Mr Hendrick is a reporter with the Freeman, a daily Irish Nationalist newspaper. He is supposed to report on the Saturday night concert, but instead spends his time flirting with the contralto, Miss Healy, and sets his sights on leaving early before being invited to have a drink with Mr Holohan. Although he tasks Mr O’Madden Burke with writing the report, Burke is away from the performance, drinking. Mr Hendrick contributes to the apathy and corruption of the Irish Nationalist movement.