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Baroness Emma Orczy’s The Scarlet Pimpernel: Summary & Analysis

The historical novel entitled The Scarlet Pimpernel is a classic and truly deserves this
prestigious title. The author of this enthralling 267 page book is Baroness Emma Orczy and it
was published by Dodd, Mead & Company in the year 1964. The scene is set in the terrorized
Paris of revolutionary France in the 1800’s. During this time period nobody was safe from the
horrifying grasp of “Madame la Guillotine” which claimed hundreds of lives every day. But a
few brave men headed by a courageous person known only as the anonymous Scarlet
Pimpernel, helped the innocent escape from their deaths.

By use of trickery and deceit, these 20 men helped many endangered aristocrats escape from
France back to the safety of England. There, the lives of the royalty and honored citizens
were protected. Among the most widely acknowledged person of high society at the time was
Lady Marguerite Blakeney who was also known as being the “cleverest woman in Europe.”
She had married a man by the name of Sir Percy Blakeney who had flattered her with his
deep love. But they soon grew apart after Lady Blakeney confessed to her husband how she
had accidentally been involved in sending a noble family to the guillotine. Feeling shocked
and disappointed towards his wife, Sir Percy’s adoration of her was not shown anymore.
However he continued on with his life of which a part was left untold to his wife whom he
could not trust. He never let her know of the secretive life he led as the celebrated Scarlet
Pimpernel. Later on, Lady Blakeney was blackmailed into making a deal with a French spy
named Chauvelin. He had promised the return of her beloved brother, Armand, from death in
France if she promised to help in leading him to the elusive man known as the Scarlet
Pimpernel. It was a difficult moral decision, but out of the love for her dear brother and not
knowing that her husband was actually the man she was sacrificing for him, Marguerite
Blakeney helped Chauvelin. After discovering the true identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel,
Marguerite raced to France in hopes of undoing her grave mistake and saving her husband
who she knew was being hunted by Chauvelin. The suspense mounted as Marguerite felt the
time ticking away in which her dear husband and brother had to live. She secretly followed
Chauvelin through the dark streets of France as he tracked down her husband. Chauvelin’s
soldiers were guided by a Jewish man to a hut where the Scarlet Pimpernel was thought to be
hiding with Armand. However, Marguerite Blakeney was soon discovered by the soldiers.
She was tied and gagged along with the Jewish man and the hut was searched for Armand
and the other men, but they had escaped.
However, Chauvelin had found a small note in the corner of the hut which seemed to have
been forgotten by them. It was written by the Scarlet Pimpernel and had directions to the
place where he was next headed. Leaving the weak Marguerite Blakeney and the Jewish man
alone, Chauvelin and his soldiers marched off to the place described in the note. Little did
they know that the Scarlet Pimpernel had been with them the entire time, as the disguised
Jewish man. Reunited at last, Lady Blakeney and her daring husband rekindled their love as
they saw how their lives had almost been sacrificed for each other. They traveled back to the
safety of England where they met Armand and the innocent ones who had escaped with him.
As for Chauvelin, his fate was not made very clear in the novel but it can be guessed that an
appointment was arranged for him to meet “Madame la Guillotine.”
This novel seemed to be well written being filled with suspense, mystery, wit, romance, and a
“twist” at the end. The use of a few illustrations throughout the novel assisted in visually
portraying the story. They gave flare to the vivid descriptions of Lady Marguerite Blakeney,
the “cleverest woman in Europe,” and depicted her husband’s valor. The sentence stating,
“her beauty was at its most dazzling stage. . .the sweet childlike mouth, the straight chiselled
nose, round chin, and delicate throat, all seemed set off by picturesque costume of the
period,” is brought to life by these illustrations. The language in which this was written is
also interesting.
The book was obviously written in the 18th century which is demonstrated by the sort of
English used. The characters seem to be very conservative, all the customs and polite airs are
strictly obeyed. A chapter did not seem to pass without someone’s health being questioned, or
Lady Blakeney being politely greeted with a kiss upon her hand. The suspense in this novel
also enhanced it’s quality, enthralling the reader and holding their attention. A quote from
one of the concluding chapters serves as an example to the amount of suspense present. It
states, “Marguerite’s breath stopped short; she seemed to feel her very life standing still
momentarily whilst she listened to that voice and to that song.” Marguerite’s fear, frustration,
and confusion is grasped by the reader and serves to keep them interested. The plot of the
book is complex and yet so simple. It is a basic story which is soon complicated by events
and other characters which dramatize it and add the wonderful suspense. The conclusion is
also set off with much anticipation with the reader asking what will finally become of the
courageous Scarlet Pimpernel and his unknowing wife. The true identity of the Jewish man is
shocking and adds depth to the characters along with the story.
What we perceive to be, and take for granted, is suddenly proven false with a sudden “twist”
at the end. Wit enhances a novel by entertaining the reader with not only the plot line but also
a side anecdote. It is rare to find a story which does this, but it seems as though the author of
The Scarlet Pimpernel achieved the task. Emma Orczy adds humor to some of the situations
which the characters encounter, and lessens the amount of tension present by it. For instance,
as Lady Blakeney enters the inn at Calais, France she makes a statement which is somewhat
humorous considering the amount of suspense present at the time. The quote reads, “The
paper, such as it was, was hanging from the walls in strips; there did not seem to be a single
piece of furniture in the room that could, by the wildest stretch of imagination, be called
‘whole.'” The character’s opinion is relayed to the reader which not only brings a grin to their
face, but also helps them to understand the character more. Suspense coupled with romance,
even further captivates the reader. It’s unfortunate that the misunderstanding between Sir
Percy and his wife affects their love towards one another. If she had only been aware of the
secretive part of his life, different events might have occurred for the better.
These emotions strike the reader and add depth to the novel. A particular scene, where the
tension between the two main characters is at it’s height, takes place on the porch of the
Blakeney’s estate during the early hours of the morning. Sir Percy and Marguerite
misunderstand one another and she leaves feeling that he doesn’t love her anymore, when he
actually adores her just as much as the day they got married. But the two never reveal their
true emotions until the conclusion of the story where certain events lead to it’s exposure. The
Scarlet Pimpernel is also noteworthy for it’s historical content and enlightenment of the time
period during the French revolution. Those years saw the violent overthrow of a thousand
years of monarchy, and shook the capitals of the world. The struggles faced by those who
were innocent and who’s lives were unfortunately ended at the hands of “Madame la
guillotine” is clearly expressed by this novel. The reader even gains a respect and
appreciation for it. This story not only entertains the reader, but also educates them and arises
interest in history. Overall, this proved to be a very interesting novel, one which should be
recommended to any reader in search of entertainment and historical enlightenment. The
Scarlet Pimpernel truly captured the essence of the time period through the lavish language
and detailed descriptions, proving it to be a notable history book.
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The Scarlet Pimpernel, written by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, is a fictional account of the
bloody French Revolution. In the book, Sir Percy Blakeney, the Scarlet Pimpernel, and his
fellow Englishman risk their lives to rescue French aristocrats from the Guillotine and bring
them back to England where they can escape persecution. The French Committee of Public
Safety tries to capture the Scarlet Pimpernel to take him to the Guillotine for his actions, but
they fail to capture him. The main characters in this story are Sir Percy Blakeney and
Marguerite Blakeney. The book was extremely well written; the excitement from the vivid
descriptions and the suspenseful situations and scenes made me feel as if I actually was there.

