text:
Town Square
Projected increase of 500-600 students for Palo Alto high schools
Original post made by Gunn senior, Gunn High School, on Apr 26, 2007
Proposed Plans:
1) Add more portables to both Gunn and Paly, and have more teachers share classrooms
2) Re-open Cubberley High School and rezone school boundaries
The effects of Palo Alto's growing population are beginning to have their ripple effect upon city services. The community has already felt a strain on library services to accommodate the population increase, and now we may see the same effect in our city's schools.
School administrators at Gunn already claim the campus is overcrowded. A massive increase of several hundred students will exacerbate current problems. Over my four years at Gunn, the school orchestra has expanded from 36 students to nearly 70 for this year. Next year Gunn will set a record and new milestone for having two periods of orchestra. In addition, AP classes are beginning to grow in size as well. For example, AP Biology enrollment climbed to surpass the 100 student enrollment mark this year. For next year, AP Biology is expected to climb to 130 students; another milestone for Gunn history.
Classes are already overcrowded since four years ago. The first day of my freshman year, Japanese 2 was so overcrowded that there weren't enough desks for all students for a few days. Today I'm in Japanese 5AP, which is now integrated with Japanese 4H during the same period because the language department cannot afford another Japanese instructor. Principal Noreen Likins is already anticipating the population growth. Instead of having two assembly blocks, the school may now have to have three to accommodate more students.
For the reader:
The issue at hand is about the expected increase in student population and will it diminish the quality of our schools?
Should the city promote housing at the cost of sacrificing city services?
How do we address the growth in our schools? (Plans 1, 2, or another alternative?)
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 26, 2007 at 7:47 pm
I suspect the work of the High School Task Force. This seems to be one study group doing some work!
a resident of Professorville
on Apr 26, 2007 at 10:56 pm
More poeple mean more diversity, more shoppers, etc. etc. Perhaps looking at population growth from the point of view of how it can be leveraged for OPPORTUNITY, instead of an imagined burden, is called for. Good grief! WHERE is all the creative imagination that our city loves to pat itself on the back about? All we hear about around here is FEAR. Go read Roosevelt for some ideas about how to rid oneself of fear, and doubt.
Let's get busy and CAPITALIZE on growth, instead of crying in our beer like so many helpless victims.
a resident of Stanford
on Apr 27, 2007 at 6:36 am
No, it isn't fear. It is a real discovery process of realizing that our funding structure is set up in a way that doesn't support the growth of "services" in response to the growth of "people", and that therefore growth means more people to serve with some percentage less of money/person than the "generation" before.
The bottom line is...the bottom line. It always goes back to that.
And to the eternal struggle between those who want to keep the city "smaller" and less big-city like, and those who want to make the city more "city-like" with more people per square foot.
Impugning emotion or motivation is not helpful. Sticking to the ideas, philosophies and facts gets the discussion further.
a resident of Professorville
on Apr 27, 2007 at 10:12 am
Resident, your assumption clearly projects "not enough money" and does not at all assume that our city's revenue can increase, or that efficiencies can be created sufficient to absorb additional population.
There was no impugning in my post, just the FACT that virtually everyone I've heard wonder about our future FAILS oto consider growth as an opportunity and instead brings forward all the black swans.
Palo Alto _will_ grow. Name one city in a region like this _anywhere_ that hasn't grown over time. It's time to "get real" and work toward solutions that will handle growth, instead of wondering about when the sky is going to fall.
a resident of Gunn High School
on Apr 27, 2007 at 10:45 am
I went to a 2000-person high school. It was much too big. The social environment really suffered because of it. It was also lousy academically, but I would chalk that up to a litany of factors, not just size.
I hate to lose our local community center, but we should reopen Cubberly.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 27, 2007 at 11:17 am
Alan: I wasn't projecting "not enough money". I was projecting, to paraphrase the idea "not enough money if we don't change our funding structure".
We have driven out our major tax base which pays for city infrastructure, and are increasing the number of students exponentially more than the amount of school revenue that comes from the way our School District is funded.
In fact, I was agreeing with your implication that we need to figure out how to make sure our "bottom line" grows in whatever way it needs to absorb more people, and still keep what we want to keep.
Again, this is reality, not sky is falling. "Sky is falling" comes from drawing broad conclusions with insufficient data. What I am talking about is simply fact. It doesn't connote or promote any kind of conclusion, other than what I just stated.
Your method of garnering support for your opinion leaves something to be desired.
a resident of College Terrace
on Apr 27, 2007 at 11:45 am
Resident, well, we're in agreement. :) May I say that your point is now made in a way that's far more clear. So, in the way of irony, perhaps my "method" was successful in teasing out your meaning in a way that is understandable.
btw, emotion is a final pathway to decisions of all kinds, without exception. It would be better - even though we're in agreement on this issue - for you to accept that differences in presentation, even those that appear more linguistically "emotional" than yours, present through similar final pathways in the brain, and that, in fact, the language you use to claim "more reason" is just as emotionally charged as anything that I have out out there, by definition.
