Mr. Oliver is the elderly owner of the estate, a man who demands respect but who is also becoming a bit doddering in his old age. His sister is Mrs. Swithin, who resides in Pointz Hall during the summer. She is senile, sometimes humorously so, sometimes sadly so, and she has a rich imagination. Where Mr. Oliver prides himself on reason, Mrs. Swithin values fancy and faith. Isa is the daughter-in-law to Mr. Oliver and is married to Giles Oliver. Giles has cheated on her, and their marriage is quite strained.