The author's purpose for this book was to vividly describe the difficulty of living in France
during the French Revolution as accurately as possible. The author also sought to describe the
difficulty of an aristocrat or foreigner to be in France during the French Revolution. This
novel shows careful planning with a very clear and well-organized plot. The planning
produced an awesome book. The author uses lively descriptions and goes deep into the
history of France to bring this book to life. The author's style appropriately fits the story as
recorded in history. The book is lively and vivid, bringing the characters to life. The author
accurately depicts the story as it was in France in 1792. "The howls of Benjamin Rosenbaum
were fit to make the dead rise from their graves" is an example of the lively descriptions used
in the book.

I believe the author did an awesome job of writing the book. All of the lively, action packed
chapters were written well. It made me feel as if I was actually in France in 1792.

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The assignment for this project was to take a literary text or visual image and
explore it using digital tools. I decided to take a look at a text that I had never
heard of so that I could enter into the process without preconceived notions of what
data I would find. I searched through the Project Gutenberg website and looked at
several options. I found several works by the Baroness Orczy and decided to
choose one of her stories that were in the adventure category. I chose the top
story The Scarlet Pimpernel and then started to analyze the text using the web
tool Voyant. Voyant offers a few different tools for analyzing texts including
number of times a word appears, trends for words appearances, word clouds,
among others.
 Major Trends

The most common used word in the entire book was "sir" which I did not find all
together too exciting but made the point that there was clearly quiet a few male
characters addressed throughout the book. I was more struck by the second most
frequently used word which was "Marguerite." Knowing nothing of the story I
assumed that either "Scarlet" or "Pimpernel" would be the most used word while in
fact "Scarlet" is the 19th most used word and "Pimpernel" is not even in the top 20
words. At this point I was rather confused because while I could make a reasoning
about why "sir" appeared so frequently but had less ideas about words like
"Marguerite" or "Chauvelin." So I started to scan through the actual book using
Voyant to look at where most common words appeared in the text. Through this I
was able to establish that Marguerite was the books main protagonist and English
lady whose brother Armand (the 20th most used word) is threatened by Chauvelin.
Chauvelin the antagonist (and 3rd most popular word) is a french envoy who wants
Marguerite to reveal who the famous Scarlet Pimpernel is to him. "Percy" is the
fourth most used word and is Marguerite's husband. Through this was a pretty
good amount of information to start with I was still wholy confused on what
exactly the Scarlet Pimpernel was or what was happening.

Word Frequencies

Searching further into the analyze I decided to compare the top two words
(excluding sir) and look at the frequncy that they appeared. I focused on the words
"Marguerite" and "Chauvelin." In the story of The Scarlet Pimpernel, Marguerite is
the main protagonist and Chauvelin the antagonist. One percular point of interest
was that when "Marguerite" spikes to its highest frequency "Chauvelin" reaches its
lowest usage. When I looked further into the original text it turned out that as the
story starts to reach its climax coincided with when "Chauvelin" appears with a
greater frequency. Looking into it even more it turns out that the novel's climax
revolves around chasing down Chauvelin so that he does not reveal the secret
identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel to the French Government. All of which I
extrapalated by using Voyant's reader tool and looking into sentences where
"Chauvelin" appeared in the text with the greatest frequency.

Context

Having looked at the Voyant results with out context I decided that I needed to
analyze them in context as well. I first started by looking at Baroness Emma Orczy
first, to see if I could put the book into enough context this way. After some
digging I found Oczy's novels described as "highly wrought and intensely
atmospheric" by the reference book Twentieth-Century Romance and Historical
Writers.1
After looking into Orczy I decided to find a summary of the novel because I
wanted to know everything about The Scarlet Pimpernel and go beyond the bair
bones of the story and really understand the context of the work. The Scarlet
Pimpernel it turns out had a long standing popularity as both a novel and a stage
play. Written by Baronness Emma Orcz in 1905, it was actually an adaption she
wrote to her very popular play of the same title that had run repeatedly on the
London stage since 1903. The novel stayed popular and was also adapted into a
silent film in 1917, later it was adapted as a movie in 1934, and then again in
1982.There were also multiple television programs based off of the novel.The
Scarlet Pimpernel then has had a relavent impact on culture and a long living
legacy.

