The Mystery of the Yellow Room characters

First appears in chapter 2

A young reporter for L'Epoque whose round face, intense curiosity, and stubborn reliance on reason make him seem older than his years. He treats the apparently impossible assault at the Chateau du Glandier as a problem of facts rather than the supernatural and insists that the evidence must be made to fit a coherent explanation.

Appears from the start

A lawyer and friend of Rouletabille who narrates the investigation. Sainclair accompanies the reporter to the Glandier, records conversations and evidence, and often shares the reader's bewilderment while Rouletabille keeps parts of his reasoning private.

Appears from the start

The daughter and scientific collaborator of Professor Stangerson. She is found gravely injured inside the locked Yellow Room after cries for help bring the household running. Her reluctance to explain what happened makes the physical mystery inseparable from a private one.

Appears from the start

A respected scientist who lives and works at the Chateau du Glandier with his daughter Mathilde. He is devoted to her and is among the first people to force entry into the Yellow Room after hearing her struggle within.

Appears from the start

Professor Stangerson's long-serving laboratory assistant. Father Jacques is near the Yellow Room when Mathilde cries out and helps break through its locked door, making him an important witness to the room's sealed condition.

First appears in chapter 3

Mathilde Stangerson's devoted suitor, whose long courtship has finally gained her acceptance. His guarded behavior and unexplained absences trouble the official investigators, although Rouletabille remains wary of conclusions built from appearances.

Also known as The Great Fred

First appears in chapter 5

A celebrated police detective brought into the Yellow Room case. Larsan is methodical, confident, and widely admired, but he and Rouletabille differ sharply over how the clues should be interpreted and whom they implicate.

First appears in chapter 3

The examining magistrate assigned to the assault on Mathilde Stangerson. He conducts formal questioning at the chateau and initially regards the young reporter's interventions with a mixture of impatience and curiosity.

First appears in chapter 4

The concierge of the Chateau du Glandier. He and his wife occupy the lodge and become part of the inquiry because movements through the estate, and the testimony of everyone guarding its approaches, matter to the reconstruction of the crime.

First appears in chapter 4

The concierge's wife at the Chateau du Glandier. Her position at the lodge makes her one of the household witnesses questioned about who could have entered or left the grounds around the attacks.

Also known as The Green Man

First appears in chapter 7

The Stangerson estate's gamekeeper, nicknamed for his green clothing and outdoor duties. His movements in the woods and his relations with members of the household draw Rouletabille's attention as the danger at the Glandier continues.

First appears in chapter 9

An American acquaintance of the Stangersons who is staying near the Glandier. He takes an interest in the case and has knowledge of Mathilde from years before, giving him a perspective that reaches beyond the immediate household.