In teh way ofo whimsically supporting my point, let Oscar Wilde make a point
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination."
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on Apr 27, 2007 at 12:00 pm
There are costs to going from two average-sized high schools to three smaller schools. To start with, switching from two schools with 2,000 students each to three schools with 1,300-or-so students each will mean the end of many of the elective classes and programs in Palo Alto High Schools. Many programs struggle as it is to get enough students to fill a class.
Does 2,000 seem too big? I went to a suburban California high school with 4,000 students. I have mostly very positive memories but I also see the value of the smaller community where I now teach.
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on Apr 27, 2007 at 12:18 pm
Size of high school is all very relative. To those who went to high schools of 4,000 our schools seem small. To me who went to a small private high school of 300sh, it scares me the size we already have. However, there are good and bad points of making the schools smaller.
Yes, we will have to be careful about electives and maybe the electives can be a way of garnering those from one high school to another. In other words, if one high school was high performing in say the arts and the other in say sports,and all were very well evened out in general academics, then we might be able to get those of similar interests into the same campus and we wouldn't have to duplicate some of the lesser attended electives.
The other way of looking at things is that as technology advances, some of the electives could be taught in a different way to what is presently the norm. In other words, a class at two or three high schools could be taught with a web cam in three classes while the teacher is in a separate room say at Churchill. Looking at this realistically, we could have a room in one school with students studying two or three electives, each having an ipod and webcam to tune into whichever class taught by a teacher who may even be working from home. This may not be obvious to us now, but who knows how long it will be before this type of teaching becomes the norm as technology widens our narrow scope or vision.
The future gives us warnings about school size, but some of these warnings may ultimately prove beneficial.
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 27, 2007 at 9:22 pm
I definitely agree with "Parent" that the creative use of technology could help diversify course offerings in ways that we wouldn't have anticipated in the past. However, as a secondary teacher, I would suggest that there's no substitute for being in the room. Classroom management depends on being able to see and hear too much, the ability to focus anywhere at any moment, to have those eyes in the back of your head with a room full of adolescents. But technology might allow some creative teaming or collaboration.
There are MUCH more radical reforms under discussion in the world of education - maybe some of them will come up in the near future here. Are we ready to entertain any really innovative ideas in PA? Are we willing to change any mindsets, explore new paradigms? Or will we settle for minor tweaks of the status quo because it served most Palo Altans well enough in the past and we fear change?
Here's a minor example - not even so radical. A number of high profile private prep schools around the country have abandoned AP classes, citing concerns about "breadth vs. depth" and teaching to the test. They undertook a slow, deliberate process in which they built consensus, did a lot of "homework" regarding the effects of that move, and created their own honors/college level courses. Those changes were well-received by admissions offices, and college acceptances have been unaffected. I have a feeling that if PA parents caught even a whiff of a possibility of such a change, we'd see a highly vocal group of people with some serious entitlement issues bringing huge pressure to bear on the BOE. We're smart and active to a fault, it seems. I hope someday to be proved overly pessimistic. Maybe I'll even drop the "skeptic" part of my moniker and just be "Al."
a resident of College Terrace
on Apr 27, 2007 at 10:16 pm
So Al, I'm not clear. Are you in support of dropping AP classes for bespoke honors/college level courses such as those you describe? Your description of the process and the resulting programs seems admiring but then you suggest that they'd be supported by parents here with 'entitlement issues,' which in turn suggests you think their advocacy for such programs would be without merit.
If these non-AP programs are a way around teaching to the test, they sound to me like something worth the district really should look in to. Is that your feeling?
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 27, 2007 at 11:35 pm
I'm not sure which way I'd go on that particular issue, which might be why I came off a bit ambiguously above. But I admire schools that are willing to buck conventional wisdom, especially when it involves programs that serve the more accomplished and ambitious students and families, and with college implications. When you try something new for the least empowered and privileged, you're more likely to be thanked. When you tinker with anything that serves the high-achievers, people get nervous. (I've posted in other threads about how much I deplore the obsession with big name colleges. Nothing wrong with ambition, but lots of folks take it way too far around here with a narrow, short-term view). So when it comes to most school reforms or redesigns, I expect that no matter which way you try to go in Palo Alto, there's a resourceful and vocal minority that will resist change. Whatever they come up with in terms of major changes in the future, someone is going to feel slighted or short-changed, and while a large number of people might go with the flow or even embrace change, so many people in PA know how to gather the voices, statistics, studies, money, and votes to hamstring the process. We have fits over boundary changes, and vile acrimony over MI... I'm not suggesting that people should refrain from voicing opinions and participating in a democratic debate, but some people can't accept the idea of any change that interferes with their vision of what they're entitled to as Palo Alto tax payers who moved here for the schools.
Someone above suggested reopening Cubberly HS. Imagine the hysteria when unveil a proposal for that. If it's a regular HS, we'll fight bitterly over boundaries and equity issues, and if it's a choice program we'll see a fight over what type and who gets in, and if they just add portables at Paly and Gunn, we'll here the cries over the blight on campus and the crowded conditions and the failure to open another school.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 28, 2007 at 9:27 am
Skeptical Al:
I don't think people "fear change". I think there is a valid point in "don't throw out the baby with the bathwater", which we seem to do in California a lot. Or, even "don't fix what isn't broken".
