The speaker is an unnamed individual who visits an out-of-the-way inn with a friend. Constrained by social conventions and the "laws of men," the speaker remains emotionally guarded and polite during the visit. Looking back on the afternoon, the speaker feels deep regret over this emotional paralysis and desperately wishes for a second chance to express unconsummated passion.

The companion is an unnamed guest who shares a seemingly intimate but ultimately platonic dinner with the speaker. Separated by distance and social laws after the event, the companion experiences the same aching longing as the speaker. The companion maintains a chilly physical distance during the meal that contrasts sharply with the romantic setting.

Thomas Hardy is a 53-year-old Victorian novelist and poet trapped in an uncomfortable marriage. He develops a profound infatuation with a younger writer, initiating a frustrating correspondence that reveals his unrequited feelings. He channels his deep pessimism regarding romance and human isolation into his literary collaborations and poetry.

Florence Henniker is a 38-year-old Irish novelist and poet who draws immediate attention from Thomas Hardy. She collaborates with him on the short story "The Spectre of the Real" during meetings at the George Inn. She is an articulate and charming writer whose exact feelings remain historically ambiguous despite Hardy's clear infatuation.

The waitstaff at the country inn provide attentive catering care to the visiting pair. Operating under the assumption that the two guests are clandestine lovers, they project their own fantasies of perfect romance onto the strangers. They eventually leave the pair alone, hoping to foster a romantic bliss they desire in their own routine lives.

The wife of Thomas Hardy remains a background figure in his life during his infatuation with Florence Henniker. Her relationship with Hardy is dysfunctional, contributing to his intense privacy and emotional isolation. She shares a distant and uncomfortable domestic life with her husband over their long marriage.