CHAPTER	O
I	O
PARIS	O
:	O
SEPTEMBER	O
,	O
1792	O
A	O
surging	EVENT
,	O
seething	EVENT
,	O
murmuring	EVENT
crowd	O
of	O
beings	O
that	O
are	O
human	O
only	O
in	O
name	O
,	O
for	O
to	O
the	O
eye	O
and	O
ear	O
they	O
seem	O
naught	O
but	O
savage	O
creatures	O
,	O
animated	O
by	O
vile	O
passions	O
and	O
by	O
the	O
lust	O
of	O
vengeance	O
and	O
of	O
hate	O
.	O

The	O
hour	O
,	O
some	O
little	O
time	O
before	O
sunset	O
,	O
and	O
the	O
place	O
,	O
the	O
West	O
Barricade	O
,	O
at	O
the	O
very	O
spot	O
where	O
,	O
a	O
decade	O
later	O
,	O
a	O
proud	O
tyrant	O
raised	EVENT
an	O
undying	O
monument	O
to	O
the	O
nation	O
's	O
glory	O
and	O
his	O
own	O
vanity	O
.	O

During	O
the	O
greater	O
part	O
of	O
the	O
day	O
the	O
guillotine	O
had	O
been	O
kept	O
busy	O
at	O
its	O
ghastly	O
work	EVENT
:	O
all	O
that	O
France	O
had	O
boasted	O
of	O
in	O
the	O
past	O
centuries	O
,	O
of	O
ancient	O
names	O
,	O
and	O
blue	O
blood	O
,	O
had	O
paid	O
toll	O
to	O
her	O
desire	O
for	O
liberty	O
and	O
for	O
fraternity	O
.	O

The	O
carnage	EVENT
had	O
only	O
ceased	EVENT
at	O
this	O
late	O
hour	O
of	O
the	O
day	O
because	O
there	O
were	O
other	O
more	O
interesting	O
sights	O
for	O
the	O
people	O
to	O
witness	O
,	O
a	O
little	O
while	O
before	O
the	O
final	O
closing	O
of	O
the	O
barricades	O
for	O
the	O
night	O
.	O

And	O
so	O
the	O
crowd	O
rushed	EVENT
away	O
from	O
the	O
Place	O
de	O
la	O
Greve	O
and	O
made	EVENT
for	O
the	O
various	O
barricades	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
watch	O
this	O
interesting	O
and	O
amusing	O
sight	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
to	O
be	O
seen	O
every	O
day	O
,	O
for	O
those	O
aristos	O
were	O
such	O
fools	O
!	O

They	O
were	O
traitors	O
to	O
the	O
people	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
all	O
of	O
them	O
,	O
men	O
,	O
women	O
,	O
and	O
children	O
,	O
who	O
happened	O
to	O
be	O
descendants	O
of	O
the	O
great	O
men	O
who	O
since	O
the	O
Crusades	O
had	O
made	O
the	O
glory	O
of	O
France	O
:	O
her	O
old	O
NOBLESSE	O
.	O

Their	O
ancestors	O
had	O
oppressed	O
the	O
people	O
,	O
had	O
crushed	O
them	O
under	O
the	O
scarlet	O
heels	O
of	O
their	O
dainty	O
buckled	O
shoes	O
,	O
and	O
now	O
the	O
people	O
had	O
become	O
the	O
rulers	O
of	O
France	O
and	O
crushed	O
their	O
former	O
masters	O
--	O
not	O
beneath	O
their	O
heel	O
,	O
for	O
they	O
went	O
shoeless	O
mostly	O
in	O
these	O
days	O
--	O
but	O
a	O
more	O
effectual	O
weight	O
,	O
the	O
knife	O
of	O
the	O
guillotine	O
.	O

