# Gordon-Nasmyth — Tono-Bungay character guide

> Gordon-Nasmyth in Tono-Bungay by H. G. Wells.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Nasmyth, gordon nasmyth

**First appearance:** 0085-i

## Snapshot

A scientific friend of George's whose restless ambition pulls him toward the Quap expedition, trading laboratory caution for the risk and romance of distant enterprise.

## Who they are

Gordon-Nasmyth belongs to the circle of scientifically minded men around George, the sort whose talk drifts from patents to prospects and back again. Where George hesitates between invention and commerce, Nasmyth leans toward the gamble, drawn to the Quap venture as a chance to convert cleverness into fortune. His presence sharpens the novel's early tension between patient research and speculative dash, foreshadowing the wider world of schemes that will test George's judgment.

## In the story

### [Book III: The Great Days of Tono-Bungay](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/chapters/book-iii-the-great-days-of-tono-bungay)

A business associate involved in the financial and promotional schemes of the Ponderevo empire.

### [The Hardingham Hotel, and How We Became Big People](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/chapters/i-the-hardingham-hotel-and-how-we-became-big-people)

Lank, sunburnt adventurer with one eye; proposes the quap expedition to Mordet Island, claiming immense radioactive wealth.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/chapters/iv)

The adventurer who brings the quap opportunity to the Ponderevos; described as a blend of romance and illegality.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/chapters/v)

Mentioned as a figure who played a part in the later crisis of their fortunes.

### [How I Stole the Heaps of Quap from Mordet Island](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/chapters/iv-how-i-stole-the-heaps-of-quap-from-mordet-island)

Mentioned as the original organizer of the expedition, though he fails to join, leaving George to take charge.

### [I](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/chapters/i)

Leader of the quap expedition; reported to have suffered a compound fracture of the leg in a motor smash.

### [III](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/chapters/iii)

Mentioned as the one who chose the captain and Pollack for the expedition, possibly for artistic contrast or to express anti-British sentiment.

### [IV](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/chapters/iv)

Referenced as the source of the quap location and the expedition's nominal origin.

### [V](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/chapters/v)

Mentioned as knowing why a case of Easton's Syrup was aboard.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/characters/gordon_nasmyth
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/tono_bungay_se/characters