# Roger Merton — The Man from the Clouds character guide > Roger Merton in The Man from the Clouds by J. Storer Clouston. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Mr. Merton, Roger, Merton **First appearance:** 0003-iv-the-suspicious-stranger ## Snapshot An actor-turned-investigator whose talent for disguise is matched only by his talent for getting caught — sometimes by the very people he means to deceive. ## Who they are Merton is the real man behind Hobhouse's borrowed face, a London actor drawn into intelligence work on a suspicious island. His theatrical instincts serve him well until Jean Rendall recognises him from a past performance, and his vanity as a performer wars with the caution his mission demands. His double identity — and the risk that someone else on Ransay knows it — fuels the novel's central game of who is watching whom. ## Relationships ### [Uncle Francis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/uncle_francis) _family_ Roger Merton and Uncle Francis are family, with Uncle Francis acting as a mentor and guardian figure to Roger. ### [Jack Whiteclett](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/jack_whiteclett) _friendship_ Jack and Roger are friends, though their friendship is tested by competition and differing loyalties. ### [Mr. Bolton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/mr_bolton) _professional_ Mr. Bolton is Roger's employee or assistant, with a relationship based on duty and hidden agendas. ### [Dr. Rendall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/dr_rendall) _rivalry_ Dr. Rendall and Roger are rivals, with Roger suspecting Dr. Rendall of wrongdoing and Dr. Rendall trying to outmaneuver him. ### [Sir Francis Merton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/sir_francis_merton) _family_ Roger and Sir Francis are father and son, with a strained relationship due to Sir Francis's expectations and Roger's independence. ### [Jean Rendall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/jean_rendall) _romantic_ Jean and Roger share a romantic attraction, but their relationship is complicated by external pressures and secrets. ### [Thomas Sylvester Hobhouse](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/thomas_sylvester_hobhouse) _rivalry_ Roger and Hobhouse are rivals, both vying for the same goal and distrusting each other deeply. ### [Uncle Francis](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/uncle_francis) _family_ Roger Merton and Uncle Francis are family, with Uncle Francis acting as a mentor and guardian figure to Roger. ### [Jack Whiteclett](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/jack_whiteclett) _friendship_ Jack and Roger are friends, though their friendship is tested by competition and differing loyalties. ### [Jean Rendall](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/jean_rendall) _romantic_ Jean and Roger share a romantic attraction, but their relationship is complicated by external pressures and secrets. ### [Mr. Bolton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/mr_bolton) _professional_ Mr. Bolton is Roger's employee or assistant, with a relationship based on duty and hidden agendas. ### [Sir Francis Merton](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/sir_francis_merton) _family_ Roger and Sir Francis are father and son, with a strained relationship due to Sir Francis's expectations and Roger's independence. ## In the story ### [I: In the Clouds](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/i-in-the-clouds) Narrator and R.N.V.R. Sublieutenant; survives the balloon accident and lands in a field. ### [The Suspicious Stranger](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/iv-the-suspicious-stranger) The protagonist, using the alias Roger Merton, is on a mission to find a spy. He is cautious and observant, noting the family's wariness and the island's strategic importance. ### [On the Drifter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/xiii-on-the-drifter) Narrates his story to his cousin, defending his account and feeling disheartened by the skepticism. ### [XIV: My Cousin's Letter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/xiv-my-cousin-s-letter) Receives and analyzes his cousin's letter, expressing deep skepticism about the detective's conclusions and reaffirming his belief in a larger conspiracy. ### [I: An Idea](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/i-an-idea) Narrator and protagonist; proposes to return to Ransay disguised as an alcoholic patient. ### [A Little Dinner](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/ii-a-little-dinner) The protagonist, preparing for his undercover mission, adopting the alias Thomas Sylvester Hobhouse. ### [III: The Alcoholic Patient](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/iii-the-alcoholic-patient) Referenced as the actor who played Sir Douglas Jenkinson in a comedy, and as the identity Hobhouse is disguising. Hobhouse reflects that his current appearance is a transformation from the vanished Roger Merton. ### [The Test](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/iv-the-test) The identity Hobhouse is hiding; the doctor recounts the story of his previous visit to the island, his arrest, and his assumed name. ### [A Reminiscence](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/vii-a-reminiscence) He is not present in the chapter, but his past actions are central to the plot. Hobhouse recalls walking with him and Jean, and the location of their encounter is a key focus. ### [IX: Bolton on the Teack](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/ix-bolton-on-the-teack) Disguised as Mr. Hobhouse, he reluctantly steps aside to let Bolton investigate, but shares his observations. ### [The Confidant](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/xii-the-confidant) Reveals his true identity to Jean and shares his mission to catch the traitor. ### [XIII: Jean’s Guesses](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/chapters/xiii-jean-s-guesses) The narrator, discussing his discovery and the danger he is in. He is falling in love with Jean. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters/roger_merton - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_man_from_the_clouds_se/characters