And	O
daily	O
,	O
hourly	O
,	O
the	O
hideous	O
instrument	O
of	O
torture	O
claimed	O
its	O
many	O
victims	O
--	O
old	O
men	O
,	O
young	O
women	O
,	O
tiny	O
children	O
until	O
the	O
day	O
when	O
it	O
would	O
finally	O
demand	O
the	O
head	O
of	O
a	O
King	O
and	O
of	O
a	O
beautiful	O
young	O
Queen	O
.	O

But	O
this	O
was	O
as	O
it	O
should	O
be	O
:	O
were	O
not	O
the	O
people	O
now	O
the	O
rulers	O
of	O
France	O
?	O

Every	O
aristocrat	O
was	O
a	O
traitor	O
,	O
as	O
his	O
ancestors	O
had	O
been	O
before	O
him	O
:	O
for	O
two	O
hundred	O
years	O
now	O
the	O
people	O
had	O
sweated	O
,	O
and	O
toiled	O
,	O
and	O
starved	O
,	O
to	O
keep	O
a	O
lustful	O
court	O
in	O
lavish	O
extravagance	O
;	O
now	O
the	O
descendants	O
of	O
those	O
who	O
had	O
helped	O
to	O
make	O
those	O
courts	O
brilliant	O
had	O
to	O
hide	O
for	O
their	O
lives	O
--	O
to	O
fly	O
,	O
if	O
they	O
wished	O
to	O
avoid	O
the	O
tardy	O
vengeance	O
of	O
the	O
people	O
.	O

And	O
they	O
did	O
try	O
to	O
hide	O
,	O
and	O
tried	O
to	O
fly	O
:	O
that	O
was	O
just	O
the	O
fun	O
of	O
the	O
whole	O
thing	O
.	O

Every	O
afternoon	O
before	O
the	O
gates	O
closed	O
and	O
the	O
market	O
carts	O
went	O
out	O
in	O
procession	O
by	O
the	O
various	O
barricades	O
,	O
some	O
fool	O
of	O
an	O
aristo	O
endeavoured	O
to	O
evade	O
the	O
clutches	O
of	O
the	O
Committee	O
of	O
Public	O
Safety	O
.	O

In	O
various	O
disguises	O
,	O
under	O
various	O
pretexts	O
,	O
they	O
tried	O
to	O
slip	O
through	O
the	O
barriers	O
,	O
which	O
were	O
so	O
well	O
guarded	O
by	O
citizen	O
soldiers	O
of	O
the	O
Republic	O
.	O

Men	O
in	O
women	O
's	O
clothes	O
,	O
women	O
in	O
male	O
attire	O
,	O
children	O
disguised	O
in	O
beggars	O
'	O
rags	O
:	O
there	O
were	O
some	O
of	O
all	O
sorts	O
:	O
CI-DEVANT	O
counts	O
,	O
marquises	O
,	O
even	O
dukes	O
,	O
who	O
wanted	O
to	O
fly	O
from	O
France	O
,	O
reach	O
England	O
or	O
some	O
other	O
equally	O
accursed	O
country	O
,	O
and	O
there	O
try	O
to	O
rouse	O
foreign	O
feelings	O
against	O
the	O
glorious	O
Revolution	O
,	O
or	O
to	O
raise	O
an	O
army	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
liberate	O
the	O
wretched	O
prisoners	O
in	O
the	O
Temple	O
,	O
who	O
had	O
once	O
called	O
themselves	O
sovereigns	O
of	O
France	O
.	O

But	O
they	O
were	O
nearly	O
always	O
caught	O
at	O
the	O
barricades	O
,	O
Sergeant	O
Bibot	O
especially	O
at	O
the	O
West	O
Gate	O
had	O
a	O
wonderful	O
nose	O
for	O
scenting	O
an	O
aristo	O
in	O
the	O
most	O
perfect	O
disguise	O
.	O

