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Illustrated portrait of Henry Miles

A character in The End of the Affair

Henry Miles

Sarah's civil-servant husband and Bendrix's uneasy friend, whose patience is not ignorance.

What they want

To keep Sarah safe and close without destroying the marriage through accusation.

The book

Cover of The End of the Affair by Graham Greene
The End of the AffairGraham Greene, 1951

A wartime affair ends without explanation, and jealousy turns the search for an answer into a struggle with belief.

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At a glance

Work
Senior civil servant
Spouse
Sarah Miles
Friend
Maurice Bendrix

Who they are in the book

Spoiler-free

Henry is a senior civil servant, Sarah's husband, and the man Bendrix treats as a dull obstacle. His reserve makes it easy to underestimate what he notices.

He suspects Sarah has a private life he cannot reach but hesitates to investigate her.

He wants Sarah near even when he cannot claim all her attention, a durable attachment that survives rivalry.

How the book draws them

Appearance, manner, and tone — as the book sketches them, in our words.

  • Civil-service orderCareful speech and routine make him appear steady.
  • Hesitant suspicionHe considers surveillance, then draws back.
  • Underestimated husbandBendrix calls him dull to simplify the rivalry.
  • Domestic enduranceHe continues despite knowing Sarah is divided.
  • Uneasy friendHe confides in Bendrix without knowing his motive.
  • Shared griefHe offers companionship when neither man can win Sarah.
Henry after Sarah's deathHow the book leaves them, what happened after, and what the record says. Open when you're ready.

Henry asks Bendrix to live with him after Sarah dies. Rivalry gives way to a shared household organized by grief.

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