Defining what is broken is the problem, and adjusting what is needed to fix it, without abandoning that which is great...there is the rub.
Alan/Mike ( you answered my post to Alan, but signed Mike)- I love Oscar Wilde's wit. Quote him all the time. But, do you realize the price he paid for his philosophy on how to NOT live within his means? Perhaps not the best role model for how to institute change.
a resident of Ventura
on Apr 28, 2007 at 9:55 am
Maybe "fear" is a strong word... perhaps "resist" change. I agree with everything you said, but I worry that maybe we only want change when something is "broken" and not for the sake of improvement. When something was good for one generation, they might cling to it even when it's past its prime. The status quo in education has served our local community fairly well - we have a huge percentage of wealthy people who have worked their way through the educational system and then made the transition to work and financial success. I'm one of them, and yes, when I picture my children's future, there's a lot of appeal in being able to project forward and imagine them doing what I did, and what my parents did. But if a convincing case can be made for doing something even better, then it triggers in many people a cautious or skeptical reaction. Some people are open-minded and willing to revise their visions when presented with new ideas. Some people are closed-minded and will resist any change. Some people are open-minded but still reject the new idea - that's fine. And some ideas should be rejected. But I fear that a small, loud, resourceful minority around here can effectively suppress change, wear down or intimidate people they view as personal "opponents," and effectively stall changes that might effectively serve some broader interests.
a resident of Palo Alto High School
on Apr 28, 2007 at 11:06 am
Simon and SkepticAl
This thread is now very similar to the thread about high school seniors being able to do Chinese and British university entrance problems in math. There is a lot of talk there about our education being superior to others because we teach the whole child and we are more creative and we give second chances, etc. etc. Yes there are more than one way to pluck a chicken, but the end result is the same. Are we educating our children to compete globally against other countries' college graduates. Who will get the best jobs is one question. But the more serious question is who will lead the world in innovative technological breakthroughs? We start by looking at our high schools and ask deep questions. There is a deep question on the other thread and no one is answering it.
a resident of Duveneck/St. Francis
on Apr 28, 2007 at 11:27 am
My long-retired uncle taught at a famous private academy back East and I understand they got tired of the offical AP courses and dropped them. They put in challenging courses in place of the APs. I don't think it's hurt any of the students in their quest for top universities. One other thing - I believe they have very small classes and the teachers know exactly what each student is contributing to the class, so they may rely less on standardized testing/AP testing for results.
a resident of Community Center
on Apr 28, 2007 at 11:44 am
To Paly Parent's point, I do hope that one of the key questions that is asked and we get started answering with the new PAUSD strategic plan and in choosing MFC's successor is:
"What must we teach our students in order for them to participate effectively in the 21st Century?"
This is a question I posed to some candidates last BoE election, and one that I believe we must constantly be asking ourselves.
The opinions on this are many and varied, and I don't want to get into a Coke/Pepsi challenge around the question. There will be some strategic choices made for the District's future in the coming months, and a fair test of how well the alterntive strategies that are considered address this basic question should help inform the strategy that is ultimately chosen.
a resident of South of Midtown
on Apr 28, 2007 at 3:48 pm
Paul, Well spoken, but is it possible to go after the challenge you raise with Superintendents that evolve in primarily political environments, with little or no attention paid by most of them to the future of anything?
District Superintendents have evolved from a 1950's management model, and - with rare exceptions - are visionary in their approach to education futures. The goal for most Sups is to build a solid 5-year resume, and then move on to the next assignment. The structural underpinnings of the position mitigate against deploying vision. Most Superintendents play it very safe; thus, one of the problems with American education.
a resident of Community Center
on Apr 28, 2007 at 4:02 pm
You describe the "careerist" phenomenon endemic in many positions of responsibility, in both the private and public sector. Look at our elected officials, some of whom are thinking as much about what they will run for next as they are about the duties they have. They are easy to point out, since they public officials, but it exists elsewhere, as anyone who has worked in a company of any size can attest.
The only check that I think we may have on it in this particular case are our School Board Members. While some of them may aspire to things beyond their tenure at Churchill Avenue, I think having a local impact and perhaps leaving a legacy locally should be foremost on their minds as they consider whom they select.
I know nothing about the candidates to succeed MFC, but someone who views PAUSD as a capstone to a career may be a factor to consider in the selection. There never is an assurance that when someone is hired they will work out as expected or be able to resist the lure of something else that appears more attractive, but careful vetting of the candidates may reveal their career intentions and aspirations if they are offered the position here.
a resident of Fairmeadow
on Apr 29, 2007 at 2:42 am
I take issue with their assessment that there will be a 500 - 600 increase in students for the PAUSD. Many of the new projects being built are apartments and the District is well aware that histoically apartments do not generate many children. This first became obvious when the Greenhouse apartments were built and the first year generated zero elementary students and only 4 high school students. Since then the 800 High Street apartments generated one infant. The Campus for Jewish Life is entirely senior housing.
a resident of Gunn High School
on Apr 29, 2007 at 9:46 am
The only solution that really makes sense is to reopen Cubberly. It is currently a wasted space leased to a number of organizations and non-profits. Just take it back and do some improvements. What makes PAUSD uniquely excellent is not Gunn or Paly but the quality of students that feed them. Cubberly will also be known for its excellence in no time. As for boundaries, it's also a no-brainer.
