dignified solemnity, "meseems that we very quickly understood one
another this evening. Your own conscience, no doubt, gave you a
premonition of what the purport of my summons to you would be.
You say that you always hoped the Revolutionary Government would
give you one great chance to redeem your failure of last year. I, for
one, always intended that you should have that chance, for I saw,
perhaps, just a little deeper into your heart than my colleagues. I saw
not only enthusiasm for the cause of the People of France, not only
abhorrence for the enemy of your country, I saw a purely personal
and deadly hate of an individual man --the unknown and mysterious
Englishman who proved too clever for you last year. And because I
believe that hatred will prove sharper and more far-seeing than
selfless patriotism, therefore I urged the Committee of Public Safety
to allow you to work out your own revenge, and thereby to serve
your country more effectually than any other--perhaps more pure-
minded patriot would do. You go to England well-provided with all
that is necessary for the success of your plans, for the
accomplishment of your own personal vengeance. The Revolutionary
Government will help you with money, passports, safe conducts; it
places its spies and agents at your disposal. It gives you practically
unlimited power, wherever you may go. It will not enquire into your
motives, nor yet your means, so long as these lead to success. But
private vengeance or patriotism, whatever may actuate you, we here
in France demand you deliver into our hands the man who is known
in two countries as the Scarlet Pimpernel! We want him alive if
possible, or dead if it must be so, and we want as many of his
henchmen as will follow him to the guillotine. Get them to France,
and we'll know how to deal with them, and let the whole of Europe
be damned."