Then	O
,	O
of	O
course	O
,	O
the	O
fun	O
began	O
.	O

Bibot	O
would	O
look	O
at	O
his	O
prey	O
as	O
a	O
cat	O
looks	O
upon	O
the	O
mouse	O
,	O
play	O
with	O
him	O
,	O
sometimes	O
for	O
quite	O
a	O
quarter	O
of	O
an	O
hour	O
,	O
pretend	O
to	O
be	O
hoodwinked	O
by	O
the	O
disguise	O
,	O
by	O
the	O
wigs	O
and	O
other	O
bits	O
of	O
theatrical	O
make-up	O
which	O
hid	O
the	O
identity	O
of	O
a	O
CI-DEVANT	O
noble	O
marquise	O
or	O
count	O
.	O

Oh	O
!	O

Bibot	O
had	O
a	O
keen	O
sense	O
of	O
humour	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
well	O
worth	O
hanging	O
round	O
that	O
West	O
Barricade	O
,	O
in	O
order	O
to	O
see	O
him	O
catch	O
an	O
aristo	O
in	O
the	O
very	O
act	O
of	O
trying	O
to	O
flee	O
from	O
the	O
vengeance	O
of	O
the	O
people	O
.	O

Sometimes	O
Bibot	O
would	O
let	O
his	O
prey	O
actually	O
out	O
by	O
the	O
gates	O
,	O
allowing	O
him	O
to	O
think	O
for	O
the	O
space	O
of	O
two	O
minutes	O
at	O
least	O
that	O
he	O
really	O
had	O
escaped	O
out	O
of	O
Paris	O
,	O
and	O
might	O
even	O
manage	O
to	O
reach	O
the	O
coast	O
of	O
England	O
in	O
safety	O
,	O
but	O
Bibot	O
would	O
let	O
the	O
unfortunate	O
wretch	O
walk	O
about	O
ten	O
metres	O
towards	O
the	O
open	O
country	O
,	O
then	O
he	O
would	O
send	O
two	O
men	O
after	O
him	O
and	O
bring	O
him	O
back	O
,	O
stripped	O
of	O
his	O
disguise	O
.	O

Oh	O
!	O

that	O
was	O
extremely	O
funny	O
,	O
for	O
as	O
often	O
as	O
not	O
the	O
fugitive	O
would	O
prove	O
to	O
be	O
a	O
woman	O
,	O
some	O
proud	O
marchioness	O
,	O
who	O
looked	O
terribly	O
comical	O
when	O
she	O
found	O
herself	O
in	O
Bibot	O
's	O
clutches	O
after	O
all	O
,	O
and	O
knew	O
that	O
a	O
summary	O
trial	O
would	O
await	O
her	O
the	O
next	O
day	O
and	O
after	O
that	O
,	O
the	O
fond	O
embrace	O
of	O
Madame	O
la	O
Guillotine	O
.	O

No	O
wonder	O
that	O
on	O
this	O
fine	O
afternoon	O
in	O
September	O
the	O
crowd	O
round	O
Bibot	O
's	O
gate	O
was	O
eager	O
and	O
excited	O
.	O

The	O
lust	O
of	O
blood	O
grows	O
with	O
its	O
satisfaction	O
,	O
there	O
is	O
no	O
satiety	O
:	O
the	O
crowd	O
had	O
seen	O
a	O
hundred	O
noble	O
heads	O
fall	O
beneath	O
the	O
guillotine	O
to-day	O
,	O
it	O
wanted	O
to	O
make	O
sure	O
that	O
it	O
would	O
see	O
another	O
hundred	O
fall	O
on	O
the	O
morrow	O
.	O

Bibot	O
was	O
sitting	O
on	O
an	O
overturned	O
and	O
empty	O
cask	O
close	O
by	O
the	O
gate	O
of	O
the	O
barricade	O
;	O
a	O
small	O
detachment	O
of	O
citoyen	O
soldiers	O
was	O
under	O
his	O
command	O
.	O

