lieutenant_calder) _professional_ Durrance and Calder have a professional relationship, with Calder serving as a subordinate and aide to Durrance. ### [General Feversham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/general_feversham) _professional_ Durrance and General Feversham share a professional military relationship, with Durrance respecting the General's authority. ### [Colonel Trench](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/colonel_trench) _professional_ Trench and Durrance are fellow officers, sharing a professional respect and occasional camaraderie. ### [Captain Mather](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/captain_mather) _professional_ Captain Mather serves under Durrance, and their relationship is strictly professional and military. ### [Ethne Eustace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/ethne_eustace) _romantic_ Durrance is deeply in love with Ethne, but his feelings are complicated by her engagement to Harry and his own blindness. ### [Ethne Eustace](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/ethne_eustace) _romantic_ Durrance is deeply in love with Ethne, but his feelings are complicated by her engagement to Harry and his own blindness. ### [Harry Feversham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/harry_feversham) _rivalry_ Durrance sees Harry as a rival for Ethne's affection, and their interactions are marked by tension and unspoken competition. ### [Mrs. Adair](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/mrs_adair) _friendship_ Mrs. Adair is a close confidante and social ally to Durrance, often helping him navigate his personal and social challenges. ## In the story ### [II: Captain Trench and a Telegram](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/ii-captain-trench-and-a-telegram) Struggles with his feelings upon hearing of Feversham's engagement, standing at the window to hide his emotion. ### [III: The Last Ride Together](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/iii-the-last-ride-together) Prepares to leave for the Sudan, reflects on his feelings for Ethne, and experiences a vision of Feversham at the dock. ### [IV: The Ball at Lennon House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/iv-the-ball-at-lennon-house) Mentioned as having sent Ethne a violin as a present; not present in the chapter. ### [VI: Harry Feversham’s Plan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/vi-harry-feversham-s-plan) Mentioned as one who might know of the feathers; Harry imagines being with him in Egypt. ### [VII: The Last Reconnaissance](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/vii-the-last-reconnaissance) Leads the reconnaissance, reflects on Gordon's fate and his own affinity for the Sudan. ### [VIII: Lieutenant Sutch Is Tempted to Lie](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/viii-lieutenant-sutch-is-tempted-to-lie) Returns from the Sudan and actively seeks information about Harry Feversham's disappearance, showing his persistent friendship and growing interest in Ethne. ### [At Glenalla](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/ix-at-glenalla) Visits Ethne at Glenalla, contemplates proposing, and is gently refused. He leaves with a sense of sadness and growing anger toward Harry Feversham. ### [XI: Durrance Hears News of Feversham](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xi-durrance-hears-news-of-feversham) Returns to London, learns of Dermod's death, and struggles with bitterness toward Feversham while still hoping for Ethne's affection. ### [XII: Durrance Sharpens His Wits](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xii-durrance-sharpens-his-wits) Returns to Wadi Halfa blind, concealing his condition. He expresses relief that Ethne refused him, fearing he would become a burden. ### [XIII: Durrance Begins to See](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xiii-durrance-begins-to-see) Returns blind but with sharpened senses and a more penetrating mind. He questions Ethne about her feelings, seeking more than friendship in their marriage, and reveals his plan to see a specialist. ### [XIV: Captain Willoughby Reappears](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xiv-captain-willoughby-reappears) Durrance's blindness has heightened his other senses, allowing him to interpret Ethne's silences and movements, reversing their previous dynamic. ### [XV: The Story of the First Feather](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xv-the-story-of-the-first-feather) Appears at the gap in the hedge at the end of the chapter, interrupting the conversation. ### [XVI: Captain Willoughby Retires](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xvi-captain-willoughby-retires) Blind, he enters the enclosure where Ethne and Willoughby are hiding, but is unaware of Willoughby's presence. ### [XVII: The 'Melusine Overture'](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xvii-the-melusine-overture) Observes Ethne's change in mood, uses the violin as a test of her feelings, and reveals that he heard the same overture played by Harry Feversham at Wadi Halfa. ### [XVIII: The Answer to the Overture](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xviii-the-answer-to-the-overture) Tells Ethne of his encounter with Feversham at Wadi Halfa and his concern for Feversham's fate. ### [XIX: Mrs. Adair Intervenes](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xix-mrs-adair-intervenes) Learns the truth about Ethne's feelings and Feversham's news; hides his own hopelessness. ### [XX: East and West](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xx-east-and-west) Blind and at home, he is haunted by memories of his active past and feels a deep longing for the East, which he can no longer experience. ### [XXI: Ethne Makes Another Slip](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xxi-ethne-makes-another-slip) Pretends ignorance of Ethne's love for Feversham, plans to seek truth from Lieutenant Sutch. ### [XXII: Durrance Lets His Cigar Go Out](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xxii-durrance-lets-his-cigar-go-out) Blind but perceptive, Durrance uses conversation to uncover the truth about Feversham's past, letting his cigar go out as he focuses on his investigation. ### [XXIII: Mrs. Adair Makes Her Apology](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xxiii-mrs-adair-makes-her-apology) Says goodbye to Ethne and listens to Mrs. Adair's confession with growing sympathy, realizing her pain. ### [Lieutenant Sutch Comes Off the Half-Pay List](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xxv-lieutenant-sutch-comes-off-the-half-pay-list) Visits Sutch to inform him of Harry's heroic act, revealing his own understanding of Ethne's continued love for Harry and his philosophical view on disgrace. ### [General Feversham’s Portraits Are Appeased](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xxvi-general-feversham-s-portraits-are-appeased) Visits General Feversham to persuade him to accept Harry's return, reveals his own engagement to Ethne is broken. ### [The House of Stone](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xxvii-the-house-of-stone) Mentioned in Feversham's delirium, standing at a window, and in Trench's memories of the night the feathers were sent. ### [XXXII: In the Church at Glenalla](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xxxii-in-the-church-at-glenalla) Mentioned as the man Ethne is to marry. He is blind, a fact that explains Ethne's decision. He is described as being very quick and perceptive, which is why Ethne fears he would guess the truth about her feelings for Feversham. ### [XXXIII: Ethne Again Plays the “Melusine Overture”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xxxiii-ethne-again-plays-the-melusine-overture) Reveals he has known about the fourth feather for a year, explains his reasons for going to Wiesbaden, and shows his perceptiveness despite blindness. ### [XXXIV: The End](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/chapters/xxxiv-the-end) Now blind, he travels east, recalling his active years and the coming campaign, though he cannot participate. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters/durrance - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_four_feathers_se/characters