The Lovable Cheat

A flamboyant Parisian gentleman living beyond his means, Claude is a practiced fraudster who orchestrates schemes to placate his creditors while preserving appearances for his family. His charm masks a brittle financial situation and a readiness to deceive those closest to him. He drives the central deception that animates the plot.

Claude and Pauline’s daughter, torn between love and money. She falls for Jacques Minard while entangled in her father’s web of deceit, showing resilience and loyalty even as the marriage market is manipulated for financial ends. Her perspective anchors the moral tension of the story.

One of Claude’s creditors, a sharp and unyielding figure who presses for repayment. He embodies the relentless pursuit of money in a world of social pretense, becoming a key participant in the house’s fraught negotiations and schemes.

A bank clerk and Julie’s love interest. Pragmatic and unshaken by wealth, he weighs love against finances and ultimately agrees to pursue Julie despite poverty, playing a crucial role in the plan’s resolution.

Claude’s wife, kept largely in the dark about the family’s finances. She embodies the social ideal of the era, remaining trusting and supportive while the truth of their situation unfolds around her.

A creditor who arrives with a bad cold and becomes part of Claude’s scheme to invest in a fake medicine. She is skeptical yet susceptible to manipulation, highlighting the opportunistic nature of the debt-ridden world.

Another creditor who demands repayment and enters the tense social orbit of the mercadet household. He represents the ever-present threat of financial ruin that drives the plot toward its climax.

A principal creditor whose arrival intensifies the pressure on Claude and the Count. He embodies the ever-watchful eye of justice, threatening jail if debts are not settled.

Pierquin’s wife and a fellow creditor present at the house. She participates in the creditor coalition that presses for payment, underscoring the collective pressure of the debtors’ circle.

Claude’s loyal butler who orchestrates the reception and tries to manage the creditors and deception from behind the scenes. He plays a pivotal role in keeping the ruse operational until the plan’s unraveling.

The enforcer who arrives to confiscate Claude’s property, triggering the crisis that exposes the mounting deceit. His intrusion sets the plot in its final motion toward reckoning.

The household cook who is entangled in the deception through promises of repayment and the fake medicine scheme. Her involvement highlights how ordinary domestic figures become part of the larger fraud.