The	O
work	O
had	O
been	O
very	O
hot	O
lately	O
.	O

Those	O
cursed	O
aristos	O
were	O
becoming	O
terrified	O
and	O
tried	O
their	O
hardest	O
to	O
slip	O
out	O
of	O
Paris	O
:	O
men	O
,	O
women	O
and	O
children	O
,	O
whose	O
ancestors	O
,	O
even	O
in	O
remote	O
ages	O
,	O
had	O
served	O
those	O
traitorous	O
Bourbons	O
,	O
were	O
all	O
traitors	O
themselves	O
and	O
right	O
food	O
for	O
the	O
guillotine	O
.	O

Every	O
day	O
Bibot	O
had	O
had	O
the	O
satisfaction	O
of	O
unmasking	O
some	O
fugitive	O
royalists	O
and	O
sending	O
them	O
back	O
to	O
be	O
tried	O
by	O
the	O
Committee	O
of	O
Public	O
Safety	O
,	O
presided	O
over	O
by	O
that	O
good	O
patriot	O
,	O
Citoyen	O
Foucquier-Tinville	O
.	O

Robespierre	O
and	O
Danton	O
both	O
had	O
commended	O
Bibot	O
for	O
his	O
zeal	O
and	O
Bibot	O
was	O
proud	O
of	O
the	O
fact	O
that	O
he	O
on	O
his	O
own	O
initiative	O
had	O
sent	O
at	O
least	O
fifty	O
aristos	O
to	O
the	O
guillotine	O
.	O

But	O
to-day	O
all	O
the	O
sergeants	O
in	O
command	O
at	O
the	O
various	O
barricades	O
had	O
had	O
special	O
orders	EVENT
.	O

Recently	O
a	O
very	O
great	O
number	O
of	O
aristos	O
had	O
succeeded	O
in	O
escaping	O
out	O
of	O
France	O
and	O
in	O
reaching	O
England	O
safely	O
.	O

There	O
were	O
curious	O
rumours	O
about	O
these	O
escapes	O
;	O
they	O
had	O
become	O
very	O
frequent	O
and	O
singularly	O
daring	O
;	O
the	O
people	O
's	O
minds	O
were	O
becoming	O
strangely	O
excited	O
about	O
it	O
all	O
.	O

Sergeant	O
Grospierre	O
had	O
been	O
sent	EVENT
to	O
the	O
guillotine	O
for	O
allowing	EVENT
a	O
whole	O
family	O
of	O
aristos	O
to	O
slip	EVENT
out	O
of	O
the	O
North	O
Gate	O
under	O
his	O
very	O
nose	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
asserted	O
that	O
these	O
escapes	O
were	O
organised	O
by	O
a	O
band	O
of	O
Englishmen	O
,	O
whose	O
daring	O
seemed	O
to	O
be	O
unparalleled	O
,	O
and	O
who	O
,	O
from	O
sheer	O
desire	O
to	O
meddle	O
in	O
what	O
did	O
not	O
concern	O
them	O
,	O
spent	O
their	O
spare	O
time	O
in	O
snatching	O
away	O
lawful	O
victims	O
destined	O
for	O
Madame	O
la	O
Guillotine	O
.	O

These	O
rumours	O
soon	O
grew	O
in	O
extravagance	O
;	O
there	O
was	O
no	O
doubt	O
that	O
this	O
band	O
of	O
meddlesome	O
Englishmen	O
did	O
exist	O
;	O
moreover	O
,	O
they	O
seemed	O
to	O
be	O
under	O
the	O
leadership	O
of	O
a	O
man	O
whose	O
pluck	O
and	O
audacity	O
were	O
almost	O
fabulous	O
.	O

Strange	O
stories	O
were	O
afloat	O
of	O
how	O
he	O
and	O
those	O
aristos	O
whom	O
he	O
rescued	O
became	O
suddenly	O
invisible	O
as	O
they	O
reached	O
the	O
barricades	O
and	O
escaped	O
out	O
of	O
the	O
gates	O
by	O
sheer	O
supernatural	O
agency	O
.	O

No	O
one	O
had	O
seen	O
these	O
mysterious	O
Englishmen	O
;	O
as	O
for	O
their	O
leader	O
,	O
he	O
was	O
never	O
spoken	O
of	O
,	O
save	O
with	O
a	O
superstitious	O
shudder	O
.	O