Bibliography

1. Vasudevan, Aruna, and Lesley Henderson. Twentieth-century Romance and

Historical Writers. London: St. James, 1994. Print.

Leech, Michael T. "The Scarlet Pimpernel: Baroness Orczy's Dramatic Tale of a

Brave Englishman Who Rescued Aristocrats from the Guillotine following the
French Revolution." 2008: 18. EBSCO. Web. 11 Apr. 2016.

The Scarlet Pimpernel: a summary

Written in 1905 by Baroness Orczy The Scarlet Pimpernelis categorized as a
"historical spy story."1 The novel's plot surrounds the mysterious Scarlet Pimpernel
a English gentleman who, along with a group of supporters, helps rescue French
aristocrats before they can be killed in the French Revolution. The Scarlet
Pimpernel's identity is a tight kept secret that only his nineteen followers know his
real identity. After rescuing an individual however, the Scarlet Pimpernel always
leaves behind the flower from which his name is derived.

The novel however follows Marguerite St. Just as she searches to find out the
identity of the famous Scarlet Pimpernel. A French actress living in England,
Marguerite is married to the Englishman Sir Percy Blakeney. Approached by the
French envoy Chauvelin, Marguerite is told to find out the identity of the Scarlet
Pimpernel otherwise Chauvelin will persecute her brother Armand. Armand it
turns out was proven to be in league with the Scarlet Pimpernel. Caught between
turning in the Scarlet Pimpernel and saving her brother's life, Marguerite helps
Chauvelin get information that would lead him to the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Only later does Marguerite realize that her husband Sir Percy Blakeney is actually
the Scarlet Pimpernel. Realizing this Marguerite chases after him hoping to protect
him against Chauvelin. Accompanied by Sir Andrew the pair races to reach Sir
Percy before Chauvelin. Meanwhile disguised as the Scarlet Pimpernel Sir Percy
frees Armand and another individual, getting both of them safely out of the way.
Chauvelin then attempts to capture Percy who escapes along with Marguerite and
the others back to England.

Bibliography

Dirda, Michael. "The Mystery behind the Baroness." New Criterion 34.1 (2015):
31. Web.

