She'd rebuke you publicly, and betray herself and you in a flash, sooner than submit to a loss of dignity."
"But would you leave her to her fate?"
"Ah! there's the trouble, friend. Do you think you need appeal to the sense of chivalry of my league? We are still twenty strong, and heart and soul in sympathy with your mad schemes. The poor, poor Queen! But you are bound to fail, and then who will help you all, if we too are put out of the way?"
"We should succeed if you helped us. At one time you used proudly to say: 'The League of The Scarlet Pimpernel has never failed.'"
"Because it attempted nothing which it could not accomplish. But, la! since you put me on my mettle Demm it all! I'll have to think about it!"
And he laughed that funny, somewhat inane laugh of his, which had deceived the clever men of two countries as to his real personality.
Déroulède went up to the heavy oak desk which occupied a conspicuous place in the centre of one of the walls. He unlocked it and drew forth a bundle of papers.
"Will you look through these?" he asked, handing them to Sir Percy Blakeney.
"What are they?"
"Different schemes I have drawn up, in case my original plan should not succeed."
