El Dorado · Chapter
Chauvelin's Advice explained
Chauvelin and Héron conspire in the prison cell, discussing their plan to force Sir Percy Blakeney to betray the Dauphin's location.
What happens
Chauvelin and Héron conspire in the prison cell, discussing their plan to force Sir Percy Blakeney to betray the Dauphin's location. Chauvelin advises that Percy write a letter to his followers, and that Marguerite Blakeney and one of Percy's friends be taken along as hostages, to be shot before his eyes if he attempts escape or trickery. Héron agrees to the scheme.
Themes in this chapter
Betrayal and Guilt
Chauvelin and Héron conspire to betray the Scarlet Pimpernel by using his wife as a pawn, deepening their moral guilt.
Power and Corruption
The two revolutionaries wield their authority corruptly, planning murder and coercion to achieve their ends.
Characters to notice
- Chauvelin
Devises a cruel plan to use Marguerite and a friend as hostages to force Percy to betray the Dauphin.
- Héron
Agrees to Chauvelin's plan, expressing admiration for its ruthlessness and vowing to kill the hostages himself if tricked.
- Sir Percy Blakeney
The prisoner in the cell, whose compliance is to be coerced through threats to his wife and friend.
- Marguerite Blakeney
Targeted as a hostage; Chauvelin knows her location and plans to force her to join the expedition.
Key passages
“Do you want the death of the Englishman, either today or tomorrow, either in this prison or on the guillotine? For that now is easy of accomplishment; or do you want, above all, to get hold of little Capet?”
Chauvelin asks Héron whether his priority is executing the Englishman or capturing the Dauphin.
Chauvelin clarifies Héron's objective before proposing his plan.
“My advice to you, citizen Héron, is this: Give your prisoner now just a sufficiency of food to revive him... then give him pen and ink and paper.”
Chauvelin advises Héron to feed Percy and then provide him with writing materials to compose a letter.
Chauvelin outlines the first step of his scheme to force Percy's cooperation.
“Before we finally leave Paris tomorrow we will explain to the prisoner that at the first attempt to escape on his part... you, citizen Héron, will order his friend first, and then Marguerite Blakeney herself, to be summarily shot before his eyes.”
Chauvelin proposes threatening to execute Percy's friend and wife in front of him if he tries to escape or deceive them.
The core of Chauvelin's coercive strategy is revealed.