The Scarlet Pimpernel Page #3

AND RESTORE THE MONARCHY.

SO YOU SEE, CHAUVELIN,

WHILE THIS MEDDLESOME

HE CONTINUES TO BE A MENACE.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, THE MAN

WHO BRINGS HIM TO JUSTICE

WILL EARN THE GRATITUDE

OF THE NATION.

NOT TO MENTION, A SEA ON THE COMMITTEE.

HE MUST BE STOPPED, CHAUVELIN.

I SHALL SEE TO I AT ONCE, CITIZEN.

HOW IS OUT YOUNG FRIEND,

ARMAND ST. JUST, SETTLING IN?

A BIT HEADSTRONG, PERHAPS,

BUT I SUSPECT HE'LL GO FAR.

HUH, HUH, HUH.

[CLOCK CHIMES]

"YOU CAN INFORM YOUR PEOPLE,

THAT THE DAUPHIN IS TO BE

HELD PRISONER IN THE TEMPLE.

ST. CYR."

SIR PERCY BLAKENEY,

MADEMOISELLE.

PLEASE, SHOW HIM IN, ANNETTE.

UH, FORGIVE ME...

IF I KEPT YOU WAITING.

YOUR NOTE DID SAY ELEVEN.

I HAD A DEVIL:

OF A TIME:

FINDING A SUITABLE BASKET.

A SUITABLE...BASKET?

HMM.

I THOUGHT...A PICNIC.

PERCY!

PAPERS.

PAPERS..IF YOU PLEASE.

SINK ME.

SURELY YOU RECOGNIZE THE MOS BEAUTIFUL ACTRESS IN FRANCE.

A MAN WOULD HAVE TO BE

BLIND NOT TO RECOGNIZE

MADEMOISELLE MARGUERITE ST. JUST.

YOU THERE!

MAKE WAY!

LET THIS CARRIAGE PASS!

CAREFUL NOW.

UGH!

ARE YOU ALL RIGHT, NOW?

YES, INDEED, MANY THANKS.

DAMN THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL!

NOW HE'S MADE OFF

WITH THE DUC DE LEON.

HE HAS PROVED MOST ELUSIVE,

CITIZEN.

A MAN OF MANY DISGUISES,

BUT, I NOW BELIEVE

THAT THERE IS ONLY

ONE WAY TO CATCH HIM.

HOW TO YOU PROPOSE TO FIND

BY SIMPLE DEDUCTION, PONCEAU.

MANAGES TO PASS:

HIMSELF OFF AS A FRENCH.

IT FOLLOWS, THEREFORE,

THAT HE COMES FROM THAT PRIVILEGED CLASS

BROUGHT UP BY FRENCH GOVERNESSES,

TUTORED BY FRENCH INSTRUCTORS,

AND PERHAPS EVEN EDUCATED

AT A FRENCH UNIVERSITY.

IN A WORD, THE MAN IS

UNDOUBTEDLY AN ARISTOCRAT.

AND THAT WOULD EXPLAIN

HIS SYMPATHIES, AND

NARROW THE FIELD CONSIDERABLY.

I BELIEVE THAT WE WILL SHALL FIND HIM

AT THE CENTER OF SOCIAL LIFE IN LONDON,

AND THAT IS WHERE I PROPOSE

WE TRACK HIM DOWN.

HE DOES HAVE A POINT, PONCEAU.

WHILE HE'S IN FRANCE,

THE CUNNING FOX IS ALWAYS ON HIS GUARD,

BUT IN HIS OWN BACKYARD, UM?

WE SHALL HAVE YOU APPOINTED

SPECIAL ENVOY TO THE COURT OF ST. JAMES

AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

PONCEAU WILL SEE TO THE DETAILS.

I AM DEEPLY HONORED, CITIZEN.

WOULD IT NOT BE ADVISABLE

IF I WERE TO HAVE THE ASSISTANCE

OF SOMEONE WHO IS ALREADY

SOMEONE, WHOM THEY TRUST.

I SUSPECT YOU ALREADY

HAVE SOMEONE IN MIND.