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LOT SUMMARY
The year is 1792, and a bloodthirsty revolution has taken hold of France. In Paris, common
citizens watch daily as hundreds of aristocrats and nobles are beheaded by Madame Guillotine.
Barricades surround the city in order to keep aristocrats, who are in hiding, from escaping the
city.
Sergeant Bibot and his men guard the West Gate, watching for fugitives. Bibot prides himself in
being able to spot the feeble disguises of France's former elite. People gather at the gate to see
whom he'll catch and return for judgment.
Lately, however, a band of Englishmen, led by an enigmatic figure calling himself the "Scarlet
Pimpernel," has managed to guide many aristocrats to England and freedom. Bibot brags that he
will not be fooled. He carefully scrutinizes each passing cart until one old hag tells him her
grandson, who lies in back, has small pox. Bibot hurriedly lets the cart through without further
inspection.
Minutes later, the captain of the guard arrives and demands to know if an old hag has passed;
the cart contained the Comtesse de Tourney and her two grown children, all condemned to die
as traitors. The old hag was none other than the Scarlet Pimpernel.
The Comtesse de Tourney and her children are guided to The Fishermen's Rest, a small inn in
Dover, by Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, a subordinate of the Scarlet Pimpernel. They are greeted by the
staff and Lord Antony Dewhurst, another co-conspirator. At dinner, it is obvious that Sir Andrew
is attracted to the Comtesse de Tourney's daughter, Suzanne.
The talk at dinner centers around the family's daring escape. The Comtesse mentions that some
people are betraying families to the revolutionaries. One woman in particular, Marguerite St. Just,
decried the Comtesse's cousin to the police. He and all his family were beheaded. The
Comtesse prays she will never meet that woman again.
Lord Antony and Sir Andrew are visibly upset at this news. Marguerite St. Just has married Sir
Percy Blakeney, one of the most highly respected men in England. The couple is considered to
be the most fashionable in society, and they are close friends with the Prince of Wales.
At that moment, Lord and Lady Blakeney arrive at the inn to stay the night. The Comtesse de
Tourney forbids her daughter to speak to Marguerite, even though the two were once close
friends. Lady Blakeney dismisses the slight with cold sarcasm.
Sir Percy Blakeney is an English dandy dressed in frilly and expensive clothing. Not known for
his intellect, Sir Percy is liked, however, for his droll wit. The Comtesse's son offers to duel Sir
Percy to rectify his mother's slight, but Marguerite defuses the scene by mocking the absurdity of
the situation.
She later excuses herself so that she may say a tearful farewell to her brother, Armand, who is
returning to France. Armand asks if she has told her husband the reason behind her apparent
betrayal of the Comtesse's cousin, but she has not. Because of this, Sir Percy's love for her has
cooled and their relationship is strained.
Back in the inn, Marguerite runs into Chauvelin, a French diplomat and spy, intent on finding the
identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. He tries to enlist Lady Blakeney in his pursuit, but she refuses.
She has no idea who the mysterious man is and she has nothing but admiration for his brave
deeds.
Sir Andrew and Lord Anthony talk together after they assume all the other guests at the inn have
gone to bed. They need to be ready for the next phase of their leader's plan to rescue the
Comtesse's husband, the Comte de Tourney. They allude to the fact that Marguerite's brother,
Armand, is actually one of their band and will aide in the Comte's escape since no one yet
suspects him of being in league with the Scarlet Pimpernel.
As they bend close to the fire so they can read a letter containing their next directives, they hear
a noise. They are set upon by Chauvelin and his men, who knock them unconscious, steal their
papers, and then carry them out of the inn. Chauvelin finds a note written by Marguerite's brother
and realizes it is a way to blackmail her to help him find the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Several days later, Chauvelin approaches Lady Blakeney in her private box at the opera. He tells
her about Armand's note and vows to have her brother arrested for treason if she doesn't help
the French cause.
Heartbroken, Marguerite asks what she must do. Chauvelin explains that at Lord Grenville's ball,
