# Mademoiselle Stangerson — The Mystery of the Yellow Room character guide > Mademoiselle Stangerson in The Mystery of the Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux. **Role:** major **Also known as:** Mathilde Stangerson, Mathilde **First appearance:** 0001-the-mystery-of-the-yellow-room ## Snapshot A brilliant scientist's daughter who locks herself in a room no one can enter or leave, and nearly dies for it. ## Who they are Mademoiselle Stangerson is no passive victim: she works alongside her father until midnight on his treatise, borrows a revolver without telling anyone, and locks herself in with a precision that suggests she expected danger. The red star on her temple — a scar from a near-fatal wound — marks her as someone who has already survived violence once. After the attack she retreats into white dressing-gowns and silence, trembling at shadows, yet her evasions and the missing letter in her room suggest she knows far more about her attacker than she will say. Her fear and her secrecy are the emotional core of the mystery. ## Relationships ### [Joseph Rouletabille](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/joseph_rouletabille) _romantic_ Rouletabille is deeply devoted to protecting Mademoiselle Stangerson, driven by a mix of professional duty and personal affection. ### [Frédéric Larsan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/frederic_larsan) _psychological_ Larsan is obsessively fixated on Mademoiselle Stangerson, viewing her as both a target and a key to the crime. ### [The Green Man](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/the_green_man) _psychological_ Mademoiselle Stangerson is both terrified of and mysteriously connected to the Green Man, who stalks her. ### [Ballmeyer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/ballmeyer) _psychological_ Ballmeyer has a sinister, manipulative hold over Mademoiselle Stangerson, rooted in past secrets. ### [Daddy Jacques](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/daddy_jacques) _friendship_ Daddy Jacques is a protective and caring figure toward Mademoiselle Stangerson, acting as a loyal servant. ### [Professor Stangerson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/professor_stangerson) _family_ Professor Stangerson is Mademoiselle Stangerson's devoted father, deeply concerned for her safety. ### [Joseph Rouletabille](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/joseph_rouletabille) _romantic_ Rouletabille is deeply devoted to protecting Mademoiselle Stangerson, driven by a mix of professional duty and personal affection. ### [Frédéric Larsan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/frederic_larsan) _psychological_ Larsan is obsessively fixated on Mademoiselle Stangerson, viewing her as both a target and a key to the crime. ### [Joseph Rouletabille](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/joseph_rouletabille) _romantic_ Rouletabille is deeply devoted to protecting Mademoiselle Stangerson, driven by a mix of professional duty and personal affection. ### [Frédéric Larsan](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/frederic_larsan) _psychological_ Larsan is obsessively fixated on Mademoiselle Stangerson, viewing her as both a target and a key to the crime. ### [Daddy Jacques](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/daddy_jacques) _friendship_ Daddy Jacques is a protective and caring figure toward Mademoiselle Stangerson, acting as a loyal servant. ### [Professor Stangerson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/professor_stangerson) _family_ Professor Stangerson is Mademoiselle Stangerson's devoted father, deeply concerned for her safety. ## In the story ### [In Which We Begin Not to Understand](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/i-in-which-we-begin-not-to-understand) The victim of the attack, found in the Yellow Room with life-threatening injuries. ### [In Which Joseph Rouletabille Appears for the First Time](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/ii-in-which-joseph-rouletabille-appears-for-the-first-time) The victim of the attack; Rouletabille theorizes she used the revolver to defend herself and took precautions because she feared someone. ### [In the Bosom of Wild Nature](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/iv-in-the-bosom-of-wild-nature) Mathilde Stangerson, now 35, is portrayed as a beautiful blonde with blue eyes who chose the solitude of Glandier to work with her father; she has refused all suitors for over fifteen years but recently consented to marry Robert Darzac. ### [VIII: The Examining Magistrate Questions Mademoiselle Stangerson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/viii-the-examining-magistrate-questions-mademoiselle-stangerson) The victim, questioned by the magistrate about the attack and her actions on the day of the crime. ### [XII: Frédéric Larsan’s Cane](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xii-fr-d-ric-larsan-s-cane) Heard sobbing and saying 'My poor Robert!' from her chamber window. ### [XIII: “The Presbytery Has Lost Nothing of Its Charm, nor the Garden Its Brightness”](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xiii-the-presbytery-has-lost-nothing-of-its-charm-nor-the-garden-its-brightness) Recovering from her injuries; her health is improving; she was at the Élysée with Darzac on the night before the crime. ### [XV: The Trap](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xv-the-trap) Not present in her room; sleeping in the side-room with her women. ### [The Inexplicable Gallery](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xvii-the-inexplicable-gallery) Appears at the door of her anteroom, explains she chose to sleep in the boudoir, and shows fear and distress during the conversation. ### [XIX: Rouletabille Invites Me to Breakfast at the Donjon Inn](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xix-rouletabille-invites-me-to-breakfast-at-the-donjon-inn) Implied to be in communication with the murderer and to know his identity, yet refuses to denounce him. ### [An Act of Mademoiselle Stangerson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xx-an-act-of-mademoiselle-stangerson) Secretly pours the contents of a phial into her father's glass during dinner, observed by Rouletabille and Sainclair. ### [On the Watch](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xxi-on-the-watch) Is revealed to have drugged her father's drink to ensure he sleeps, and has arranged for the nurses to be absent, preparing for the murderer's visit. ### [XXIII: The Double Scent](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xxiii-the-double-scent) Mentioned as being in a critical but not desperate condition after the recent attack. ### [Rouletabille Knows the Two Halves of the Murderer](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xxiv-rouletabille-knows-the-two-halves-of-the-murderer) Survives a second attack but suffers mental trauma; cries out for Darzac as he is arrested. ### [XXV: Rouletabille Goes on a Journey](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xxv-rouletabille-goes-on-a-journey) Mentioned as having tried to say 'Speak!' before fainting, a word Rouletabille claims to have heard. ### [XXIX: The Mystery of Mademoiselle Stangerson](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/chapters/xxix-the-mystery-of-mademoiselle-stangerson) Her secret marriage to Ballmeyer, her suicide attempt, her confession to Darzac, and her helplessness under Ballmeyer's threats are fully disclosed. ## Links - HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters/mademoiselle_stangerson - Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se - All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_mystery_of_the_yellow_room_se/characters