The Secret Tomb · Chapter
I: The Château de Roborey explained
Dorothy wakes in the caravan to find Saint-Quentin missing and sets out to find him.
What happens
Dorothy wakes in the caravan to find Saint-Quentin missing and sets out to find him. She tracks him to the Château de Roborey, where she witnesses him descending the cliff face and saves him from a disguised peasant who was about to shoot him. After escaping, Saint-Quentin reveals he stole sapphire earrings from the château, offering them to Dorothy. She rebukes him, demanding he be honest and stop stealing, and he promises to reform.
Themes in this chapter
Adventure and Peril
Dorothy's daring rescue of Saint-Quentin from an assassin and their escape through the woods highlight the constant danger and excitement of their lives.
Identity and Disguise
Saint-Quentin disguises himself as a scarecrow to avoid recognition during his theft, and the peasant assassin is also in disguise, underscoring themes of hidden identities.
Resilience and Courage
Dorothy's quick thinking and bravery in shoving the stone slab to trap the gunman, as well as her determination to confront Saint-Quentin about his theft, demonstrate her resilience.
Characters to notice
- Dorothy
The young leader of the caravan, she wakes to find Saint-Quentin missing, tracks him to the château, saves him from an assassin, and confronts him about his theft.
- Baron Saint-Quentin
A young acrobat and war orphan, he sneaks out at night to steal from the château, descending the cliff to retrieve sapphire earrings, which he offers to Dorothy.
- Castor
One of the caravan boys, he questions Dorothy about Saint-Quentin's whereabouts and is told to go back to sleep.
- Pollux
Another caravan boy, he joins Castor in worrying about Dorothy going out alone at night.
Key passages
“She gripped his arm and tugged at it. 'Bolt, idiot!… They’ve seen you!… They were going to take a shot at you!… Quick! They’ll be after us!'”
Dorothy urgently pulls Saint-Quentin away, warning him that they have been spotted and that someone tried to shoot him.
Dorothy's urgent command to flee after saving Saint-Quentin from the assassin.
“'Keep them, Dorothy. You know quite well that I’m not really a thief and that I only got them for you… that you might have the pleasure of looking at them and touching them.'”
Saint-Quentin offers the sapphire earrings to Dorothy, insisting he stole them only for her enjoyment.
Saint-Quentin's justification for his theft, revealing his affection for Dorothy.
“'Be honest, Saint-Quentin. That’s all I ask of you. You and the other boys of the caravan, I’ve adopted you because, like me, you’re war-orphans…'”
Dorothy demands that Saint-Quentin stop stealing and be honest, reminding him that they are all war orphans she has taken in.
Dorothy's moral stance and her role as the caretaker of the caravan boys.