Who is Balinkay from Beware of Pity and what is their importance?

Balinkay is a character whose own story has the potential to sway Hofmiller into disregarding public opinion, but whose story fails to do so. Balinkay too married a woman whom others found undeserving. Many said he married for money, just as they would have in the case of Hofmiller marrying Edith. However, as Balinkay notes, he cares not what people say because he loves his wife and is happy with her. While this story was designed to show Hofmiller that the perception of others was unimportant, Hofmiller was too distracted with his own selfishness to learn the lesson.