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El　Dorado

by　Baroness　Orczy





FOREWORD

There　has　of　late　years　crept　so　much　confusion　into　the　mind　of
the　student　as　well　as　of　the　general　reader　as　to　the　identity　of
the　Scarlet　Pimpernel　with　that　of　the　Gascon　Royalist　plotter
known　to　history　as　the　Baron　de　Batz；　that　the　time　seems
opportune　for　setting　all　doubts　on　that　subject　at　rest。

The　identity　of　the　Scarlet　Pimpernel　is　in　no　way　whatever
connected　with　that　of　the　Baron　de　Batz；　and　even　superficial
reflection　will　soon　bring　the　mind　to　the　conclusion　that　great
fundamental　differences　existed　in　these　two　men；　in　their
personality；　in　their　character；　and；　above　all；　in　their　aims。

According　to　one　or　two　enthusiastic　historians；　the　Baron　de　Batz
was　the　chief　agent　in　a　vast　network　of　conspiracy；　entirely
supported　by　foreign　moneyboth　English　and　Austrianand　which
had　for　its　object　the　overthrow　of　the　Republican　Government　and
the　restoration　of　the　monarchy　in　France。

In　order　to　attain　this　political　goal；　it　is　averred　that　he　set
himself　the　task　of　pitting　the　members　of　the　revolutionary
Government　one　against　the　other；　and　bringing　hatred　and
dissensions　amongst　them；　until　the　cry　of　〃Traitor！〃　resounded
from　one　end　of　the　Assembly　of　the　Convention　to　the　other；　and
the　Assembly　itself　became　as　one　vast　den　of　wild　beasts　wherein
wolves　and　hyenas　devoured　one　another　and；　still　unsatiated；
licked　their　streaming　jaws　hungering　for　more　prey。

Those　same　enthusiastic　historians；　who　have　a　firm　belief　in　the
so…called　〃Foreign　Conspiracy；〃　ascribe　every　important　event　of
the　Great　Revolutionbe　that　event　the　downfall　of　the　Girondins；
the　escape　of　the　Dauphin　from　the　Temple；　or　the　death　of
Robespierreto　the　intrigues　of　Baron　de　Batz。　　He　it　was；　so
they　say；　who　egged　the　Jacobins　on　against　the　Mountain；
Robespierre　against　Danton；　Hebert　against　Robespierre。　　He　it　was
who　instigated　the　massacres　of　September；　the　atrocities　of
Nantes；　the　horrors　of　Thermidor；　the　sacrileges；　the　noyades：
all　with　the　view　of　causing　every　section　of　the　National
Assembly　to　vie　with　the　other　in　excesses　and　in　cruelty；　until
the　makers　of　the　Revolution；　satiated　with　their　own　lust；　turned
on　one　another；　and　Sardanapalus…like　buried　themselves　and　their
orgies　in　the　vast　hecatomb　of　a　self…consumed　anarchy。

Whether　the　power　thus　ascribed　to　Baron　de　Batz　by　his　historians
is　real　or　imaginary　it　is　not　the　purpose　of　this　preface　to
investigate。　　Its　sole　object　is　to　point　out　the　difference
between　the　career　of　this　plotter　and　that　of　the　Scarlet
Pimpernel。

The　Baron　de　Batz　himself　was　an　adventurer　without　substance；
save　that　which　he　derived　from　abroad。　　He　was　one　of　those　men
who　have　nothing　to　lose　and　everything　to　gain　by　throwing
themselves　headlong　in　the　seething　cauldron　of　internal　politics。

Though　he　made　several　attempts　at　rescuing　King　Louis　first；　and
then　the　Queen　and　Royal　Family　from　prison　and　from　death；　he
never　succeeded；　as　we　know；　in　any　of　these　undertakings；　and　he
never　once　so　much　as　attempted　the　rescue　of　other　equally
innocent；　if　not　quite　so　distinguished；　victims　of　the　most
bloodthirsty　revolution　that　has　ever　shaken　the　foundations　of
the　civilised　world。

