▁part ▁in ▁the ▁den ou ement ▁when ▁she ▁ste als ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁papers ▁from ▁G ride , ▁including ▁Mad eline ' s ▁grand father ' s ▁will . ▁Bro oker : ▁An ▁old ▁begg ar . ▁A ▁myster ious ▁figure ▁who ▁appears ▁several ▁times ▁during ▁the ▁novel . ▁We ▁eventually ▁find ▁out ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁formerly ▁Ralph ' s ▁cl erk . ▁He ▁was ▁responsible ▁for ▁bringing ▁Ralph ' s ▁son ▁( S mi ke ) ▁to ▁D othe bo ys ▁Hall . ▁An ▁ex - conv ict , ▁he ▁returns ▁to ▁ext ort ▁money ▁from ▁Ralph ▁with ▁the ▁information ▁that ▁his ▁son ▁is ▁alive . ▁When ▁that ▁fails , ▁he ▁goes ▁to ▁N og gs , ▁and ▁eventually ▁brings ▁his ▁story ▁to ▁light . ▁In ▁the ▁ep ilog ue , ▁it ▁is ▁mentioned ▁that ▁he ▁dies ▁rep ent ant ▁of ▁his ▁cr imes . ▁ ▁York shire ▁S mi ke : ▁A ▁poor ▁dr ud ge ▁living ▁in ▁S que ers ' s ▁" care ". ▁About ▁ 1 8 ▁years ▁old , ▁S mi ke ▁is ▁a ▁path etic ▁figure , ▁perpet ually ▁ill ▁and ▁dim - w itted , ▁who ▁has ▁been ▁in ▁S que ers ' s ▁care ▁since ▁he ▁was ▁very ▁young . ▁Nicholas ▁gives ▁him ▁the ▁courage ▁to ▁run ▁away , ▁but ▁when ▁that ▁fails ▁Nicholas ▁saves ▁him ▁and ▁the ▁two ▁become ▁trav elling ▁compan ions ▁and ▁close ▁friends . ▁He ▁falls ▁in ▁love ▁with ▁Kate , ▁but ▁his ▁heart ▁is ▁broken ▁when ▁she ▁falls ▁in