# The Laird — Trilby character guide

> The Laird in Trilby by George du Maurier.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Laird, Laird of Cockpen, Cockpen

**First appearance:** 0000-part-iv-part-v-little-billee

## Snapshot

A Scottish painter in the Paris studio set, whose mangled French and dry humor make him the comic anchor of Trilby's bohemian circle.

## Who they are

The Laird shares the Place St. Anatole des Arts studio with Taffy, and together they form the steady, affectionate backdrop to Trilby and Little Billee's brighter orbit. His fractured French and eccentric turns of phrase hide a shrewd eye and a genuinely tender heart. When the studio's two central figures vanish, his quiet grief measures how much the group's charm depended on them, making his later drift into dull respectability feel like a small, real tragedy.

## Relationships

### [Trilby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/trilby)

_friendship_

The Laird is a kind and devoted friend to Trilby, part of the trio of artists who adore her.

### [Taffy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/taffy)

_friendship_

Taffy and The Laird are close friends and fellow artists, sharing a bond of camaraderie and mutual support.

### [Little Billee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/little_billee)

_friendship_

Little Billee and The Laird are close friends and fellow art students, sharing a deep bond within their trio.

### [Svengali](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/svengali)

_rivalry_

Svengali and The Laird are antagonistic, with The Laird distrusting and opposing Svengali's influence over Trilby.

### [Svengali](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/svengali)

_rivalry_

Svengali and The Laird are antagonistic, with The Laird distrusting and opposing Svengali's influence over Trilby.

### [Trilby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/trilby)

_friendship_

The Laird is a kind and devoted friend to Trilby, part of the trio of artists who adore her.

### [Taffy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/taffy)

_friendship_

Taffy and The Laird are close friends and fellow artists, sharing a bond of camaraderie and mutual support.

### [Little Billee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/little_billee)

_friendship_

Little Billee and The Laird are close friends and fellow art students, sharing a deep bond within their trio.

### [Taffy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/taffy)

_friendship_

Taffy and The Laird are close friends and fellow artists, sharing a bond of camaraderie and mutual support.

### [Svengali](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/svengali)

_rivalry_

Svengali and The Laird are antagonistic, with The Laird distrusting and opposing Svengali's influence over Trilby.

### [Little Billee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/little_billee)

_friendship_

Little Billee and The Laird are close friends and fellow art students, sharing a deep bond within their trio.

### [Trilby](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/trilby)

_friendship_

The Laird is a kind and devoted friend to Trilby, part of the trio of artists who adore her.

## In the story

### [Part V: Little Billee](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/chapters/part-iv-part-v-little-billee)

Shares Taffy's sense of loss; becomes mopey and decides to leave Paris for Spain.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters/the_laird
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/trilby_se/characters