Minor Characters in A Long Fatal Love Chase
Minor Characters in Louisa May Alcott’s Novel
Apr 29, 2009
The secondary characters in A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott revolve around the two groups of people: those who help Rosamond escape Tempest and those who help Tempest chase Rosamond.
Grammont
Grammont is a friend of Rosamond and Tempest. He brings Robert Willoughby to Valrosa to visit Tempest and Rosamond.
Robert Willoughby
Willoughby is an English gentleman and friend to both Marion and Philip Tempest. He sends word to Marion Tempest when he sees Ippolito and realizes that it must be the son that she thought dead. Tempest causes his death by taking him on a tour that exposed him to temperature extremes and foods that were detrimental to his poor health.
Dr. Montenari
The doctor who attends Willoughby at his death bed.
Giuseppe
The page that Tempest gives Rose to replace Ippolito.
Ruth
Ruth was Rosamond’s alias while hiding and working as a seamstress.
Pauline Laurent
Pauline is the seamstress who lives next door to Rosamond (Ruth) in Paris. She helps Rose escape Tempest by hiding her in a basket and carrying her to the home of the actress to Mademoiselle Honorine.
Mademoiselle Honorine
Mademoiselle Honorine is an well-known actress who is generous with her wealth. She helps Rose escape Tempest by providing her two options: 1.) offering her a place on stage with her 2.) offering to set her up in a convent where her aunt resides.
Sister Agatha
Sister Agatha was Rosamond’s name while hiding in the convent.
Mother Ursula
Mother Ursula is the Mother Superior at the Convent where Rosamond hides. She keep’s Rosamond’s secret until she is on her deathbed then she shares the details with Sister Magdalene. She tries to convert Rose from Protestantism to Catholicism.
Father Dominic
Father Dominic is the benevolent appearing Father at the convent. Rosamond decides that she will go to him for confessional and advice. Tempest bribes Father Dominic to help him reclaim Rose.
Sister Magdalene
Sister Magdalene replaces Mother Ursula when Mother Ursula dies. She dislikes Rosamond (Sister Agatha) and makes her life miserable. Sister Magdalene learns Rose’s secret from Mother Ursula just before the Mother died. In revenge she writes to Tempest.
Compte de Luneville
Compte de Luneville requests a nurse from the convent when his daughter, Natalie, falls gravely ill. Sister Agatha (Rosamond) is the nun that is sent. When Rose flees Tempest at the convent Ignatius helps her escape to the Comte. Ignatius is the Comte’s spiritual advisor.
Both de Luneville and Natalie fall in love with Rose and the Compte proposes to Rosamond. Rose accepts but on the eve of the wedding Tempest finds her. Tempest convinces the Compte that Rose suffers from insanity. Comte de Luneville whose first wife had been insane was terrified of a second marriage to an insane woman and he releases Rose to Tempest’s custody.
Natalie
Natalie is Compte de Luneville’s daughter. When she is very ill, Rose is sent from the convent to nurse her back to health.
Manton
Manton is the stoic and even grim nurse who cares for Rosamond when she enters the insane asylum. However, when Rose’s health suffers Manton feels bad for her and argues for better care of her.
Dr. Gerard
Dr. Gerard is the unscrupulous owner of an mental asylum who is willing to house people whose relatives want them out of the way.
Bayard Conde
Bayard Conde was Father Ignatius’s name before he became a priest. Conde was a duke who led the students in one of France’s many revolutions.
Madame Montez
A disguise used by Baptiste when he tries to apprehend Rosamond when she and Ignatius escape on the boat.
Monsieur Vetréy
Vetréy is the Chief of Police of Paris who captures Baptiste and protects Rosamond and Ignatius on the boat.
Most of the character's surrounding the love triangle of Rosamond, Ignatius, and Tempest are easily divided into those who assisted Rosamond's escape and those who hindered her escape.
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