The Black Abbot

The butler Fortuna is a sly, deviant-inclined servant with ties to Gilder. A former Dartmoor prisoner, he acts as a covert agent in the scheme to seize the Chelford treasure, playing both sides to protect himself and his employer while avoiding exposure.

Gilder is a ruthless mastermind who blackmails Arthur Gine and manipulates others to secure the treasure. He engineers schemes using forged bills and leverages ambitions to maintain control.

Dick Alford is Harry Chelford's cousin and the manor’s steward, later revealed to be part of the conspiracy. He collaborates with the doctor to manage the hidden elements of the estate and the escape from exposure.

Leslie is the fiancée of Harry Chelford, torn between loyalty and desire. Her presence in the love triangle drives key decisions and shifts in allegiance as the treasure hunt intensifies.

Former secretary to Lord Chelford, Mary teams with Gilder to pursue the treasure, becoming entangled in a web of deception that escalates danger around the abbey and manor.

Horatio serves as Inspector Puddler’s assistant, providing support as clues accumulate and the investigation tightens the net around suspects.

A Scotland Yard inspector who pieces together alibis, confronts suspects, and relentlessly pursues the truth behind the murder and the Black Abbot’s activities.

The family doctor who collaborates with Alford and Gilder, aiding in the care and concealment of the insane Lady Chelford and helping to cover their actions.

The mentally ill Lady Chelford, whose condition shapes the eerie atmosphere of the estate and fuels the escalating peril as the son battles reality.

A London lawyer who becomes a target of Gilder’s blackmail due to forged signatures on bills; his fear and desperation intensify the web of deception.

The deteriorating heir whose sanity collapses under pressure, he shoots his mother and the Black Abbot and dies in a cave-in while attempting to hold Leslie hostage. His fixation on inheritance drives the plot to its fatal end.