MIGHT I SUGGEST THE MAN

WHO SERVED OUR RECENTLY

DEPOSED KING AS AMBASSADOR

IN LONDON FOR SO LONG?

I LIKE YOUR SENSE OF IRONY, CHAUVELIN.

BY ALL MEANS. THE COUNT DE TOURNEY

WOULD BE AN IDEAL CHOICE.

SEND YOUNG ARMAND ST. JUSTE

TO BRING HIM IN.

YOU MUST NOT GO, HENRI.

I ASSURE YOU, MADAME, CITIZEN

ROBESPIERRE MERELY WISHES TO

CONSULT WITH YOU HUSBAND

ON A MATTER OF STATE.

ROBESPIERRE?

I'D SOONER TRUST A SNAKE.

YOU HAVE KNOWN ME

ALL MY LIFE.

I GIVE YOU MY WORD,

NO HARM WILL COME TO HIM.

WELL, THERE. YOU SEE, MAMA?

YOU HAVE ARMAND'S WORD OF HONOR.

I SHALL BE BACK:

IN TIME FOR SUPPER.

DEATH,

ROBBING MY EYES OF LIGHT,

WILL GIVE BACK TO THE SUN

ITS TARNISHED BEAUTY.

[APPLAUSE, CHEERING]

PERCY?

PERCY.

'MY BELOVED, I'VE HAD TO

RETURN TO ENGLAND URGENTLY.

'FORGIVE ME, I DID NOT HAVE

TIME TO KISS YOU FAREWELL.

'YOUR OWN, PERCY.'

SPY?

ON MY FORMER ASSOCIATES, FRIENDS?

YOU STILL REFUSE?

MOST EMPHATICALLY.

YOU MUST BE MAD.

TAKE HIM TO THE TEMPLE.

PERHAPS SOME TIME IN PRISON

WILL BRING HIM TO HIS SENSES.

ANDREW, DO YOU WAN TO DOUBLE YOUR WAGER?

ANDREW!

RIGHT!

A HUNDRED GUINEAS!

YOU'LL NEVER BEAT HIM!

WELL, HANG ON TO ME TAIL!

SEE IF YOU CAN CATCH HIM!

JUST YOU WAIT!

MY GOODNESS, THOUGH,

YOU CAN DO IT.

YOU'VE BEEN A GOOD

JUDGE OF HORSE FLESH.

YOU'RE DAMNED RIGHT.

THAT'S A HUNDRED GUINEAS,

YOU OWE ME, OLD CHAP.

HEY, PERCY.

ALIVE, WHO WOULDN'T BE PROUD

TO JOIN THE LEAGUE

OF THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL.

THAT MAY BE, MY FRIEND,

BUT THE GREATER THE NUMBER,

THE GREATER THE RISK

OF BETRAYAL.

NO, NO, MY FRIENDS, IF WE

ARE TO SUCCEED:

WE MUST MAINTAIN

OUR ANONYMITY.

MASK OUR IDENTITIES.

EVEN IF IT MEANS SUFFERING

THE MOCKERY OF OTHERS,

BEING TAKEN FOR FOOLS,

FOPS,

NITWITS,

EVEN COWARDS.

UMM. THAT'S THE EASY PART.

THE HARD PART IS NOT BEING ABLE

TO BOAST ABOUT OUR EXPLOITS

TO THE LADIES.

[LAUGHTER]

TIMMY.

WHAT IS IT, MY DEAR FELLOW?

WELL, COME ON,

OUT WITH IT.

LOUIS THE SIXTEENTH

HAS BEEN EXECUTED.

THE QUEEN?

DOOMED TO FOLLOW

HIM TO THE GUILLOTINE.

WHAT NEWS OF THE

YOUNG DAUPHIN?

THE HEIR TO THE THRONE HAS

BEEN IMPRISONED IN THE TEMPLE.

AND THERE'S MORE.

YOUR FRIEND THE COUNT DE TOURNEY HAS ALSO

BEEN ARRESTED AND TAKEN TO THE TEMPLE.

HIS FAMILY?

THEY'RE STILL SAFE

BY THE LAST REPORT.

THEN THERE'S NO

TIME TO LOSE.

