Francis, though homosexual, is forced by his wealthy grandfather to marry a woman he despises, leading him to attempt suicide, which he survives. Charles flees rehab with a married woman to live in squalid conditions in Texas. Left behind to care for her ailing grandmother, Camilla becomes increasingly isolated, and turns down Richard's proposal of marriage. Richard returns to California and becomes a lonely academic with an unrequited love for Camilla. The novel ends with Richard recounting a dream meeting Henry in a desolate futuristic museum. After a brief conversation, Henry leaves Richard to contemplate his unhappiness. Characters Julian Morrow: an eccentric classics professor at Hampden who teaches only a small group of students whom he selects for their intellect, connections, and wealth. Julian was a prominent socialite in the 1940s, associated with T. S. Eliot. The independently wealthy Julian donates his salary to Hampden, with which he has a strained relationship. Julian extols the virtues of Greco-Roman society, and is viewed as a father figure by his students, who are taught nearly exclusively by him. Richard Papen: a transfer student of modest means from California, he is insecure with his background and so embellishes it to fit in with his fellow classics students. Richard reluctantly follows Henry's plans but does not put up serious resistance. Charles and Camilla Macaulay: Charming, orphaned fraternal twins from Virginia. The complex relationship between the twins is characterized by jealousy and protectiveness. The twins frequently host the group for dinner. Camilla is a love interest of both Richard and Henry. Henry Winter: a polyglot intellectual prodigy and published author with wealthy new money parents and a passion for the Pāli canon, Homer, and Plato, he is the unofficial leader of the group and is Julian's favorite student. Despite his intellectual talents, Henry did not graduate high school due to injuries from an accident. Francis Abernathy: a generous and hypochondriac student from an old money background, whose secluded country home becomes a sanctuary for the group. Francis has an overprotective mother with a history of drug addiction who sent him to several elite European boarding schools. Edmund "Bunny" Corcoran: a jokester who despite appearances of wealth, is in fact penniless and unabashedly takes advantage of his friends. Bunny's bigoted attitudes such as anti-Catholicism antagonize other group members. Bunny is the least academically talented of the group; he has severe dyslexia and did not read until