El Dorado · Chapter
XLI: When Hope Was Dead explained
Marguerite Blakeney and Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, in a squalid room above a shop in the Rue de Charonne, open the sealed packet Percy left for them when all hope seemed lost.
What happens
Marguerite Blakeney and Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, in a squalid room above a shop in the Rue de Charonne, open the sealed packet Percy left for them when all hope seemed lost. Inside they find a letter instructing them to send an enclosed note to Baron de Batz, to have Marguerite flee to Calais, and for the League to leave France. As they prepare to obey, an officer of the Garde de Paris arrives to arrest Marguerite on Chauvelin's orders, a turn that brings her a strange relief as it keeps her near Percy.
Themes in this chapter
Sacrifice and Redemption
Percy's letter reveals his willingness to die in the open rather than in prison, and his instructions prioritize Marguerite's safety above his own.
Love and Loyalty
Marguerite's anguish at leaving Percy and her relief at being arrested so she can stay near him highlight her unwavering devotion.
Betrayal and Guilt
The threat of Marguerite being taken as a hostage for Percy's behavior introduces an element of coercion and potential betrayal by the revolutionary authorities.
Characters to notice
- Marguerite Blakeney
Sits with Sir Andrew in the Rue de Charonne, opens Percy's packet, reads his final instructions, and is arrested by Chauvelin's men as she prepares to flee.
- Sir Andrew Ffoulkes
Stays by Marguerite's side throughout the crisis, helps her open the packet, and is about to deliver Percy's letter to de Batz when Marguerite is arrested.
- Armand St. Just
His letter to Marguerite warns that she may be taken as a hostage; he is mentioned as staying by Percy's side.
- Sir Percy Blakeney
His sealed packet, written ten days earlier, contains final instructions for Marguerite and Ffoulkes, including a letter to de Batz and plans for the Dauphin's escape.
- De Batz
Percy's letter is addressed to him, giving a rendezvous at the Chapelle of the Holy Sepulchre to help save the Dauphin.
- Chauvelin
Orders Marguerite's arrest; she is to be handed over to him at the guardhouse of the Rue Ste. Anne.
- Lord Tony
Mentioned as having charge of the Dauphin and crossing into Holland with him.
- The Dauphin
Percy's plan involves de Batz helping to save the Dauphin; Tony has already taken him toward Holland.
Key passages
“I can see now exactly what Percy meant when he made me promise not to open this packet until it seemed to me—to me and to you, Sir Andrew—that he was about to play the part of a coward.”
Marguerite realizes Percy's instruction to open the packet only when hope seemed lost was meant to prevent her from acting too soon.
Marguerite connects Percy's earlier words to their current desperate situation.
“I could not die inside this hole like a rat in a trap—I had to try and free myself, at the worst to die in the open beneath God's sky.”
Percy explains his motivation to attempt escape from the Conciergerie rather than face execution in captivity.
Percy's letter expresses his preference for a dignified death in the open air.
“I will do whatever you think right, Sir Andrew; my will is bound up with Percy's dying wish.”
Marguerite submits to Sir Andrew's judgment, aligning her actions with Percy's final instructions.
Marguerite's obedience to Percy's plan despite her personal desire to stay near him.
