# Mr. Henry — The Master of Ballantrae character guide > Mr. Henry in The Master of Ballantrae by Robert Louis Stevenson. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Henry, Harry, Henry Durie, poor Mr. Henry **First appearance:** 0002-the-master-of-ballantrae ## Snapshot The dutiful younger son who stays behind to hold the estate together, only to find himself cast as the villain in his own household. ## Who they are Henry Durie is the cadet who does the work while his brother takes the glory, managing Durrisdeer's affairs from boyhood and enduring his father's preference for the absent James. He has 'an excellent gift of silence,' but it curdles into a cold, resentful temper as he shoulders burdens no one thanks him for. His painful position — neither fish nor flesh, heir in name only — makes him the story's most sympathetic and most quietly dangerous figure. ## Relationships ### [The Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/the_master) _rivalry_ Bitter fraternal rivalry fueled by jealousy, betrayal, and a lifelong struggle for inheritance and honor. ### [Mrs. Henry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/mrs_henry) _family_ A strained marriage marked by Mr. Henry's insecurity and his wife's lingering, unrequited love for the Master. ### [Colonel Burke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/colonel_burke) _rivalry_ Burke despises Mr. Henry as the timid brother who stayed home while the Master fought for the Jacobite cause. ### [Jessie Broun](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/jessie_broun) _social_ A local woman who spreads malicious gossip about Mr. Henry, deepening his social isolation. ### [The Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/the_master) _rivalry_ Bitter fraternal rivalry fueled by jealousy, betrayal, and a lifelong struggle for inheritance and honor. ### [The Master](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/the_master) _rivalry_ Bitter fraternal rivalry fueled by jealousy, betrayal, and a lifelong struggle for inheritance and honor. ### [Mrs. Henry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/mrs_henry) _family_ A strained marriage marked by Mr. Henry's insecurity and his wife's lingering, unrequited love for the Master. ### [Jessie Broun](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/jessie_broun) _social_ A local woman who spreads malicious gossip about Mr. Henry, deepening his social isolation. ### [Mrs. Henry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/mrs_henry) _family_ A strained marriage marked by Mr. Henry's insecurity and his wife's lingering, unrequited love for the Master. ### [Colonel Burke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/colonel_burke) _rivalry_ Burke despises Mr. Henry as the timid brother who stayed home while the Master fought for the Jacobite cause. ### [Colonel Burke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/colonel_burke) _rivalry_ Burke despises Mr. Henry as the timid brother who stayed home while the Master fought for the Jacobite cause. ## In the story ### [The Master of Ballantrae](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/the-master-of-ballantrae) The younger brother, Henry, is steady, dutiful, and remains at Durrisdeer to support the government, resenting his brother's favor. ### [I: Summary of Events During the Master’s Wanderings](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/i-summary-of-events-during-the-master-s-wanderings) The younger son, honest and solid, becomes heir after the Master's presumed death; he suffers from false rumors of betrayal and social ostracism. ### [II: Summary of Events (Continued)](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/ii-summary-of-events-continued) Welcomes Mackellar warmly; is kind but unhappy; bears the burden of the Master's memory and Mrs. Henry's coldness; sends Mackellar to pay Jessie Broun. ### [IV: Persecutions Endured by Mr. Henry](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/iv-persecutions-endured-by-mr-henry) Suffers silently as the Master manipulates his wife and undermines his position; confronts the Master over Jessie Broun. ### [Account of All That Passed on the Night of February 27th, 1757](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/v-account-of-all-that-passed-on-the-night-of-february-27th-1757) Shaken and sobbing after the duel, unable to act; Mackellar forces him to drink brandy and leaves him in the hall. ### [VI: Summary of Events During the Master’s Second Absence](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/vi-summary-of-events-during-the-master-s-second-absence) Falls deathly ill after the duel; during delirium speaks only of trivial matters and childhood memories of the Master; slowly recovers but shows no memory of the tragedy, causing fear of mental unsoundness. ### [VIII: The Enemy in the House](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/viii-the-enemy-in-the-house) Confronts the Master with controlled anger, dismisses John Paul, and struggles with the emotional strain of his brother's return. ### [X: Passages at New York](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/chapters/x-passages-at-new-york) Now called Lord Durrisdeer, he has prepared a public humiliation for the Master, offering him a choice between leaving or staying under strict conditions. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters/mr_henry - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_master_of_ballantrae_se/characters