Into the Fire – The Scarlet Pimpernel

The Elusive Pimpernel

And during these few seconds, whilst his hand lay across her eyes, the lazy, idle fop of fashionable London was fighting a hand-to-hand fight with the bold leader of a band of adventurers: and his own passionate love for his wife ranged itself with fervent intensity on the side of his weaker self.

I really should have picked a different order to read these books. 🙂 This one was great, but because Marguerite talks about it quite a bit in The Triumph of the Scarlet Pimpernel, I already had some idea of what was going to happen.

However, I did really enjoy this book as well. I really had no idea how Percy was going to get out of this situation, and I was actually rooting for him to kill Chauvelin then and there, though I knew that didn’t happen. 🙂 Again, though, some of my favourite parts was the dialogue between Chauvelin and Percy, such as:

“Sir Percy, are you aware of the fact that unless you listen to what I have to say, your wife will be dragged before the Committee of Public Safety in Paris within the next twenty-four hours?” said Chauvelin firmly.

“What swift horses you must have, sir,” quoth Blakeney pleasantly.

I thought Marguerite fell a little too easily into Chauvelin’s plan…I could kind of see this one coming, as opposed to the one in Triumph, but the amount of the book devoted to her did develop her character well and show all that is to be admired about her.

I found the whole thing about Marguerite being “too much in love” with her husband rather funny…but I didn’t think it was right of her to ask Percy to abandon his mission for her. I mean, I do understand where she was coming from, but I thought it was a pretty selfish act considering the rest of her character.

Percy: “I do care…vastly care, I assure you…and would seriously object to ending my life on your demmed guillotine…a nasty, uncomfortable thing, I should say..and I am told that an inexperienced barber is deputed to cut one’s hair…Brrr!”

Anyway, it’s a really wonderful book…I don’t find it hard to see why the Baroness found it hard to leave these characters alone. They are far too interesting to forget, and each plan of Percy’s is more clever than the next. I found this book very enjoyable, and would definitely recommend it!

No one knew that the great and glorious plans for the complete annihilation of the Scarlet Pimpernel and his League had come to naught…and so the little party passed unchallenged through the gates of Boulogne.

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