which she will attend following the opera, she must watch Sir Andrew Ffoulkes. Chauvelin knows
that the Scarlet Pimpernel has set up a meeting with Sir Andrew for sometime during the ball.
Marguerite must inform the French spy of Sir Andrew's actions and get him any information she
can about the Scarlet Pimpernel. If she doesn't, her brother will go to the guillotine. Lady
Blakeney reluctantly agrees.
Lord Percy arrives to take Marguerite to the ball. She desperately wishes to admit her turmoil to
her husband, but his cool behavior forces her to shoulder her burden on her own. At Lord
Grenville's ball she manages to catch Sir Andrew alone, reading a missive from the Scarlet
Pimpernel. She pretends she thinks it is love letter from a rival and playfully steals it from him
before he can burn the note. She glances at it for only a moment before handing it back so Sir
Andrew will not suspect she's read any of it.
Later, she reluctantly informs Chauvelin that the Scarlet Pimpernel will wait in the supper room at
1:00, in case Sir Andrew has any questions for him. The note also inferred that the Scarlet
Pimpernel would set off for France the following day. Chauvelin is thrilled with the information
and promises to send Lady Blakeney her brother's incriminating note as soon as the Scarlet
Pimpernel has been identified so that she may destroy it.
Marguerite wrestles with her betrayal throughout the evening, knowing it had to be done to save
her brother, but wanting to warn the Scarlet Pimpernel of the trap being laid for him. Chauvelin
arrives in the supper room before the appointed time so he can wait for his prey. The room is
empty except for Lord Percy Blakeney, who sleeps on one of the couches.
Later, Marguerite sends a messenger to find her husband to tell him she'd like to start for home.
When the messenger returns, she learns that Lord Percy was in the supper room asleep along
with Chauvelin. Marguerite is convinced that Sir Andrew must have warned the Scarlet
Pimpernel that there might be a trap and fears that Chauvelin will blame her and in turn execute
her brother. When she speaks with Chauvelin, he tells her that no one else entered the room. As
he knows that the Scarlet Pimpernel will leave for France in the morning, Chauvelin will also hire
a boat to follow him there. If he succeeds in finding him, he will free Armand.
Lord and Lady Blakeney return home. Marguerite, desperate for help for her predicament, finally
admits the truth to her husband about her betrayal of the Comtesse's cousin. She'd been tricked
by members of the revolution into the betrayal and had done all she could to save the family. She
never told Percy the entire truth because she'd hoped he would trust her and not believe the
rumors spread by strangers. She begs her husband to help her brother, and although his love for
her appears to have died, he promises to help Armand. Marguerite enters their home still
conflicted. She is glad for Percy's help, but saddened by his coldness. Lord Blakeney remains on
the steps outside and breaks down in tears. His love for Marguerite is obvious as he kisses the
steps she walked up.
Marguerite spends the night in restless sleep, realizing that she truly loves her husband. She
believes his aloof manner to be a mask he is wearing because she hurt his pride by hiding the
truth of her betrayal. She is awakened when a letter is pushed under her door. It is from Percy
and informs her that he has been called away on business. She runs outside to talk with him
before he leaves. After much prodding, he admits his errand has to do with Armand.
Marguerite returns to the house after he leaves. She notices Lord Percy's study door is open.
She has been forbidden to enter it, and she's never had an interest before; but now something
draws her inside. She is surprised by its stark and organized appearance. She understands that
her husband's mask extends not only to her, but to those around them. He is not the fool people
think he is, but an astute business man. She notices something on the floor. Upon further
examination, she discovers it is a signet ring imprinted with the symbol of a pimpernel flower.
Suddenly, all the pieces fit together, and Marguerite understands the full extent of her husband's
disguise. He is not the foppish Lord Blakeney, but the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel. A messenger
soon arrives from Chauvelin. He has sent Armand's letter to her, signaling to her that he knows
Lord Blakeney's true identity as well. Marguerite is bereft. By saving her brother, she has
