I Will Repay · Chapter
XI: “Vengeance Is Mine” explained
Juliette, tormented by guilt and shame after denouncing Déroulède, feigns a headache to avoid the household.
What happens
Juliette, tormented by guilt and shame after denouncing Déroulède, feigns a headache to avoid the household. She resolves to flee to England and seeks out Sir Percy Blakeney for help. Before leaving, she encounters Déroulède, who is about to depart for a month-long duty at the Conciergerie. In his study, she is drawn to his presence and horrified by the sight of his letter-case containing the incriminating papers. Déroulède speaks kindly, unaware of her betrayal, while Juliette struggles with her conscience and the haunting words 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay.'
Themes in this chapter
Betrayal and Trust
Juliette's denunciation of Déroulède is a profound betrayal of the trust and kindness shown to her by his household.
Revenge and Justice
Juliette struggles with her oath of vengeance against Déroulède, while the chapter echoes the divine principle 'Vengeance is mine; I will repay.'
Redemption and Forgiveness
Juliette's inner torment and shame suggest a desire for redemption, though she feels trapped by her actions.
Characters to notice
- Juliette de Marny
Torn by shame and guilt after her denunciation; she plans to flee to England and seeks Sir Percy's help.
- Paul Déroulède
Unaware of Juliette's betrayal; he prepares to leave for a month at the Conciergerie and speaks kindly to her.
- Anne Mie
Her presence and kindness are a source of torture to Juliette's guilty conscience.
- Pétronelle
Juliette orders her to pack for England; she is reluctant to leave the comfortable house.
- Sir Percy Blakeney
Juliette plans to seek his help for passports and advice on escaping to England.
Key passages
“Vengeance is mine! I will repay!”
Divine justice, not human revenge, is the proper response to wrongdoing.
Juliette hears this as a divine command, reinforcing her internal conflict between her oath and her conscience.
“The pretence of a headache enabled Juliette to keep in her room the greater part of the day.”
Juliette faked a headache to avoid facing the household and her own guilt.
Highlights her isolation and shame after the denunciation.
“She would not speak of God's finger again: it was Fate—pagan, devilish Fate!”
Juliette now sees her actions as driven by cruel fate rather than divine will.
Shows her shift from religious justification to a sense of helplessness.