El Dorado · Chapter
The Removal explained
Chauvelin escorts Armand St.
What happens
Chauvelin escorts Armand St. Just through the Temple prison, where he observes the removal of the Simons and their furniture from the tower. Chauvelin reveals that the Dauphin (little Capet) is held there, and he contemplates using Armand as a decoy to capture the Scarlet Pimpernel. The chapter highlights the transfer of custody and Chauvelin's scheming.
Themes in this chapter
Power and Corruption
Chauvelin's manipulation of Armand and his ambition to capture the Scarlet Pimpernel illustrate the corrupting influence of power and surveillance.
Innocence and Suffering
The Dauphin's imprisonment and the harsh conditions of the Temple highlight the suffering of the innocent amid revolutionary zeal.
Characters to notice
- Chauvelin
Leads Armand through the Temple, observes the Simons' removal, and schemes to use Armand as bait for the Scarlet Pimpernel.
- Armand St. Just
Follows Chauvelin through the Temple courtyard and landing, preoccupied with thoughts of Jeanne Lange.
- Simon
The cobbler overseeing the removal of his furniture from the tower; expresses bitterness toward the Committee.
- Madame Belhomme
Madame Simon, the cobbler's wife, assists in the removal and expresses her hatred of the prison.
- Cochefer
Mentioned as the commissary mounting guard over the Dauphin in the tower.
- The Dauphin
Referred to as 'little Capet,' locked in the inner room of the tower during the removal.
Key passages
“The fixed idea ever working in the man’s scheming brain had already transformed a vague belief into a certainty. That the Scarlet Pimpernel was in Paris at the present moment Chauvelin had now become convinced.”
Chauvelin's obsessive suspicion had hardened into a firm conviction that the Scarlet Pimpernel was currently in Paris.
Reveals Chauvelin's certainty and his plan to use Armand as bait.
“We have got little Capet in there,” he said dryly. “Your chivalrous Scarlet Pimpernel has not ventured in these precincts yet, you see.”
Chauvelin points out the Dauphin's cell, taunting Armand that the Scarlet Pimpernel has not dared to enter the Temple.
Highlights the Dauphin's captivity and Chauvelin's challenge to the Pimpernel.