condemned her husband to death. She enlists the aid of Sir Andrew, and together they set off for
Calais to try and intercept Sir Percy before Chauvelin captures him.
Once on French soil, Lady Blakeney and Sir Andrew travel to a desolate inn. The innkeeper
confirms that Lord Percy is a guest there and will be returning soon. Sir Andrew leaves
Marguerite at the inn while he searches for Lord Percy in town. Marguerite hides in the inn's attic
and waits for their return.
Chauvelin enters the inn disguised as a cleric. He orders his secretary to return with several
soldiers so they can apprehend the Scarlet Pimpernel. He tells the man to assign other soldiers
along the roads out of town. They must watch for a tall stranger. He can't describe him further as
the man will be in disguise, but Lord Percy will not be able to hide his height. Marguerite listens
to the exchange with despair. She believes her husband's capture is unavoidable and prays now
only for the chance to tell him how much she truly loves him before he is taken away.
Soon after Chauvelin's man leaves, Lord Percy strides into the establishment. Chauvelin must
keep his prey at the inn until his men arrive and so tries to act nonchalant with the Englishman.
Lord Percy engages Chauvelin in conversation as he eats dinner while Marguerite watches in
terrified silence from her hiding place. Lord Percy asks Chauvelin if he'd like a whiff of top-notch
snuff he's just acquired. Too late, the Frenchman falls into a trap, as Percy has filled the snuffbox
with pepper. Lord Percy leaves while Chauvelin is incapacitated with a sneezing fit.
Chauvelin's soldiers return with news about the Scarlet Pimpernel. He has been seen in town
talking with a Jewish man about renting his horse. Chauvelin insists on talking to the man. The
soldiers can't find him, but bring another Jew who claims to be his friend. This Jew explains that
an Englishman borrowed his friend's lame horse to journey to a remote hut.
He offers Chauvelin the use of his horse and cart so he can catch the man. Chauvelin agrees,
but insists the Jew come with him. If they find the Scarlet Pimpernel, the Jew will be rewarded. If
they don't, he will be beaten, perhaps to death. Lady Blakeney secretly follows the soldiers as
they take the Jew and his cart along a deserted road.
Chauvelin is upset when they don't overtake the Scarlet Pimpernel, but the Jew does guide them
to the hut where the Englishman is to rendezvous with the prisoners he's helping to escape.
Other soldiers have been to the hut and heard people inside it. Chauvelin orders them to keep
watch but makes no moves until the tall Englishman arrives. He also orders the Jew to wait with
his horse and cart until he and the soldiers return with their prisoners. The man promises to wait,
but cannot promise not to scream if something should frighten him. Chauvelin reluctantly takes
the man with him down the path to the hut.
Marguerite, tired and bleeding from the long walk, spots her husband's ship anchored near the
shore. She runs toward the hut to warn her husband of the danger surrounding him, but is
captured by Chauvelin. He orders her to keep quiet, but when she hears her husband's voice
singing in the darkness, she screams and runs again toward the hut. She is knocked
unconscious. When the soldiers enter the hut, they discover it is empty. Those standing guard
tell Chauvelin that they let the men inside leave because he told them not to arrest anyone until
the tall Englishman appeared. Canon fire from Lord Percy's boat signals their departure.
Chauvelin is furious until he remembers he heard Lord Percy singing, so the Scarlet Pimpernel
must still be nearby. His soldiers find a note inside the hut setting up a new rendezvous point.
Chauvelin and his soldiers leave to find him, but not before beating the Jew for his failure to get
them to the hut in time.
Marguerite wakes to hear someone with a British accent cursing. She recognizes the voice as
her husband's and searches for him in the dark. She comes upon the Jew, beaten and tied up
along the path and realizes it is Percy. Sir Andrew, disguised as a French soldier, arrives to
guide the couple to the ship. He's sent Chauvelin on a wild goose chase to find the Scarlet
Pimpernel, so they have plenty of time to rendezvous with Armand and the other prisoners.
Although Sir Percy has been severely beaten, he carries his beloved wife to the boat where they
are carried safely back to England. The couple's love for each other has been renewed, and
sometime later they help celebrate the wedding of Sir Andrew Ffoulkes and Suzanne.