Paly - North of Embarcadero.
Gunn - West of El Camino.
Cubberly - The rest of Palo Alto.
Now, if this results in a bit of imbalance, just move the lines a bit south to extend Paly's range or east to Gunn's.
a resident of Another Palo Alto neighborhood
on Apr 29, 2007 at 1:37 pm
To answer your question in part, the reason senior housing produces children is that seniors (who it is theorised) presently live in Palo Alto is a family sized home, move into the senior housing leaving their home on the market free for new families to move into.
Likewise, many condos are bought by parents divorcing and often they leave a family sized home for a new family. Yes, ask the realtors who buy condos, it is often PA families newly divorced forced to sell their home as terms of the divorce, but don't want to leave because it means taking their children out of PA schools.
a resident of Crescent Park
on Apr 29, 2007 at 2:24 pm
Please correct me if I am wrong, but hasn't the school district been notoriously wrong with its enrollment projections over the years? It's my impression...
Also, can we expect objective enrollment projections from a school district that is about to ask the voters for a quarter billion dollars in bonds ? ...
a resident of Embarcadero Oaks/Leland
on Apr 29, 2007 at 9:42 pm
To Quality First:
When there were three high schools, the 'traditional boundary of Paly was north of the Oregon Expressway. Paly itself is south of Embarcadero and is on Embarcadero at El Camino.
a resident of Gunn High School
on Apr 29, 2007 at 10:47 pm
kate, you are correct in pointing out that Paly is located just south of Embarcadero. However, given the increased housing north of Embarcadero, the "traditional" boundary of Oregon Expressway might be too far south. In all fairness, I can see the triangular swath defined by Embarcadero, Churchill, and El Camino to also be Paly neighborhood.
a resident of Gunn High School
on Apr 30, 2007 at 10:43 am
I am very happy to see that the issue of providing a quality education to all our students is taken to heart. I realize the importance of considering the projected population increases, however I also see the importance of considering the needs of the students we currently serve. I work in the trenches so to speak, and I can see that our programs at the high school level, however great, are still allowing students to fall through the cracks. I work with an eclectic group of students, and they often they tell me that they dislike their campus because they don't fit in, or they feel like just another number. Because their talents may not necessarily lie in academics they feel like outcasts in such a highly competitive atmosphere. For them, adult mentoring and sometimes a modified curriculum is especially critical in realizing their goals of graduating and transitioning to adult life. This is why I like the idea of reopening Cubberly as a small school where the main focus is on each student as an individual. Parents and students would have a choice between which campus is more applicable to their needs. While alternative schools can have a negative conotation, I think there are successful models that we can explore. I think it would serve our community to expand our notions of what it means to be successful, therefore teaching our kids that it's OK to be different while still setting high expectations they are motivated to achieve.
a resident of Community Center
on Apr 30, 2007 at 11:38 am
ALTime's comments, along with AJ's about MI possibly at Cubberly on another nearby, new MI thread are terrific examples of some out of the box thinking around the question our community faces about what we need to do to educate our kids to be effective contributors in the coming decades.
Both point to the need for helping some students achieve their potential in ways that are not part of the formula that fits for the preponderance of students who attend PAUSD schools. The policy question that comes up here, which can cover a number of different specialized instructional programs, is if the District is in a position to provide such programs under one roof that might otherwise be impossible to support, are more effective in a "non-traditional" environment, or may take resources away from other standard programs that cover most students. Among the risks of such an approach are if students in such programs are cut off, conciously or not, from other resources and programs that a larger main stream school is able to provide.
Added enrollment counts pose a multitude of challenges, not the least of which is around facilities such as a 13th elementary school, use of Cubberly, inter alia. Perhaps the first question that should get asked is "With XXX students projected in the year 2015, what can the school configuration look like in PAUSD?" We may surprise ourselves with a District conceptual framework that leverages the many good things the District has going for it, and provides means to offer some additional features that we find ourselves challenged to provide in light of the current configuration and conflcting demands on resources.
I am not advocating any specific program, taking a position on Garland or Cubberly here, nor am I using this as a way to support MI or an alternative learning high school. I am suggesting that if we start from projected enrollment, and ask ourselves what such a student census could enable us to design as a school district, we may come up with some ideas that could result in a very dramtic difference for PAUSD, and one for the better.
a resident of Greenmeadow
on May 25, 2007 at 4:23 pm
While I understand that the school district needs to plan for growth, as a PA resident/parent, I feel a third high school will compromise heavily the top notch education we've come to expect at Gunn or Paly. I can't imagine that a new high school will be up and running at the same levels as the exisiting one's till at least 5+ years of its inception. For some of us, who's children will be going to High school then, it will be a time of uncertainities, questions and changes till the third school reaches the same quality as the other two.
