Character guide

Stephen Byrne

major

Also known as Stephen, VII Stephen Michael Hilary Byrne, Michael Hilary, Stephen Michael Hilary Byrne, the great Stephen Byrne, bubbling Michael, Michael, Mr. Stephen Byrne, Stephen's

Stephen Byrne commands the adoration of his neighbors, whose At Homes brighten the moment he arrives, and his war poems have made him the tenderness of England itself. Yet his charm and fame conceal a man who measures other lives against his own convenience, and his reluctance to face old friends hints at something he would rather not examine. His choices set the whole tragedy quietly in motion.

John Egerton

major

Also known as Egerton, John, good old John, VI John Egerton, John Egerton's, The wretched John, Poor old John, the unfortunate John, Old John, old John

Once a welcome friend in the Byrne circle, John now sits at the center of an inquest's ugly aftermath, shunned by neighbors and squeezed by the grasping Gaunt family for money they assume is owed. Lonely and nerve-worn, he aches for ordinary company and dreads the moment he must face the Byrnes again. His isolation and his quiet decency make him the story's most pitiable figure.

Margery Byrne

supporting

Also known as Margaret, Margery Byrne—Margery Byrne, Byrne, Poor Margery

Margery comes back to life eager to take up exactly where she left it, urging Stephen to ring John Egerton and refusing to believe evil of anyone. Yet curiosity nags at the back of her mind about the inquest and the local feeling she has only heard secondhand. Her loyalty and her dawning suspicion make her the conscience the household cannot quite silence.

Muriel Tarrant

supporting

Also known as Miss Muriel Tarrant, Muriel, Miss Tarrant

Muriel moves through the feverish dance craze of the day, training and performing with the devotion of a professional, and her easy charm draws Stephen out of his study and into her orbit. When she leans forward with her eyes on his, something unspoken passes between them, and he suddenly wonders why he never noticed her before. She is the small, bright spark that begins to unsettle the Byrne marriage.

Emily Gaunt

supporting

Also known as Emily, Gaunt

Emily's disappearance and the discovery of her body set the local faction against John Egerton and bring her avaricious kin to his door, where they assume his guilt and press for money to heal their wounded affections and accounts. Her fate haunts the early chapters as an unresolved scandal everyone in The Chase has an opinion about. She is the absence around which the novel's suspicions quietly gather.

Mrs. Bantam

minor

A housekeeper or local woman who interacts with the main characters.

Mr. Egerton

minor

Also known as Egerton

Possibly John Egerton's father or another male relative.

Mr. Dimple

minor

Also known as Dimple

A minor character, perhaps a tradesman or neighbor.

The Chase

minor

Also known as Hammerton Chase, Hammerton

A location or family name, possibly a house or estate.

Reverend Peter Tarrant

minor

Also known as The Reverend Peter, The Reverend Peter Tarrant, Peter, Peter Tarrant, the Rev. Peter, The Rev. Peter

A clergyman and likely relative of Muriel Tarrant.

Joan

minor

Also known as little Joan, Little Joan

A young girl, possibly a child of the Byrne household.

The Whittakers

minor

Also known as the Whittakers, The kindly Whittakers

A family in the neighborhood, known for their kindness.

Cook

minor

The cook in the Byrne household.

Gelert

minor

Also known as Gelert of Isobel's

A dog belonging to Isobel, mentioned in passing.

Henry Stimpson

minor

Also known as Stimpson, Henry

A servant or local man, possibly a gardener.

George Tarrant

minor

Also known as young George, Young George Tarrant, George, Young George

A young male member of the Tarrant family.

Mrs. Vincent

minor

Also known as Mrs. Ralph Vincent, the carroty-haired Mrs. Vincent, So Mrs. Vincent, the Vincent

A gossipy or notable local woman.

Mrs. Byrne

minor

Also known as poor Mrs. Byrne

Likely Stephen's mother or another elder Byrne woman.

Old Mrs. Ambrose

minor

Also known as the indomitable Mrs. Ambrose, Mrs. Ambrose, Only Mrs. Ambrose

An elderly, formidable woman in the community.

Lord Milroy

minor

A titled gentleman who appears in the narrative.

Mr. Byrne

minor

Also known as Dear Mr. Byrne

Probably Stephen Byrne's father or another male Byrne.

Mrs. Whittaker

minor

Also known as Whittaker

A local woman, part of the Whittaker family.

Mr. Asquith

minor

A minor character, perhaps a visitor or official.

Mr. Meredith

minor

Also known as Meredith

A neighbor or acquaintance of the Byrnes.

The Tarrants

minor

Also known as the Tarrants

The Tarrant family, including Muriel and the Reverend Peter.

Mr. Whittaker

minor

Also known as Whittaker

The husband or father in the Whittaker family.

Mr. Stimpson

minor

Also known as Stimpson

A servant or tradesman, possibly Henry's father.

Mrs. Church

minor

A local woman, possibly a housekeeper.

The Byrnes

minor

Also known as the Byrnes

The Byrne family as a collective entity.

Miss Atholl

minor

Also known as the younger Miss Atholl

A young woman from a neighboring family.

Maud

minor

A minor female character, possibly a servant.

Old Dr. Browning

minor

An elderly doctor who attends the family.

Mrs. Stimpson

minor

Also known as Stimpson

The wife of Mr. Stimpson, a local woman.

Mr. Farraday

minor

A minor character, possibly a visitor.

Mabel Jones

minor

Also known as Mabel

A servant or young woman in the household.

Andrews

minor

A servant or tradesman mentioned briefly.

Darling

minor

A term of endearment used as a name, possibly a child.