The Scarlet Pimpernel · Chapter
An Exquisite of ’92 explained
This chapter provides a detailed portrait of Sir Percy Blakeney and his marriage to Marguerite St.
What happens
This chapter provides a detailed portrait of Sir Percy Blakeney and his marriage to Marguerite St. Just, the brilliant French actress. It describes Percy's reputation as a wealthy but dull fop, Marguerite's intellectual salon in Paris, and their seemingly mismatched union. The scene shifts to the inn at Dover, where Percy's arrival and his wife's teasing reveal the tensions beneath their marriage, culminating in a confrontation with the young Vicomte de Tournay, who challenges Percy to a duel over an insult to his mother. Percy refuses, maintaining his facade of lazy indifference.
Themes in this chapter
Class and Social Hierarchy
The chapter contrasts the intellectual and social standing of Marguerite, a republican-minded actress, with the aristocratic pretensions of the Tournay family and the wealth of Sir Percy.
Identity and Disguise
Sir Percy's public persona as a dull, foppish aristocrat is established, hinting at the hidden identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel.
Love and Betrayal
The marriage between Marguerite and Percy is portrayed as one of convenience or eccentricity, with Marguerite's contempt and Percy's doglike devotion suggesting underlying tensions.
Characters to notice
- Sir Percy Blakeney
Described as tall, handsome but lazy, with an inane laugh; he is the wealthy, fashionable husband of Marguerite, known for his dullness and foppish ways.
- Marguerite Blakeney
The clever and witty French wife, formerly an actress and salonnière in Paris; she teases her husband openly and shows contempt for his intellect.
- Vicomte de Tournay
A young French émigré who challenges Sir Percy to a duel after his mother insults Marguerite; he is proud, hot-tempered, and speaks broken English.
- Sir Andrew Ffoulkes
Present at the inn, greeted by Sir Percy; he is one of the young men in the company.
- Lord Tony Dewhurst
Present at the inn, greeted by Sir Percy; he is a friend and fellow fop.
- Comtesse de Tournay
Mentioned as the mother of the Vicomte; her insult to Marguerite sparks the confrontation.
Key passages
“Tall, above the average, even for an Englishman, broad-shouldered and massively built, he would have been called unusually good-looking, but for a certain lazy expression in his deep-set blue eyes, and that perpetual inane laugh which seemed to disfigure his strong, clearly-cut mouth.”
Sir Percy was very tall and strong, handsome except for his lazy eyes and constant foolish laugh.
Describes Sir Percy's physical appearance and the flaw in his demeanor.
“Marguerite St. Just was from principle and by conviction a republican—equality of birth was her motto—inequality of fortune was in her eyes a mere untoward accident, but the only inequality she admitted was that of talent.”
Marguerite believed in republicanism and equality of talent, not birth or wealth.
Explains Marguerite's political and social philosophy.
“How that stupid, dull Englishman ever came to be admitted within the intellectual circle which revolved round 'the cleverest woman in Europe,' as her friends unanimously called her, no one ventured to guess—a golden key is said to open every door, asserted the more malignantly inclined.”
People wondered how the dull Sir Percy won Marguerite, with some hinting his wealth was the key.
Highlights society's puzzlement over their marriage.
““Lud, Sir Andrew,” said Marguerite, with one of her merry infectious laughs, “look on that pretty picture—the English turkey and the French bantam.””
Marguerite joked that Sir Percy was like a big turkey and the Vicomte a small bantam rooster.
Marguerite mocks the contrast between her husband and the young Frenchman.
