The Three Impostors · Character

Professor Gregg

An ethnologist who plucks a destitute governess from despair, then confesses he covets the renown of Columbus and means to explore man himself.

supporting

Also known as Gregg

First appearance: novel of the dark valley

As a supporting figure in The Three Impostors, Professor Gregg is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

An ethnologist whose mysterious disappearance is described by Miss Leicester; his watch, ring, and a parchment with undecipherable cuneiform were found on a hillside.

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Gregg hires Miss Lally on a London bench, installs her in a book-crammed manor house, and treats her less as governess than secretary while he finishes his Textbook of Ethnology. Beneath the sober scholarship she detects a hidden longing, and once the proofs are done he speaks of undiscovered countries and the myth of lost Atlantis with a schoolboy's joy. His hunger for strange knowledge is the engine of the book's darkest narrative, and his kindness to Miss Lally makes his obsession all the more unsettling.

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The fuller portrait of Professor Gregg sits in Reading Lens — open the free preview to keep reading with notes on the page.

See Professor Gregg in novel of the dark valley

Character Web

9 connections

A slice of how Professor Gregg sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

Relationship types

Psychological
Rivalry
Professional
Other

Character groups

Cradock family and associates
Minor characters and scholarly references

+4 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.

Setup
Escalation
Breaking point

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because Dyson and Phillipps physically cross the threshold from the ord…

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Relationships

Miss Lally
psychological · negative
Miss Lally is manipulated and obsessed over by Professor Gregg, who sees her as a key… How this plays out →
Mr. Charles Phillipps
rivalry · negative
Mrs. Cradock
professional · ambivalent
Mr. Meyrick
professional · ambivalent
Miss Lally
psychological · negative
Miss Lally is manipulated and obsessed over by Professor Gregg, who sees her as a key… How this plays out →
Mr. Charles Phillipps
rivalry · negative
Mr. Meyrick
professional · ambivalent
Mrs. Cradock
professional · ambivalent

Miss Lally
Miss Lally is manipulated and obsessed over by Professor Gregg, who sees her as a key figure in his occult schemes.
Mr. Charles Phillipps
Mr. Charles Phillipps and Professor Gregg are antagonists, with Phillipps opposing Gregg's dark occult activities.
Mrs. Cradock
Mrs. Cradock serves as a housekeeper or servant to Professor Gregg, bound by duty.
Mr. Meyrick
Mr. Meyrick is a colleague or associate of Professor Gregg, possibly in academic or occult matters.
Miss Lally
Miss Lally is manipulated and obsessed over by Professor Gregg, who sees her as a key figure in his occult schemes.
Mr. Charles Phillipps
Mr. Charles Phillipps and Professor Gregg are antagonists, with Phillipps opposing Gregg's dark occult activities.
Mr. Meyrick
Mr. Meyrick is a colleague or associate of Professor Gregg, possibly in academic or occult matters.
Mrs. Cradock
Mrs. Cradock serves as a housekeeper or servant to Professor Gregg, bound by duty.

Relationship notes

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See Professor Gregg in novel of the dark valley

In the story

Professor Gregg appears across 2 companion beats. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

Spoil-light check-ins for Professor Gregg unlock in the free preview.

See Professor Gregg in novel of the dark valley

See Professor Gregg in Adventure of the Missing Brother