Nay　more；　when　on　the　29th　Prairial　those　unfortunate　men　and
women　were　condemned　and　executed　for　alleged　complicity　in　the
so…called　〃　Foreign　Conspiracy；〃　de　Batz；　who　is　universally
admitted　to　have　been　the　head　and　prime…mover　of　that　conspiracy
if；　indeed；　conspiracy　there　wasnever　made　either　the
slightest　attempt　to　rescue　his　confederates　from　the　guillotine；
or　at　least　the　offer　to　perish　by　their　side　if　he　could　not
succeed　in　saving　them。

And　when　we　remember　that　the　martyrs　of　the　29th　Prairial
included　women　like　Grandmaison；　the　devoted　friend　of　de　Batz；
the　beautiful　Emilie　de　St。　Amaranthe；　little　Cecile　Renaulta
mere　child　not　sixteen　years　of　agealso　men　like　Michonis　and
Roussell；　faithful　servants　of　de　Batz；　the　Baron　de　Lezardiere；
and　the　Comte　de　St。　Maurice；　his　friends；　we　no　longer　can　have
the　slightest　doubt　that　the　Gascon　plotter　and　the　English
gentleman　are　indeed　two　very　different　persons。

The　latter's　aims　were　absolutely　non…political。　　He　never
intrigued　for　the　restoration　of　the　monarchy；　or　even　for　the
overthrow　of　that　Republic　which　lie　loathed。

His　only　concern　was　the　rescue　of　the　innocent；　the　stretching
out　of　a　saving　hand　to　those　unfortunate　creatures　who　had　fallen
into　the　nets　spread　out　for　them　by　their　fellow…men；　by　those
whogodless；　lawless；　penniless　themselveshad　sworn　to
exterminate　all　those　who　clung　to　their　belongings；　to　their
religion；　and　to　their　beliefs。

The　Scarlet　Pimpernel　did　not　take　it　upon　himself　to　punish　the
guilty；　his　care　was　solely　of　the　helpless　and　of　the　innocent。

For　this　aim　he　risked　his　life　every　time　that　he　set　foot　on
French　soil；　for　it　he　sacrificed　his　fortune；　and　even　his
personal　happiness；　and　to　it　he　devoted　his　entire　existence。

Moreover；　whereas　the　French　plotter　is　said　to　have　had
confederates　even　in　the　Assembly　of　the　Convention；　confederates
who　were　sufficiently　influential　and　powerful　to　secure　his　own
immunity；　the　Englishman　when　he　was　bent　on　his　errands　of　mercy
had　the　whole　of　France　against　him。

The　Baron　de　Batz　was　a　man　who　never　justified　either　his　own
ambitions　or　even　his　existence；　the　Scarlet　Pimpernel　was　a
personality　of　whom　an　entire　nation　might　justly　be　proud。


CONTENTS

PART　I
I　　　　IN　THE　THEATRE　NATIONAL
II　　　　WIDELY　DIVERGENT　AIMS
III　　　　THE　DEMON　CHANCE
IV　　　　MADEMOISELLE　LANGE
V　　　　THE　TEMPLE　PRISON
VI　　　　THE　COMMITTEE'S　AGENT
VII　　　　THE　MOST　PRECIOUS　LIFE　IN　EUROPE
VIII　　　　ARCADES　AMBO
IX　　　　WHAT　LOVE　CAN　DO
X　　　　SHADOWS
XI　　　　THE　LEAGUE　OF　THE　SCARLET　PIMPERNEL
XII　　　　WHAT　LOVE　IS
XIII　　　　THEN　EVERYTHING　WAS　DARK
XIV　　　　THE　CHIEF
XV　　　　THE　GATE　OF　LA　VILLETTE
XVI　　　　THE　WEARY　SEARCH
XVII　　　　CHAUVELIN
XVIII　　　　THE　REMOVAL
XIX　　　　IT　IS　ABOUT　THE　DAUPHIN
XX　　　　THE　CERTIFICATE　OF　SAFETY
XXI　　　　BACK　TO　PARIS
XXII　　　　OF　THAT　THERE　COULD　BE　NO　QUESTION
XXIII　　　　THE　OVERWHELMING　ODDS

