The Elusive Pimpernel · Chapter
II: A Retrospect explained
In a dark, ruined boudoir of the Tuileries, Robespierre and Chauvelin confront the persistent threat of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
What happens
In a dark, ruined boudoir of the Tuileries, Robespierre and Chauvelin confront the persistent threat of the Scarlet Pimpernel. A grimy scrap of paper bearing the famous doggerel rhyme and a star-shaped flower emblem links the English hero to a series of daring rescues, including the escape of Paul Déroulède and Juliette Marny. Through flashback, Chauvelin recalls his humiliation in London and the elusive figure who mocks the French authorities. The chapter also recounts the raid by Tinville and Merlin on a Paris lodging house, where the landlady Citizeness Brogard reveals the Englishman's stay and his cryptic note, which ultimately reaches Robespierre and prompts the summons to Chauvelin.
Themes in this chapter
Revolution and Terror
The ruined boudoir, the scribbled revolutionary motto, and the ruthless interrogation of Citizeness Brogard embody the Revolution's destructive and paranoid atmosphere.
Deception and Disguise
The Englishman's false identity, his payment for silence, and the cryptic note with the star-shaped flower highlight the theme of hidden identities and secret signals.
Revenge and Hatred
Chauvelin's bitter memory of humiliation in London and Robespierre's grim determination to capture the Pimpernel reflect a deep desire for vengeance.
Characters to notice
- Citizen Chauvelin
Sits opposite Robespierre, haunted by memories of his defeat in London and the mocking rhyme of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
- Robespierre
The ruthless demagogue, pale and thin-lipped, who summons Chauvelin to confront the ongoing threat of the Pimpernel.
- Marguerite Blakeney
Appears in Chauvelin's flashback as the beautiful queenlike figure gliding through the London salons.
- Sir Percy Blakeney
Referenced indirectly through the doggerel rhyme and the star-shaped flower emblem; the elusive Scarlet Pimpernel.
- Citizen Tinville
Public Prosecutor who leads the raid on the lodging house in the Rue de l’Ancienne Comédie.
- Merlin
Assists Tinville in the raid, snatching and studying the Englishman's note.
- Paul Déroulède
Mentioned as one of the prisoners spirited away during the Fructidor Riots.
- Juliette Marny
Mentioned as a condemned prisoner who escaped alongside Paul Déroulède.
Key passages
“We seek him here, and we seek him there, Those Frenchies seek him everywhere! Is he in heaven, is he in hell, That demmed elusive Pimpernel?”
The Scarlet Pimpernel is mocked in a rhyme that highlights how the French authorities futilely search for him everywhere, uncertain of his whereabouts.
This doggerel rhyme, written on the scrap of paper, symbolizes the Pimpernel's elusiveness and the French agents' frustration.
“He gave me a bit of paper and told me that if he did not return I might conclude that he had been killed, and if the Committee of Public Safety asked me questions about me, I was just to show the bit of paper and there would be no further trouble.”
The Englishman left a note with the landlady as a safeguard, instructing her to present it to authorities if questioned, implying it would protect her.
This reveals the Pimpernel's careful planning and use of tokens to shield his accomplices.
