Tonight, we’ll read the opening to "The Scarlet Pimpernel", a historical fiction novel by Baroness Orczy, published in 1905. The novel is set during the Reign of Terror following the start of the French Revolution. The title is the nom de guerre of its hero, a chivalrous Englishman who rescues aristocrats before they are sent to the guillotine. Sir Percy Blakeney leads a double life: apparently nothing more than a wealthy fop, but in reality a formidable swordsman and a quick-thinking escape artist.