In public, a handsome, charming, but somewhat vapid young man of great wealth, in private Sir Percy Blakeney is the Scarlet Pimpernel, England’s most beloved hero, whose daring rescues of French aristocrats from the guillotine have the public in awe. Though married to the supremely desirable and brilliant Marguerite St Just, Sir Percy distances himself from her when he learns of her part in the arrest and execution of a marquis. Though he and his wife are the novel’s chief protagonists, Percy’s true identity isn’t revealed until Marguerite stumbles upon it more than halfway through the story. He realizes that his wife despises the Reign of Terror and will do whatever she can to protect him during his work, and they reconcile.

The Scarlet Pimpernel is the first of many fictional heroes to follow—Zorro and Batman, among others—who hide their derring-do behind masks and fatuous lifestyles. The Pimpernel’s many disguises serve as his masks. His size, strength, skills, good looks, humor, and great wealth make him an ideal romantic lead, while his adventures highlight the extreme social, political, and romantic challenges faced by someone who must live a double life to serve others.