Oxford

Sir Gerard Wijnnobel: Vice-Chancellor of a university
Vincent Hodgkiss: Dean of Students, a philosopher

They are planning for a Mind-Body conference at the university.

There is black paint on all of Gerard's correspondence which he takes calmly.

Two more characters are introduced. There is no obvious connection to the people in the first two chapters.

Oxford

Sir Gerard Wijnnobel: Vice-Chancellor of a university
Eva Wijnnobel: wife of Gerard, mentally a bit unstable

Eva is painting the bathroom black and has clearly been the one who put paint on Gerard's correspondence.

"She told anyone who cared to hear that she was a sacrificial victim to her husband's ambition, his self-absorption, his worldly success."

Gerard is obviously quite familiar with Eva's tendencies to act in a bizarre manner.

Oxford

an unnamed man in a mental institution

the man sees blood on the walls (where there was none) wants to leave the institution.

It is unusual to have a character introduced without giving the individual's name.