We paid a significant price to move to Palo Alto because of Gunn and if my children can't attend that, we would be devastated, not to mention the costs we may incur in lost real estate value should our home fall outside of the gunn/paly schools.
I would rather that Gunn and Paly be extended - new buildings and teachers - or perhaps even increase the class size somewhat. But to create a brand new school and have many of us be part of that school is an extremely unfair proposition. I realize that opening a third school is one of the many proposals, however, I encourage you to seek other alternatives, as many of the families and friends in my neighborhood feel after reading the article last week.
A very concerned parent.
a resident of The Greenhouse
on May 26, 2007 at 3:15 pm
Grandma sent a misleading message when she said that the Campus for Jewish Life is entirely senior housing. There are TWO projects with around 350 residences.. Grandma only mentioned the one that is for seniors. Something like half of them are not for seniors.


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Sen. Bob Corker (R-TN) has released a letter, urging his colleagues to oppose the Internet Radio Fairness Act. The Hill reports that Corker wrote, "while the stated purpose of the IRFA is to achieve parity, this bill would interfere with property rights and in effect force America property owners and creators to provide a subsidy to digital radio service, primarily Pandora."
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Corker wrote that while "we all want Pandora, and Internet radio, to succeed and grow," "it can do so without legislation and without harming the artists it relies on." He concludes, "I agree that we should be working toward parity in the way royalties are determined. However, parity should be based on free market principles and achieved in a comprehensive way that levels the playing field for all copyright holders and across all mediums for music. Please join me in opposing S. 3609."
Last week, a House Subcommittee held a hearing, slated to discuss issues surrounding the Internet Radio Fairness Act. However, the hearing veered towards terrestrial radio and the oft-discussed Performance Royalty instead, with some members of Congress reportedly "unwilling" to discuss the details of the Fairness Act without tackling terrestrial radio's lack of a performance royalty.
Nicki Farag, SVP of Promotion, Def Jam Recordings
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subset: commoncrawl


text:
Chapter 1 Summary
The Scarlet Pimpernel was written by Baroness Emmuska Orczy and first published in 1905. This novel is the first in a series of tales that follows the fictional main character infamously known as the Scarlet Pimpernel. The story is set at the time of the French Revolution, which occurred in the latter part of the eighteenth century. This revolt involved the overthrow of the French monarchy. A notorious Englishman sympathetic to the crisis in the aristocratic ranks helped sneak French royals out of the country to safety across the English Channel. This Englishman was known by the name of the Scarlet Pimpernel because upon making a clean escape from the French patrols, he would leave a note describing the caper, and it would be signed with a red, star-shaped flower the English called a scarlet pimpernel.
As the story opens, French soldiers have had their numbers increased at the gates of the Paris because the number of French aristocrats who have made successful escapes has dramatically increased in the past several weeks. The number has grown so dramatically that a new decree has been made stating that the guards who fail to stop the aristocrats will, themselves, be forced to place their necks under the guillotine.
The guillotine is one of the French public's greatest entertainments during these times. Crowds gather to watch the aristocratic leaders, who had once ruled their world, be led to the guillotine platform and subsequently have their heads cut off. However, in recent days, the popularity of watching the guards at the city gates find lords and ladies hiding in common horse-drawn carts has become even more appealing than the guillotine deaths. One guard, Sergeant Bibot, is known for his ability to catch aristocrats no matter what their disguise, so his station draws the biggest crowds. Bibot is already accredited with sending more than fifty aristocrats to the guillotine. His most ambitious goal, though, is to...
(The entire section is 660 words.)
Chapter 2 Summary
To provide some local English color, the story switches to a small inn called the Fisherman's Rest in Dover, England. The owner is a Mr. Jellyband, a jovial man in his sixties. The inn has been in the family for several generations and will next be inherited by Mr. Jellyband's only heir, his daughter, Sally, who now works as cook and waitress.
Sally is in the kitchen, preparing for special dinner guests who are expected. The inn is very popular with local fishermen. It is close to the docks, so it is also frequented by the Scarlet Pimpernel's men as well as the French aristocrats who have just fled from their county on the other side of the channel.
As they await the guests, Mr. Jellyband enters into a discussion with one of his patrons, Mr. Hempseed. First the two men discuss the weather, which they say is uncommonly wet for a September. However, their talk quickly turns to politics. They discuss the recent occurrences of the escaped French aristocrats who are aided by Englishmen. Mr. Hempseed believes the British should stay out of French politics. If the French people want to kill their aristocrats, Mr. Hempseed says, the English should not stop them. At this time, the popular British sentiment is often against the French, whom the British find too highly emotional and crude.
