El Dorado · Chapter
XII: What Love Is explained
Sir Percy Blakeney, after a brief reverie of domestic bliss with Marguerite at Richmond, is pulled back to the grim reality of Paris.
What happens
Sir Percy Blakeney, after a brief reverie of domestic bliss with Marguerite at Richmond, is pulled back to the grim reality of Paris. He confronts Armand St. Just, who confesses he cannot leave Paris because he is in love. Blakeney accuses Armand of being ready to break his oath, but ultimately reveals that he knows Armand's love for Jeanne Lange is the true reason for his reluctance to depart. The chapter explores the conflict between personal love and revolutionary duty.
Themes in this chapter
Love and Loyalty
Explored through Blakeney's dream of Marguerite and his confrontation with Armand, who prioritizes his love for Jeanne over his oath.
Sacrifice and Redemption
Blakeney sacrifices his personal happiness to continue his rescue missions, driven by the image of the suffering Dauphin.
Innocence and Suffering
Highlighted by the brutal treatment of women and children by soldiers, and the plight of the Dauphin.
Characters to notice
- Sir Percy Blakeney
Experiences a vivid dream of domestic peace with Marguerite, then awakens to the horrors of revolutionary Paris. He confronts Armand about his broken oath and love for Jeanne.
- Armand St. Just
Reveals to Blakeney that he cannot leave Paris because he is in love, and is accused of being ready to break his oath. He is torn between duty and his feelings for Jeanne.
- Marguerite Blakeney
Appears in Blakeney's dream as a symbol of peaceful domesticity, contrasted with the violence of Paris.
- Jeanne Lange
Implied as the object of Armand's love, though not directly present in the chapter.
Key passages
“He was in the garden at Richmond, and Marguerite was sitting on the stone seat, with branches of the rambler roses twining themselves in her hair.”
Blakeney imagines a peaceful scene at his English home, with Marguerite surrounded by roses.
This dream contrasts the horrors of Paris with the idyllic life Blakeney left behind.
“And it was not Marguerite's blue eyes that beckoned to him now, it was not her lips that called, but the wan face of a child with matted curls hanging above a greasy forehead, and small hands covered in grime that had once been fondled by a Queen.”
Blakeney's sense of duty is now driven by the image of the suffering Dauphin, not by his love for Marguerite.
This marks a turning point where Blakeney's commitment to rescue overrides personal desire.
“While there is life in me I'll cheat those brutes of prey.”
Blakeney vows to continue his efforts to rescue the innocent from the revolutionaries.
This line encapsulates his resolve and defiance against the tyranny of the Revolution.