# The House by the River — Character guide

> Key figures in The House by the River by A. P. Herbert.

- [Stephen Byrne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/stephen_byrne.md): 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 ot
- [John Egerton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/john_egerton.md): 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, 
- [Margery Byrne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/margery_byrne.md): 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 loca
- [Muriel Tarrant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/muriel_tarrant.md): 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
- [Emily Gaunt](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/emily_gaunt.md): 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 an
- [Mrs. Bantam](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/mrs_bantam.md): A housekeeper or local woman who interacts with the main characters.
- [Mr. Egerton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/mr_egerton.md): Possibly John Egerton's father or another male relative.
- [Mr. Dimple](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/mr_dimple.md): A minor character, perhaps a tradesman or neighbor.
- [The Chase](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/the_chase.md): A location or family name, possibly a house or estate.
- [Reverend Peter Tarrant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/reverend_peter_tarrant.md): A clergyman and likely relative of Muriel Tarrant.
- [Joan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/joan.md): A young girl, possibly a child of the Byrne household.
- [The Whittakers](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/the_whittakers.md): A family in the neighborhood, known for their kindness.
- [Cook](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/cook.md): The cook in the Byrne household.
- [Gelert](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/gelert.md): A dog belonging to Isobel, mentioned in passing.
- [Henry Stimpson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/henry_stimpson.md): A servant or local man, possibly a gardener.
- [George Tarrant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters/george_tarrant.md): A young male member of the Tarrant family.

HTML index: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_house_by_the_river_se/characters