Charlotte is a fifteen-year-old upper-middle-class English girl attending Madame Du Pont's boarding school. Raised in a loving and highly sheltered environment, she possesses a trusting nature and a strong desire to please those around her. Her strict education and total inexperience with the outside world leave her highly vulnerable to manipulation by those she considers friends and authority figures.

Montraville is a young lieutenant in the British Army preparing to deploy to the United States. As the youngest son of a wealthy gentleman, he must make his own fortune and relies entirely on his military commission for support. He is generous and agreeable but distinctly short-sighted, frequently prioritizing immediate romantic pursuits over practical realities or moral responsibilities.

Belcour is a wealthy, liberally educated officer in the British Army and Montraville's friend. He possesses an extravagant and selfish disposition, constantly seeking personal pleasure without regard for the harm he causes others. He encourages Montraville's reckless behavior and actively works to manipulate situations to his own distinct advantage.

Mademoiselle La Rue is a French teaching assistant at Madame Du Pont's boarding school. Despite her position of authority, she harbors a scandalous past and actively hides her ongoing social transgressions from her employer. She uses her influence to isolate students from sound advice, manipulating them to serve her own social and romantic ambitions.

Mr. Temple is Charlotte's father, a compassionate and principled man who lives on a modest estate. As the youngest son of a proud family, he refuses to marry for money or social status, prioritizing love and domestic happiness instead. He willingly downsizes his lifestyle to assist those in need and provides a loving, stable home for his family.

Lucy is Charlotte's mother and the daughter of Captain Eldridge. She demonstrates immense resilience and filial devotion, supporting herself through painting while tending to her father during his imprisonment. Following significant family tragedies, she maintains a cheerful exterior to comfort her loved ones and prioritizes her domestic duties above her own grief.

Captain Eldridge is Charlotte's grandfather and a former sailor who faces severe financial and personal ruin. After taking on debt to secure a military commission for his son, he is targeted by an unscrupulous creditor, leading to his imprisonment. He is a proud but broken man who relies heavily on his daughter's care and Mr. Temple's generosity.

Colonel Crayton is a widowed officer in the British Army who possesses an easygoing and unsuspicious nature. Beloved by his peers for his humanity, his trusting disposition leaves him vulnerable to deception by opportunistic acquaintances during his voyage to New York.

Julia is a wealthy, independent young heiress living in New York City with her uncle. She possesses a lively disposition and a humane heart. Her financial independence contrasts directly with the circumstances of others in her social orbit.

Emily Beauchamp is Colonel Crayton's married daughter, known throughout her social circle for her mild and tolerant nature. She avoids passing judgment on others and remains attentive to the struggles of those in her community, carefully balancing her charitable impulses with her social obligations as an officer's wife.

Madame Du Pont is the headmistress of the boarding school Charlotte attends. She is an apt and responsible educator who manages a large number of students, relying on assistants to maintain order. She cares genuinely for her charges' well-being but is unaware of the deceit occurring among her staff.

Mr. Lewis is a wealthy young man who initially appears as a benefactor by paying for George Eldridge's military commission. When his romantic advances toward Lucy are firmly rejected, he immediately demands repayment of the debt, utilizing his financial power to destroy the Eldridge family.

George is Captain Eldridge's son and Lucy's brother. He enlists in the army after his schooling, utilizing funds from his wealthy friend Mr. Lewis. His strong sense of honor and guilt over bringing Lewis into his family's life lead him into a fatal confrontation.

Major Beauchamp is Emily Beauchamp's husband and an officer in the military. Unlike many men in his rigid social circle, he values his wife's generous spirit and actively encourages her charitable inclinations without worrying about potential social liabilities.

John is a servant working in the Crayton household. He possesses a strong sense of pity and moral duty, quietly rebelling against his employer's harsh orders by offering personal charity to a vulnerable caller in the middle of winter.

Mr. Franklin is Julia Franklin's uncle and guardian in New York City. He is a wealthy gentleman who provides his niece with a highly comfortable, independent lifestyle.