Citoyen	O
Foucquier-Tinville	O
would	O
in	O
the	O
course	O
of	O
the	O
day	O
receive	O
a	O
scrap	O
of	O
paper	O
from	O
some	O
mysterious	O
source	O
;	O
sometimes	O
he	O
would	O
find	O
it	O
in	O
the	O
pocket	O
of	O
his	O
coat	O
,	O
at	O
others	O
it	O
would	O
be	O
handed	O
to	O
him	O
by	O
someone	O
in	O
the	O
crowd	O
,	O
whilst	O
he	O
was	O
on	O
his	O
way	O
to	O
the	O
sitting	O
of	O
the	O
Committee	O
of	O
Public	O
Safety	O
.	O

The	O
paper	O
always	O
contained	O
a	O
brief	O
notice	O
that	O
the	O
band	O
of	O
meddlesome	O
Englishmen	O
were	O
at	O
work	O
,	O
and	O
it	O
was	O
always	O
signed	O
with	O
a	O
device	O
drawn	O
in	O
red	O
--	O
a	O
little	O
star-shaped	O
flower	O
,	O
which	O
we	O
in	O
England	O
call	O
the	O
Scarlet	O
Pimpernel	O
.	O

Within	O
a	O
few	O
hours	O
of	O
the	O
receipt	O
of	O
this	O
impudent	O
notice	O
,	O
the	O
citoyens	O
of	O
the	O
Committee	O
of	O
Public	O
Safety	O
would	O
hear	O
that	O
so	O
many	O
royalists	O
and	O
aristocrats	O
had	O
succeeded	O
in	O
reaching	O
the	O
coast	O
,	O
and	O
were	O
on	O
their	O
way	O
to	O
England	O
and	O
safety	O
.	O

The	O
guards	O
at	O
the	O
gates	O
had	O
been	O
doubled	O
,	O
the	O
sergeants	O
in	O
command	O
had	O
been	O
threatened	O
with	O
death	O
,	O
whilst	O
liberal	O
rewards	O
were	O
offered	O
for	O
the	O
capture	O
of	O
these	O
daring	O
and	O
impudent	O
Englishmen	O
.	O

There	O
was	O
a	O
sum	O
of	O
five	O
thousand	O
francs	O
promised	O
to	O
the	O
man	O
who	O
laid	O
hands	O
on	O
the	O
mysterious	O
and	O
elusive	O
Scarlet	O
Pimpernel	O
.	O

Everyone	O
felt	O
that	O
Bibot	O
would	O
be	O
that	O
man	O
,	O
and	O
Bibot	O
allowed	O
that	O
belief	O
to	O
take	O
firm	O
root	O
in	O
everybody	O
's	O
mind	O
;	O
and	O
so	O
,	O
day	O
after	O
day	O
,	O
people	O
came	O
to	O
watch	O
him	O
at	O
the	O
West	O
Gate	O
,	O
so	O
as	O
to	O
be	O
present	O
when	O
he	O
laid	O
hands	O
on	O
any	O
fugitive	O
aristo	O
who	O
perhaps	O
might	O
be	O
accompanied	O
by	O
that	O
mysterious	O
Englishman	O
.	O

“	O
Bah	O
!	O
”	O
he	O
said	EVENT
to	O
his	O
trusted	O
corporal	O
,	O
“	O
Citoyen	O
Grospierre	O
was	O
a	O
fool	O
!	O

Had	O
it	O
been	O
me	O
now	O
,	O
at	O
that	O
North	O
Gate	O
last	O
week	O
.	O
.	O
.	O
”	O
Citoyen	O
Bibot	O
spat	EVENT
on	O
the	O
ground	O
to	O
express	O
his	O
contempt	O
for	O
his	O
comrade	O
's	O
stupidity	O
.	O

“	O
How	O
did	O
it	O
happen	O
,	O
citoyen	O
?	O
”	O
asked	EVENT
the	O
corporal	O
.	O