Although Jellyband does not contest this, he raises another concern—that of Hempseed's hypocrisy. Hempseed, Jellybrand points out, has quoted the Bible in one moment and promoted murder in the next. Jellyband suggests that maybe Hempseed has been persuaded by the French revolutionists and now promotes the French people's cause against the monarchy. When Hempseed attempts to deny this charge, Jellyband interrupts him and states that all he knows is that his own loyalty to England is steadfast and that he would never do anything to promote the French cause. He then adds that he also would recognize any French intruders who came to England and would not have anything to do with them.
At this statement, a stranger on the other side of the room calls out to Jellyband. The man declares Jellyband to be an honest friend and praises him for his sharp awareness. The stranger (who is not identified in this chapter but is described as having a sly smile on his face as he speaks) then invites Jellyband to join him in a glass of wine. Jellyband graciously accepts the offer and goes over to sit and drink at the stranger's table. The stranger raises his cup and makes a toast to loyal Englishmen, "as we all are." The stranger then adds that although they are loyal Englishmen, they assuredly must all admit that the wine they are drinking is one good thing that has come from France. Jellyband gives his assent, telling the stranger that this fact cannot be denied.
Chapter 3 Summary
The scene remains the same as in the previous chapter, at Fisherman's Rest in Dover. Sally, the owner's daughter, announces that Sir Antony has arrived. Sir Antony is a British gentleman who is described as very friendly and especially fond of Sally. Sir Antony is one of the inn's most favored guests. He often travels to and from France, and he stays at the inn before his numerous departures and upon his returns.
When Mr. Jellyband greets Sir Antony, he mentions the French aristocrats who are about to arrive and credits Sir Antony for saving them. Sir Antony looks around the room, and when he notices the two strangers sitting at a far table, he tells Jellyband that he should not discuss the matter in front of them. Jellyband laughs off Sir Antony's concern, telling him that the two strangers, though new in the community, are friends, and Sir Antony should not trouble himself about them. Sir Antony feels skeptical but relents and comments about the grim look on one of the strangers' faces. If this stranger is in business here, Antony states, it must be in the profession of an undertaker. Jellyband tells Antony he has been told that the stranger has recently become a widower. Jellyband informs Sir Antony that he can trust his evaluation of the stranger because he is an innkeeper and, therefore, a good judge of character.
When Antony asks who else might be staying at the inn that night, Jellyband tells him that there will be no one else except for Sir Percy Blakeney and his wife. Lord Antony appears to be very surprised that Lady Blakeney will be there for the night. Jellyband explains that the Blakeneys have come to say good-bye to Lady Blakeney's brother, who is leaving for France on Sir Blakeney's private yacht, the Day Dream.
Just as Jellyband is explaining these matters to Sir Antony, the door to the inn reopens and a party of four enters, including an older woman and her daughter and son. Sir Antony addresses the older of the two women as Comtesse (the French equivalent to the English word countess). The woman speaks English with a thick French accent. Sir Antony asks about her recent voyage. The Comtesse assures Sir Antony that the trip was not very difficult. She states that she is glad she and her children have escaped the suffering they endured while in France.
Meanwhile, a young friend of Sir Antony's, Sir Andrew Ffoulkes, stands near Suzanne, the Comtesse's daughter. Ffoulkes appears smitten by the young woman, and she with him. When Suzanne's mother shouts out to her to come to the table to eat, Suzanne is abruptly brought out of the spell Sir Andrew appears to have cast upon her.
Chapter 4 Summary
The party of Sir Antony and Sir Andrew, along with the French Comtesse and her children, sit at a table and enjoy their dinner. None of them notice the two strangers across the room when one of them rises and spreads his cloak out at his sides while the other slips under the table and hides. Then the first stranger bids goodnight to the other patrons of the inn and climbs the stairs to his room. Upon the stranger's having closed the door to the parlor, Sir Antony breathes out, "Alone, at last!" With this pronouncement, the other diners relax, not knowing that a spy is in their midst.
After the stranger leaves, the Comtesse's son stands and proposes a toast to the king of England for allowing his family a safe refuge. Sir Andrew adds a toast to the king of France, wishing him victory over his enemies. Sir Antony suggests another toast, this one for the Comtesse's husband, the Count of Tournay de Basserive. Antony states his hopes that they may welcome the Count to England before too many days have passed.
After this toast, the Comtesse becomes mournful. She regrets having had to leave her husband behind. She states that it was very difficult to make a choice between her husband and her children. She wanted to stay with her husband but her children would not leave without her. They had learned that all their names were on a list, and they were soon to be condemned to the guillotine. The Comtesse fears that her husband will be sentenced to death.
Sir Antony tries to assure the Comtesse that her husband will be rescued. Antony says that he and his group of men have sworn to bring the Count to safety. The Comtesse thanks Sir Antony, and Antony accepts her thanks with humility. He claims that he and his friends are merely the hands. The head, or leader, of the group is the person most responsible for their success. When the Comtesse asks for the identity of their leader, Sir Antony tells her it is a well-kept secret...
(The entire section is 689 words.)