CHRISTIAN BELIEFS
The French consider the Scarlet Pimpernel to be the Devil himself. A gentleman in the inn is
respected because of his knowledge of Scripture. The Comtesse prays for God's blessing on the
King of England for his hospitality in allowing the refugees to live in England. The company at the
inn asks for God to protect the king of England and give him victory over his enemies. The
Comtesse tells the others that she trusts in God for her husband's safety but will continue to pray
until he is with her. Some believe Sir Percy's mother was cursed from God with a terrible illness.
The French revolution is said to be an attack on the established Christian religion, as well as the
aristocracy. Marguerite hopes that Chauvelin's master, Satan, will need him somewhere else
besides on her husband's trail. Chauvelin is also referred to as a devil guarded by Satan.
Marguerite prays continually that God will show her what to do to save Lord Percy and for his
protection. She believes she has sinned for allowing her pride to blind her to her husband's true
qualities. She vows to comfort him now and confess her love even if it means her own death, so
long as God gives her the strength and cleverness to find him. A reference is made to Dante's
claim that the devils laugh at the sight of the damned being tortured.
Lord Percy, disguised as the Jewish man, claims his friend is "a son of the Amelkites." He also
swears not to move by Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Chauvelin tells the Jew that the patriarchs of
his faith are still in Hades and can't help him. Chauvelin nurses thoughts of vengeance said to
make the demons in hell laugh. He also believes that unless Satan gives the Scarlet Pimpernel
wings, he cannot escape.
Many times characters utter small prayers or oaths such as heaven knows, faith then, bless the
woman or devil's own.

