BARTHÉLEMY PIÉCHUT: Mayor of Clochemerle. It was his idea that started everything.
ERNEST TAFARDEL: Schoolmaster, Town Clerk, and consequently right-hand man to Barthélemy Piéchut, a true intellectual, the quality of whose breath made him a formidable opponent in argument at close quarters.
JUSTINE PUTET: A solitary and embittered old maid, who brought a spiteful and alarming vigilance to bear on the acts of her contemporaries.
THE CURÉ PONOSSE: The gentle priest, who was filled with embarrassment by the confessions of the women of Clochemerle, a town in which the men are not inactive.
HONORINE: His servant.
JUDITH TOUMIGNON: Masterpiece of Nature, at the sight of whom the men of Clochemerle grew hoarse of speech and were overcome by feelings of wretchedness and desperation.
FRANÇOIS TOUMIGNON: Her husband, owner of the Beaujolais Stores.
HIPPOLYTE FONCIMAGNE: Clerk to the Justices of the Peace, a tall, dark, handsome fellow, who is the actual possessor of the person and affections of the beautiful Judith.
DOCTOR MOURAILLE: The family doctor of Clochemerle—and not a very good one, either.
EUGÈNE FADET: Leader of the rowdy element.
THE GIRODOT FAMILY: Of whom the less said, the better.
ALEXANDRE BOURDILLAT: Ex-Minister.
ARISTIDE FOCART: Member of Parliament.
BABETTE MANAPOUX and MME. FOUACHE: Two eloquent people who made it their business to maintain, in a flourishing condition, all the town tittle-tattle.
ADÈLE TORBAYON: Proprietress of the Torbayon Inn, second in beauty only to Judith Toumignon.
ARTHUR TORBAYON: Whose jealousy of his wife, Adèle, had a lot to do with all the trouble.
ROSE BIVAQUE and CLAUDIUS BRODEQUIN: Whose innocent love-making had still more to contribute to the growing storm.
THE BARONESS COURTEBICHE: Clochemerle’s representative of the aristocracy.
and a great assortment of excited artisans, tradesmen, winegrowers, soldiers, and politicians.