Chapter 5 Summary
There is a lot of tension in the dining room of the inn after the Blakeneys arrival is announced. The Comtesse immediately stands and declares that she will not stay to meet Lady Blakeney. Antony yells at Jellyband to go outside and attempt to delay Lady Blakeney from entering the inn. Jellyband is not successful. Lady Blakeney chides the innkeeper, pushing him to the side and commenting on his seeming reluctance to allow her to enter. She is freezing and wet from the rain, she tells him, and must warm herself by the fire.
Everyone in the room is surprised to hear the Comtesse order Suzanne to leave the room with her. For her part, Lady Blakeney appears pleased by the chance encounter with the Comtesse. Lady Blakeney...
(The entire section is 472 words.)
Chapter 6 Summary
Sir Percy Blakeney is described as tall and very handsome, one of the richest men in England and extremely fashionable—but it is also said that Sir Percy is lazy and dull-witted. The whole of French and English society was astonished when the vivacious and intelligent Marguerite St. Just accepted Sir Percy's proposal of marriage. The couple has been married for one year.
A year ago in Paris, Marguerite (then eighteen) had gathered around her the most intelligent and creative group of people who lived in France. Those who visited her home were the most clever men and the most talented women. Some say Marguerite chose Sir Percy for the riches he might bestow on her. Her closest friends, however, scoff at that idea....
(The entire section is 576 words.)
Chapter 7 Summary
Marguerite Blakeney awaits the arrival of her brother, Armand. She walks outside the inn and looks over the banks at the ship below that will soon take him away. She will only have thirty minutes to be with him. When Armand finally comes, he tries to calm his sister's concerns by saying he is not going very far away and will soon return. However, Marguerite knows the circumstances in France are very dangerous for Armand. Although both Armand and Marguerite supported the revolution, they believe the people who are now in control have gone too far. They are too hungry for blood and revenge.
Armand looks around to make sure no one has heard what Marguerite has said. Then he tells her she should not voice her criticism...
(The entire section is 591 words.)
Chapter 8 Summary
Marguerite stands on the edge of the cliffs for over an hour as she watches the boat that is taking Armand away. Her thoughts wander back to her husband. She thinks about how he once loved her; she had not fully appreciated his love a year ago. She often thought of Percy's love as being similar to the affection a dog might lavish on its owner. Still, she had enjoyed it, and now she misses it. The pain she feels in its place makes her lash out at Percy, taking advantage of every opportunity to use her wit to ridicule her husband, hoping her words might hurt him. She thinks that if he hurt, she would at least regain some of his attention. However, her plan has not worked. After a year, the two of them have only grown farther...
(The entire section is 665 words.)
Chapter 9 Summary
After Sir Percy and Marguerite leave Dover to return home, Jellyband walks over to talk to Sir Antony and Sir Andrew, who are the only people remaining in the dining room. Jellyband confirms that everyone else is either gone or is in bed. The two young men have the room to themselves. Upon learning this, Antony and Andrew begin a private conversation.
First Antony teases Andrew about his obvious attraction for Suzanne, the daughter of the Comtesse. Andrew admits that the trip over from France was a very stimulating one for him. Antony wishes Andrew good luck in pursuing the young woman. Then the two men discuss their plans for the next few days, during which they will be involved in helping the Scarlet Pimpernel with...
(The entire section is 532 words.)
Chapter 10 Summary
A couple of days after Armand leaves for Paris, Marguerite attends the opera, along with many of the more fashionable people of Britain. The Comtesse is present as the guest of Lady Portarles, who attempts to lighten the Comtesse's mood. The Comtesse has heard nothing about the welfare of her husband, and she is dressed all in black as if in mourning. Lord Grenville, who is sponsoring a ball and dinner that will be held immediately following the opera, enters Lady Portarles's box. Upon hearing of the Comtesse's concern for her husband, he reminds her that she has been assured by the Scarlet Pimpernel's group that they will rescue her husband. Unfortunately, Lord Grenville also reports that was recently in Paris, where he...
(The entire section is 549 words.)
Chapter 11 Summary
Lord Grenville's ball is one of the most popular and important occasions of the year. Everyone important desires to be there. Lord Grenville, the foreign Secretary of State, has welcomed several European dignitaries to his home before Marguerite and Lord Blakeney arrive with the most distinguished guest of all, the Prince of Wales. Chauvelin is also there. Grenville invited him to the event, but most of the guests prefer to ignore him. They know about his new government and despise it.
Chauvelin feels passionate about his beliefs that the new revolutionary government officials in France are the heroes of the common people. He looks upon all the French royalists present at the ball as prey who found a way to sneak away...
(The entire section is 498 words.)
Chapter 12 Summary
Lord Blakeney leaves his wife alone to dance or flirt with whomever she chooses. He will spend his time at the ball telling bland jokes and playing cards. When Marguerite thinks about her husband, she wonders why it is not he who comes to her rescue. She tried to speak to him on their way from the opera to the ball, but when she realized how dull her husband was, she questioned what assistance she thought he might be able to offer. So instead of asking for his advice, she remained silent and did not open up to him about the torment she is suffering. Chauvelin has put her in a terrible place. She will either have to spy on the Scarlet Pimpernel or allow her own brother to die. If only she could have worked out a scheme with her...
