Major Marchbanks was once in the army, serving with Lockhart. He was Lockhart's good friend, until Lockhart saw what opium addiction had done to him. Marchbanks is Sally's real biological father, but he exchanged her for the Ruby after the Mutiny in Agrapur. He has never been there for Sally, and so she does not think of him as a father even when she finds out the truth, though she is sad about his death. Marchbanks appears to feel sorry for what he did, and seems to want to make amends by giving the Ruby to Sally. Unfortunately, he is killed by Mrs. Holland before he can answer any of Sally's questions.
