Lesley Muncan is a poor man with no connections or family. He meets William Beaumont in Melbourne—Lesley is working in the hotel kitchen where William, Gertrude, Elsbeth, and Mona go to stay. Lesley lies to William that he is from a rich family and that he is an expert in horses and dressage, so Gertrude hires Lesley to teach Mona how to ride. Lesley is a neat and fastidious man who forms a close friendship with Mona. It is implied that Lesley is gay, but he is forced to marry Mona when a mishap with her dress leads everyone to believe that they have had sex. Lesley is a natural “actor” and a conman: he deceives the Beaumonts into believing that he is wealthy and refined, and he tricks the Dungatar residents with his and Mona’s sham marriage. Lesley also wears a wig, which suggests that his appearance is as false as his character.