Sir Percy Hits Back · Chapter
XXVIII explained
Chauvelin is tormented by the possibility that the Scarlet Pimpernel might rescue Fleurette, just as he has saved others.
What happens
Chauvelin is tormented by the possibility that the Scarlet Pimpernel might rescue Fleurette, just as he has saved others. He oscillates between hope that his daughter will be saved and fear that his enemy will triumph again. When news arrives that the Scarlet Pimpernel is near Orange and has helped the Caristie family escape, Chauvelin intensifies security measures and becomes obsessed with linking the destruction of the Pimpernel to Fleurette's safety.
Themes in this chapter
Revolutionary Tyranny and Injustice
The arbitrary arrest of the Caristie family and the pervasive fear of the Revolutionary Government illustrate the tyranny and injustice of the regime.
Family and Paternal Love
Chauvelin's desperate hope that the Scarlet Pimpernel will save Fleurette reveals his deep paternal love, overriding his political enmity.
Disguise and Deception
The Scarlet Pimpernel's ability to operate secretly and evade capture highlights the theme of disguise and deception.
Characters to notice
- Citizen Chauvelin
Tormented by the thought that the Scarlet Pimpernel might rescue Fleurette; he oscillates between hope and despair, and intensifies vigilance after hearing of the Pimpernel's presence in Orange.
- Fleurette
Chauvelin's daughter; her potential rescue by the Scarlet Pimpernel becomes the central focus of Chauvelin's fears and hopes.
- The Scarlet Pimpernel
Reported to be near Orange; his successful rescue of the Caristie family alarms Chauvelin and spurs him to action.
- Pochart
Brings news of the Caristie family's disappearance and seeks Chauvelin's advice on the matter.
- Danou
Mentioned as a Sectional Member of the Committee of Public Safety involved in the surveillance of the Caristie family.
- Caristie
Architect who, along with his wife and son, has mysteriously disappeared from Orange, likely rescued by the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Key passages
“What if here too, in Orange, the Scarlet Pimpernel should triumph and he Chauvelin once more be forced to eat the bread of humiliation?”
Chauvelin fears that the Scarlet Pimpernel will succeed again in Orange, humiliating him once more.
Reflects Chauvelin's anxiety about repeated failure.
“And then it was that first the insidious, the stupendous thought penetrated his brain. Was it Satan himself who had whispered it into his ear?”
A terrifying and tempting idea enters Chauvelin's mind, as if inspired by the devil.
Highlights the moral conflict and desperation in Chauvelin's thoughts.
“The news of the presence of the Scarlet Pimpernel in Orange had acted upon his nerves like a whiplash.”
Hearing that the Scarlet Pimpernel is in Orange jolts Chauvelin into intense alertness.
Shows the immediate impact of the news on Chauvelin's state of mind.