Sir Percy Leads the Band

Infobox Book |
name = Sir Percy Leads the Band
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = 1936 first edition
author = Baroness Orczy
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series = The Scarlet Pimpernel
genre = Adventure, Historical novel
publisher = Hodder & Stoughton
release_date = 1936
english_release_date =
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 316 pp
isbn = NA
preceded_by = The Scarlet Pimpernel
followed_by = I Will Repay

First published in 1936, "Sir Percy Leads the Band" is (chronologically) the second of the Scarlet Pimpernel series by Baroness Orczy.

The novel is set in January and February 1793 and follows on from the original Scarlet Pimpernel book. There are similar elements of betrayal in the storyline of Eldorado but this story describes not so much a love triangle as a love pentacle, with poor Doctor Pradel getting it in the neck from everyone.

Plot summary

The book starts with a description of the events of January 1793, with the arrest, trial and execution of Louis XVI, King of France (now just known as Louis Capet).

The Baron de Batz (a real life figure who also features in the Pimpernel novels Eldorado and The Way of the Scarlet Pimpernel) has hatched another impossible plan to rescue the King on his way to the guillotine. De Batz is trying to persuade a Professor (who is actually the Scarlet Pimpernel in disguise) to take him to the Abbé Edgeworth, an Irish priest who remains loyal to the King. He plans to substitute the Priest for the one chosen by the convention to accompany the King to the guillotine and thus spare His Majesty the distress of being with an apostate priest when he will need all of his courage.

Disguised as the Professor, Sir Percy refuses to take part in the scheme as he knows that the 500 royalists that De Batz claims to have ready to rush the carriage on the way to the Place de la Revolution and drag the King out, will never get past the 80,000 armed men that will be guarding the route. Monsieur le Professor tells the Baron that he will not drag the Abbé Edgeworth into a scheme which will only lead to his death.

It soons become apparent that although the Baron's scheme is doomed to failure he has managed to involve the Abbé Edgeworth anyway. In the chaos after the inevitable royal exectution, the League of the Scarlet Pimpernel manage to rescue the priest before he can be arrested and condemned to death. Sir Percy, once more disguised as the Professor takes the priest to the Levet's house.

M. Levet's daughter Blanche, is popular with the local young men, but she only has eyes for Doctor Simon Pradel, who has been tending to her ill mother. Blanche in turn is being pursued by Louis Maurin, a young lawyer who is pro the revolution. He is incensed with jealousy over Blanche and is determined to gain her affections by impressing her with his connections.

Maurin plots to get the Levet family arrested on a false charge and then take the credit for getting them freed. With this end in mind he reports to the local commission that a stranger, who may be the missing Priest, is staying at the Levet's house and tries to get the professor to back up his story.

The Levets are indeed arrested although a thorough search of their house turns up nothing expect the body of Madam Levet who has died following the news of the King's execution. The priest meanwhile has been taken to relative safety in the château de la Rodière where the young Marquis, his mother and sister Cécile are still living with their two loyal servants, even though it has long since been looted by the mob.

The Abbé Edgeworth falls ill and Doctor Pradel is called to the château. Although he should report the priest to the police, the doctor is in love with Cécile and so promises to keep the secret. After a difficult night looking after the priest he meets Cécile in the gardens as he is leaving but her brother, the Marquis, sees them talking and infuriated by the doctor's obvious affection towards his sister, beats him about the head with a riding crop.

One of the league, Lord St John de Devinne is nearby but does nothing to help the doctor, for he is also in love with Cécile de la Rodière and wants nothing more than to be rid of the Doctor. The news of the attack on the Pradel, who is popular in town, soon gets around and with both Lord St John de Devinne and Louis Maurin out to get him, the plotting starts in earnest.

The League of the Scarlet Pimpernel disguise themselves as a group of shabby second-rate musicians, so they can keep track of what is going on. However, Devinne is eaten up by jealously and can no longer be trusted to do what Percy asks of him.

To make matters worse Citizen Chauvelin is soon hot on their heels having realised that the plight of the Marquis de la Rodière and his family, is just the sort of situation to attract the attention of the Scarlet Pimpernel.

Can the Pimpernel save the innocent Rodière family?
What will happen to Doctor Pradel
Will the treachery of Lord St John de Devinne be the final undoing of the Pimpernel?
Will Chauvelin have his revenge at last?