OTHER BELIEF SYSTEMS

The new French republic is said to have banished God, but was not able to kill the people's fear
of the supernatural. Marguerite confesses that she married Lord Blakeney because he blindly
worshiped her. She believes that events work out on their own and she has no way to control
their outcome or direct them. The members of the Scarlet Pimpernel's league are said to happily
worship his shadow. His disguises are said to make the gods laugh. Proper etiquette is said to be
like a religion to the Comtesse. Marguerite jokes to Sir Andrew that he is being ordered by Cupid.
She will not thwart the love god if he has told Sir Andrew to burn a note. The Prince of Wales
hopes the goddess of beauty will smile on him at the ball since the goddess of fortune has not.
Marguerite thinks she sees signs and mysteries everywhere as her fear for her brother and the
Scarlet Pimpernel's safety escalates.
The Prince of Wales remarks that Sir Percy has outrageous luck at cards. Marguerite wishes Sir
Andrew good luck. She prays that the Fates grant she is not too late to save her husband. She is
said to love and worship him more and more as she seeks to save him from Chauvelin's plan.
Chauvelin believes some strong Fate protects the Scarlet Pimpernel, and a superstitious shudder
is said to run down his back at the thought.

AUTHORITY ROLES
The new French government is portrayed as vindictive, power hungry and violent. Chauvelin is
manipulative and often referred to as a devil. The Scarlet Pimpernel is revered by his followers
and hated by the French. Marguerite, who appears to have entered her marriage to Lord
Blakeney with the belief that she could control him, realizes that she should have trusted him to
be the head of the relationship.

PROFANITY/VIOLENCE
God's name is used in vain, alone and with thank, oh, forbid, in the name of, grant, forsaken,
trust to and sake. The French name Dieu is spoken. Lud is used as a euphemism for God. It is
used alone and with bless my soul. D--nand its variants demmed, demmit, and bedemmed are
also used. Archaic oaths such as zooks, zounds, begad and odd's life are often uttered. The
French word sacre, meaning sacred, is used with tonnere (thunder), Anglais(English)
and Aristos (unknown.)
The horrors of the guillotine are described several times as well as the French citizenry's
bloodlust. Armand had been beaten to within an inch of his life because he dared to send the
Comtesse's cousin a love letter. Chauvelin is described as wanting all of the aristocrats
annihilated. He wished they had but one head so that it could be easily cut off. He daydreams
about watching the Scarlet Pimpernel's head fall from the guillotine.
Chauvelin and his men beat Sir Andrew and Lord Anthony. Paris is described as being marred
by the constant flow of blood and the wailing of widows and children without their fathers.
Chauvelin promises, and indeed does, beat the Jew (Lord Percy in disguise) severely.
Marguerite is knocked unconscious for calling out to her husband.

KISSING/SEX/HOMOSEXUALITY
Lord Anthony kisses a servant girl on her cheek. As was the custom of the time, many men kiss
women's hands in greeting. Sir Percy remembers his and Marguerite's first kiss with passion. A
woman is described as buxom. When Marguerite encounters Chauvelin at the inn she asks him
who he is "doing" in England. The Prince of Wales tells her that virtue doesn't become women,
after she says it should be crushed like perfume. Marguerite jokes to Suzanne that Sir Andrew is
a man a woman would be proud to take as a lover.

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS/NOTES
Alcohol: Several characters drink wine and/or beer
Tobacco: Several characters smoke tobacco in pipes. Others sniff it as snuff.
Gambling: The Prince of Wales remarks that he has been unlucky at cards.
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