Barbara Ansley

Barbara Ansley is the intelligent and lively daughter of Mrs. Ansley. She and her mother are vacationing in Rome with their neighbors, Mrs. Slade and her daughter, Jenny. During the story, Barbara and Jenny are spending time with some Italian aviators, while Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley engage in conversation. Mrs. Slade envies Mrs. Ansley for having such a brilliant daughter. Over the course of their conversation, Mrs. Ansley discloses to Mrs. Slade that Barbara is actually the daughter of Mrs. Slade's late husband, Delphin.

Grace Ansley

Mrs. Grace Ansley, a middle-aged widow, is a wealthy New Yorker vacationing in Italy with her daughter Barbara, and their neighbors, Mrs. Slade and her daughter Jenny. In Mrs. Slade's view, Mrs. Ansley has led a quiet and uneventful life. Despite her appearance as a proper, middle-aged widow who spends her time knitting and admiring the Roman scenery, her composed exterior conceals a secret past.

As a young woman in Italy, Grace (Mrs. Ansley) fell in love with Alida's (Mrs. Slade's) fiancé, Delphin. After meeting him one night at the Colosseum ruins, she became quite ill. Upon recovering, she promptly married Mr. Ansley.

Despite her marriage to Mr. Ansley, she has always cherished the memory of her evening with Delphin and the letter he sent her. When Mrs. Slade reveals that she had actually written the letter, not Delphin, Mrs. Ansley's fantasy is shattered. In response, she reveals an even more devastating secret to her friend: her vibrant daughter, who has always seemed so different from her parents, is actually Delphin's child.

Mrs. Ansley

See Grace Ansley

Alida Slade

Mrs. Alida Slade, a middle-aged, wealthy New York widow, is vacationing in Italy with her daughter Jenny, her neighbor Mrs. Ansley, and Mrs. Ansley's daughter, Barbara. As the wife of a famous corporate lawyer, Mrs. Slade's married life was filled with excitement and adventure. She took pride in being a charming hostess, an excellent entertainer, and a vibrant woman. After her husband Delphin's death, Mrs. Slade finds life monotonous, with only her quiet and self-sufficient daughter to occupy her time.

Mrs. Slade feels both superior to and envious of her lifelong friend, Mrs. Ansley. She has also harbored a decades-long resentment against Mrs. Ansley for falling in love with Delphin when both women were young and vacationing in Italy. Fearing that Grace (Mrs. Ansley) would steal her fiancé, Alida (Mrs. Slade) sent Grace a letter, signing it with Delphin's name. When Grace went to meet Delphin, she fell seriously ill.

During their trip to Italy, Mrs. Slade, harboring a desire to hurt her friend even after all these years, reveals to Mrs. Ansley that she, not Delphin, sent the letter. Almost immediately, Mrs. Slade regrets her action and feels a pang of sympathy for Mrs. Ansley, especially upon seeing how much the letter's memory has meant to her. However, when Mrs. Slade expresses her sympathy, Mrs. Ansley stuns her by disclosing that Barbara, Mrs. Ansley's daughter, is actually Delphin's child.

Delphin Slade

Although Delphin Slade has passed away by the time the story unfolds, he remains a significant presence in the thoughts of both his wife and his former lover, Grace (Mrs. Ansley). The narrative revolves around his past deeds. As a young man, while engaged to Alida (Mrs. Slade), Delphin met Grace at the Colosseum one night and fathered Barbara. This secret has been kept from his wife for the last 25 years.

Jenny Slade

Jenny Slade is the composed, reserved, and independent daughter of Mrs. Slade. She is accompanying her mother to Rome, along with Mrs. Ansley and her daughter, Barbara Ansley. During the conversation between Mrs. Slade and Mrs. Ansley, Jenny and Barbara are off spending time with some Italian aviators.

Mrs. Slade

See Alida Slade