"The Stolen Bacillus" by H. G. Wells

 The primary characters in H. G. Wells's short story, "The Stolen Bacillus," are largely referred to by their roles or titles, rather than full names, emphasizing their function in the narrative.

The major characters are:

1. The Bacteriologist

   The protagonist and a scientist working in a London laboratory.

 He is presented as somewhat eccentric, absent-minded, and easily flattered. His vanity leads him to boast to his visitor, which is the catalyst for the entire plot. He is a master of his scientific field but appears careless about the practical danger of his work, which serves as a subtle critique of detached Victorian science.

 He is the source of the comedic resolution. In his eagerness to impress the visitor, he falsely claims the stolen tube contains a deadly cholera germ (Vibrio cholerae), when it actually contains a harmless new species of bacterium that only causes blue patches on monkeys.

2. The Anarchist (The Visitor / The Pale Man)

  The antagonist who steals the bacillus with the intent of committing an act of bioterrorism.

   He is physically described as a "pale man" with "lank black hair and deep grey eyes, the haggard expression and nervous manner," immediately signaling him as sinister, nervous, and foreign (a common trope in Victorian literature). He is driven by a desire for revenge and chaos, believing that releasing the "cholera" into the London water supply will destroy society.

   He is fooled by the Bacteriologist's lie. When he believes the game is up, he drinks the contents of the vial himself, declaring, "Vive l'Anarchie!" The final irony is that he has condemned himself to, at worst, turning a peculiar shade of blue.

3. Minnie (The Bacteriologist's Wife)

   She is a typical, respectable Victorian woman who momentarily distracts the Bacteriologist, allowing the theft to occur.

   She is the only character given a proper name. Her reaction to her husband chasing the cab in his indoor attire (hatless and in carpet slippers) highlights the comedic clash between the serious scientific threat and the social absurdity of the pursuit. She believes her husband has gone mad due to his "horrid science."

Brief summary of the Short story.

"The Stolen Bacillus" is a cautionary tale, blended with black comedy, that explores the danger of scientific carelessness and the folly of anarchic terrorism.

The story unfolds as follows:

 The Demonstration: A Bacteriologist in his London laboratory is entertaining a "pale-faced man," a mysterious visitor who presented a letter of introduction. The Bacteriologist, eager to boast and impress, shows the visitor various microbial cultures.

 When the visitor expresses a morbid fascination with the deadliest germs, the scientist proudly shows him a tube of what he describes as "bottled cholera"—a live, virulent sample of the Asiatic cholera bacillus.

  The Theft: While the Bacteriologist is momentarily distracted by his wife, Minnie, the visitor (who is secretly a foreign Anarchist) seizes the opportunity. He steals the tube of the supposed cholera culture and flees the laboratory, jumping into a hansom cab.

  The Chase: The Bacteriologist quickly realizes the theft and the terrifying potential consequence: the Anarchist intends to poison London's water supply. 

Hatless and in his carpet slippers, the scientist hysterically rushes into the streets and hires a cab to pursue the Anarchist, with his bewildered wife, Minnie, following in a separate cab.

  The Failed Attack: During the frantic, comedic chase through the city, the Anarchist inadvertently breaks the test tube. Realizing his plan to infect the city's water is ruined, he decides to become a martyr for his cause.

 He drinks the remainder of the fluid, believing he has just ingested a fatal dose of cholera, and begins jostling against as many people as possible to spread the disease, proclaiming "Vive' Anarchie!"

 The Ironic Twist: The Bacteriologist finally catches up, not to stop the attack, but to deliver the ironic, humorous revelation: the stolen bacillus was not cholera at all.

 In his vanity, the scientist had misled the Anarchist and instead shown him a culture of a newly discovered, harmless bacterium that only causes a peculiar, bright blue discoloration on monkeys. The Anarchist's self-sacrifice has merely ensured that he will, at worst, turn blue.

The story serves as a satirical commentary on both the self-serving nature of certain scientists and the misguided, overconfident nature of extremists who seek to use technology for destruction.