“	O
Grospierre	O
was	O
at	O
the	O
gate	O
,	O
keeping	O
good	O
watch	EVENT
,	O
”	O
began	EVENT
Bibot	O
,	O
pompously	O
,	O
as	O
the	O
crowd	O
closed	EVENT
in	O
round	O
him	O
,	O
listening	EVENT
eagerly	O
to	O
his	O
narrative	O
.	O

“	O
We	O
've	O
all	O
heard	O
of	O
this	O
meddlesome	O
Englishman	O
,	O
this	O
accursed	O
Scarlet	O
Pimpernel	O
.	O

He	O
wo	O
n't	O
get	O
through	O
MY	O
gate	O
,	O
MORBLEU	O
!	O

unless	O
he	O
be	O
the	O
devil	O
himself	O
.	O

But	O
Grospierre	O
was	O
a	O
fool	O
.	O

The	O
market	O
carts	O
were	O
going	EVENT
through	O
the	O
gates	O
;	O
there	O
was	O
one	O
laden	O
with	O
casks	O
,	O
and	O
driven	EVENT
by	O
an	O
old	O
man	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
boy	O
beside	O
him	O
.	O

Grospierre	O
was	O
a	O
bit	O
drunk	O
,	O
but	O
he	O
thought	O
himself	O
very	O
clever	O
;	O
he	O
looked	EVENT
into	O
the	O
casks	O
--	O
most	O
of	O
them	O
,	O
at	O
least	O
--	O
and	O
saw	O
they	O
were	O
empty	O
,	O
and	O
let	EVENT
the	O
cart	O
go	EVENT
through	O
.	O
”	O

A	O
murmur	EVENT
of	O
wrath	O
and	O
contempt	O
went	O
round	O
the	O
group	O
of	O
ill-clad	O
wretches	O
,	O
who	O
crowded	EVENT
round	O
Citoyen	O
Bibot	O
.	O

“	O
Half	O
an	O
hour	O
later	O
,	O
”	O
continued	EVENT
the	O
sergeant	O
,	O
“	O
up	O
comes	EVENT
a	O
captain	O
of	O
the	O
guard	O
with	O
a	O
squad	O
of	O
some	O
dozen	O
soldiers	O
with	O
him	O
.	O

'	O
Has	O
a	O
cart	O
gone	O
through	O
?	O
'	O

he	O
asks	EVENT
of	O
Grospierre	O
,	O
breathlessly	O
.	O

'	O
Yes	O
,	O
'	O
says	EVENT
Grospierre	O
,	O
'	O
not	O
half	O
an	O
hour	O
ago	O
.	O
'	O

'	O
And	O
you	O
have	O
let	EVENT
them	O
escape	EVENT
,	O
'	O
shouts	EVENT
the	O
captain	O
furiously	O
.	O

'	O
You	O
'll	O
go	O
to	O
the	O
guillotine	O
for	O
this	O
,	O
citoyen	O
sergeant	O
!	O

that	O
cart	O
held	O
concealed	O
the	O
CI-DEVANT	O
Duc	O
de	O
Chalis	O
and	O
all	O
his	O
family	O
!	O
'	O

'	O
What	O
!	O
'	O

thunders	EVENT
Grospierre	O
,	O
aghast	EVENT
.	O

'	O
Aye	O
!	O

and	O
the	O
driver	O
was	O
none	O
other	O
than	O
that	O
cursed	O
Englishman	O
,	O
the	O
Scarlet	O
Pimpernel	O
.	O
'	O
”	O

A	O
howl	EVENT
of	O
execration	O
greeted	O
this	O
tale	O
.	O

Citoyen	O
Grospierre	O
had	O
paid	EVENT
for	O
his	O
blunder	EVENT
on	O
the	O
guillotine	O
,	O
but	O
what	O
a	O
fool	O
!	O

oh	O
!	O

what	O
a	O
fool	O
!	O