A wealthy New York doctor and widower who resents his daughter Catherine for his wife's death. He treats her with ironic condescension, considers her a disappointment, and strongly opposes her romance with Morris Townsend. He threatens to disinherit her and takes her on a Grand Tour to break the engagement. Upon his deathbed, he alters his will to leave his fortune to charity, misunderstanding Catherine's unwavering loyalty to Morris.