PART　II
XXIV　　　　THE　NEWS
XXV　　　　PARIS　ONCE　MORE
XXVI　　　　THE　BITTEREST　FOE
XXVI　　　IN　THE　CONCIERGERIE
XXVIII　　　　THE　CAGED　LION
XXIX　　　　FOR　THE　SAKE　OF　THAT　HELPLESS　INNOCENT
XXX　　　　AFTERWARDS
XXXI　　　　AN　INTERLUDE
XXXII　　　　SISTERS
XXXIII　　　　LITTLE　MOTHER
XXXIV　　　　THE　LETTER

PART　III
XXXV　　　　THE　LAST　PHASE
XXXVI　　　　SUBMISSION
XXXVII　　　　CHAUVELIN'S　ADVICE
XXXVIII　　　　CAPITULATION
XXXIX　　　　KILL　HIM！
XL　　　　GOD　HELP　US　ALL
XLI　　　　WHEN　HOPE　WAS　DEAD
XLII　　　　THE　GUARD…HOUSE　OF　THE　RUE　STE。ANNE
XLIII　　　　THE　DREARY　JOURNEY
XLIV　　　　THE　HALT　AT　CRECY
XLV　　　THE　FOREST　OF　BOULOGNE
XLVI　　　　OTHERS　IN　THE　PARK
XLVII　　　　THE　CHAPEL　OF　THE　HOLY　SEPULCHRE
XLVIII　　　　THE　WANING　MOON
XLIX　　　　THE　LAND　OF　ELDORADO



PART　I
CHAPTER　I
IN　THE　THEATRE　NATIONAL

And　yet　people　found　the　opportunity　to　amuse　themselves；　to　dance
and　to　go　to　the　theatre；　to　enjoy　music　and　open…air　cafes　and
promenades　in　the　Palais　Royal。

New　fashions　in　dress　made　their　appearance；　milliners　produced
fresh　〃creations；〃　and　jewellers　were　not　idle。　　A　grim　sense　of
humour；　born　of　the　very　intensity　of　ever…present　danger；　had
dubbed　the　cut　of　certain　tunics　〃tete　tranche；〃　or　a　favourite
ragout　was　called　〃a　la　guillotine。〃

On　three　evenings　only　during　the　past　memorable　four　and　a　half
years　did　the　theatres　close　their　doors；　and　these　evenings　were
the　ones　immediately　following　that　terrible　2nd　of　September　the
day　of　the　butchery　outside　the　Abbaye　prison；　when　Paris　herself
was　aghast　with　horror；　and　the　cries　of　the　massacred　might　have
drowned　the　calls　of　the　audience　whose　hands　upraised　for
plaudits　would　still　be　dripping　with　blood。

On　all　other　evenings　of　these　same　four　and　a　half　years　the
theatres　in　the　Rue　de　Richelieu；　in　the　Palais　Royal；　the
Luxembourg；　and　others；　had　raised　their　curtains　and　taken　money
at　their　doors。　　The　same　audience　that　earlier　in　the　day　had
whiled　away　the　time　by　witnessing　the　ever…recurrent　dramas　of
the　Place　de　la　Revolution　assembled　here　in　the　evenings　and
filled　stalls；　boxes；　and　tiers；　laughing　over　the　satires　of
Voltaire　or　weeping　over　the　sentimental　tragedies　of　persecuted
Romeos　and　innocent　Juliets。

Death　knocked　at　so　many　doors　these　days！　　He　was　so　constant　a
guest　in　the　houses　of　relatives　and　friends　that　those　who　had
merely　shaken　him　by　the　hand；　those　on　whom　he　had　smiled；　and
whom　he；　still　smiling；　had　passed　indulgently　by；　looked　on　him
with　that　subtle　contempt　born　of　familiarity；　shrugged　their
shoulders　at　his　passage；　and　envisaged　his　probable　visit　on　the
morrow　with　lighthearted　indifference。

Parisdespite　the　horrors　that　had　stained　her　walls　had　remained
a　city　of　pleasure；　and　the　knife　of　the　guillotine　did　scarce
descend　more　often　than　did　the　drop…scenes　on　the　stage。

On　this　bitterly　cold　evening　of　the　27th　Nivose；　in　the　second
year　of　the　Republicor；　as　we　of　the　old　style　still　persist　in
calling　it；　the　16th　of　Jan