Framton Nuttel is the nervous, insecure type. He worries about Mrs. Sappleton's reception of him when he is introduced, and he is uncomfortable throughout the telling of Vera's tale.
Mrs. Stappleton is the blase gentlewoman, concerned only with herself and those for whom she cares. For, she takes no interest in Framton Nuttel and shallowly "rattled on cheerfully about the shooting and the scarcity of birds...." When Nuttel mentions his condition as explanation for his visit, she responds in a voice that barely stifles a yawn. After Nuttel's abrupt flight, she merely remarks upon his behavior and displays no concern for his feelings, expressing a slight curiosity for his actions which Vera's cleverly allays.