ANDREW, I WANT YOU TO SET UP

A NETWORK OF COURIERS.

WE LEAVE FOR PARIS AT ONCE.

DELIVER THIS TO THE CAPTAIN

OF THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD

IN THE PLACE DE LA GREVE.

YES, SIR.

CAN'T YOU SEE

THAT I'M BUSY?

YOU HAVE ARRESTED

THE COUNT DE TOURNEY.

I HAVE.

ON THE ORDERS OF

CITIZEN ROBESPIERRE.

I GAVE MY WORD OF HONOR.

MAY I REMIND YOU, THAT YOUR

FIRST DUTY IS TO THE REPUBLIC

AND NOT TO THE COUNT DE TOURNEY

IN THIS HOUR.

YOU MAY GO.

[DOOR CLOSES]

MY DEAR ARMAND.

SUCH SENTIMENTS, ESPECIALLY

ON BEHALF OF AN ARISTOCRAT,

COULD BE EASILY MISINTERPRETED.

YOU USED ME.

YES, AND AS LONG AS YOU ARE

HERE TO SERVE THE COMMITTEE

I SHALL CONTINUE TO USE YOU.

NOW, BOY, DELIVER THIS, TO THE CAPTAIN

OF THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD

IN CHARGE OF EXECUTIONS

IN THE PLACE DE LA GREVE.

[DOOR CLOSES]

[DRUMS ROLL]

[DRUMS CONTINUE TO ROLL]

[GUILLOTINE FALLS]

[CROWD CHEERS]

[DEATH TO THE ARISTOS]

[LONG LIVE THE REPUBLIC]

SIR!

CAPTAIN.

'MUST HAVE MORE EXECUTIONS,

AND PROCEED WITH GREATER DISPATCH!'

YOU CAN TELL CITIZEN CHAUVELIN,

IF HE THINKS HE CAN DO BETTER,

HE'S QUITE WELCOME TO COME

AND TRY FOR HIMSELF.

MIGHT DO HIM GOOD.

TO GET SOME BLOOD

ON THOSE LILY WHITE

HANDS OF HIS.

AH!

IN THE NAME OF GOD,

MONSIEUR, SAVE ME.

I SWEAR I'VE DONE

NOTHING, NOTHING!

SAVE YOUR BREATH, MADEMOISELLE,

HE'S ONE OF THEM WHO SENT YOU HERE.

[SPIT!]

MAY GOD HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOUL, MONSIEUR.

YOU'RE SURELY DAMNED FOR WHAT YOU DO!

[SCREAM]

AHHH, AH!

WHAT IS IT?

[SIGH, GASP]

A DREAM.

A HIDEOUS DREAM.

[GASP]

SOMEONE YOU WORK WITH?

NO, IT'S MARGUERITE.

IT WAS SHE THEY HAD

TO THE GUILLOTINE.

IT WAS HER WHEN I

HEARD IT FELL.

OH, GOD. OH MY GOD.

OH MY GOD.

'YOU CAN INFORM YOUR PEOPLE THA 'THE DAUPHIN IS TO BE HELD

'PRISONER IN THE TEMPLE.

'ST. CYR.'

[APPLAUSE FOR MARGUERITE]

MY DARLING!

MARGUERITE, MY DEAREST.

PAUL!

WHAT IS IT, MY DEAR.

YOU LOOK AS IF YOU'D

SEEN A GHOST?

IT'S JUST YOU TOOK

ME BY SURPRISE.

WHAT IS THAT YOU'RE

HIDING BEHIND YOUR BACK?

I MIGHT ASK YOU THE SAME.

YOU HAVE NOT RIGHT TO PRY

INTO MY PERSONAL AFFAIRS.

EVEN WHEN THOSE PERSONAL

AFFAIRS SMACK OF TREASON?

TREASON?

SURELY, YOU DON'T THINK

I HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH...?

PAUL...

I SWEAR I HAPPENED UPON

THIS NOTE ONLY BY CHANCE.

WHY DIDN'T YOU COME

TO ME WITH IT?

I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT TO DO.

I THINK I WANTED TO BE SURE

THAT IT WAS IMPORTANT ENOUGH

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