(The entire section is 534 words.)
Chapter 13 Summary
While Marguerite dances with Sir Andrew, the words from the note she read flow through her mind. The first phrase she remembers is this: "Start myself tomorrow." The flame had obliterated the rest of the words from that line. However, there were more words at the bottom of the note. They stated that if anyone wanted to meet with the Scarlet Pimpernel, he would be in the supper room at one o'clock.
Marguerite checks the time. It is eleven. Marguerite has two hours to decide her fate, the fate of her brother, and that of the Scarlet Pimpernel. If she tells Chauvelin that the Scarlet Pimpernel will be in the supper room that night, she will surely be the cause of the Pimpernel's death. However, if she does not tell...
(The entire section is 452 words.)
Chapter 14 Summary
Although Marguerite cannot quite admit it to herself, she has made a decision. She cannot ever turn her back on her brother. Ever since their parents died, while Marguerite was still a young child, Armand has taken care of her. He is more than just a brother; he is her father and mother as well. The gallant hero, the Scarlet Pimpernel, will have to fend for himself. Marguerite has heard all the stories about his bold rescues and escapes from French authorities in the past, and she feels sure that the Pimpernel will be able to save himself again. As she sees it, she has no choice. She must save her brother, no matter the cost to the Pimpernel.
Marguerite has been avoiding Chauvelin for the past couple of hours, though...
(The entire section is 495 words.)
Chapter 15 Summary
Lady Blakeney waits anxiously in the ballroom, hoping to see Chauvelin reappear. It is after one o'clock. Surely Chauvelin has by now determined the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. But she worries: if he has not done so, what does this mean for the fate of her brother?
While she waits, Lord Fancourt walks toward her. He tells her that he has found her husband. Marguerite had forgotten she had sent Lord Fancourt on an errand. Lord Blakeney was difficult to find, Fancourt tells her. Finally, though, Fancourt was able to discover Lord Blakeney in the supper room. He had fallen asleep. Fancourt says that soon Lord Blakeney will be outside with his carriage, prepared to take Lady Blakeney home.
(The entire section is 497 words.)
Chapter 16 Summary
As they drive home, Marguerite feels temporarily relieved by the cool, October air that rushes by her face. She is glad that her husband, Sir Percy, enjoys living in the country. They own a beautiful home alongside a river that is a long drive from the clutter and stagnation of London.
As they ride along, Marguerite steals glances at her husband's profile. In the early morning light, she catches glimpses of the image she had once had of her husband, when he had courted her and still loved her. She admires the way he drives the horses, allowing them almost full rein, running as powerfully as they desire.
Then the events of the night crash in on her again. If anyone had told her a week ago that she would...
(The entire section is 588 words.)
Chapter 17 Summary
After dressing for bed, Marguerite stands at her bedroom window and thinks about her husband. She feels an ache in her heart and is surprised to realize that the source of the pain is not her brother but rather her husband. She discovers that she still loves him. In fact, as she takes time to reflect on the past few months, she knows she has always loved him. Percy's traits that she found the hardest to like—his laziness, his empty laughter—are just a mask. Percy wears that mask to hide his pain, the emotional pain she has caused by not returning his love. Underneath that mask, Marguerite now understands, is a very strong, passionate, and willful man: a man she could love.
Then, just as suddenly as she reached...
(The entire section is 475 words.)
Chapter 18 Summary
Marguerite wakes up refreshed after a brief sleep. She feels good about the day that lies before her. Suzanne, the daughter of the Comtesse and an old school friend of Marguerite's, is coming to visit. Although the Comtesse had forbidden Suzanne to speak to her, Marguerite intentionally asked Suzanne to come visit her in front of the Prince of Wales while they all were at the ball. The Comtesse, not wanting to cause the Prince to think ill of her, had granted permission to her daughter. Marguerite is looking forward to spending a few hours with her old friend and rehashing school memories, which will not doubt take her mind off her brother and her husband.
After eating a small breakfast and while waiting for Suzanne...
(The entire section is 594 words.)
Chapter 19 Summary
Suzanne has come to visit Marguerite. Although Marguerite is very happy to see her and to share memories of their days together at school, she is very distracted by the events of the past day and a half. Marguerite's distraction comes to a head when she asks Suzanne if she has any news concerning her father, the Count. Suzanne tells Marguerite that they received some very encouraging news. Lord Hastings assured her that her father will soon be rescued. Rumors have suggested that the Scarlet Pimpernel is on his way to Calais to meet with her father, who is in hiding, and bring him to England to be reunited with his family.
At this announcement, everything begins to make sense to Marguerite. She had been wondering if...
(The entire section is 486 words.)
Chapter 20 Summary
Before she leaves home, Marguerite asks the messenger about the man who gave him the letter to deliver. Marguerite learns that Chauvelin had ordered a carriage to take him to Dover. Marguerite knows that from Dover, Chauvelin would take a boat across the Channel to Calais. She must get to Calais as soon as she can. She also knows that she can not do this alone, so she heads straight for Sir Andrew's home.
Upon finding Sir Andrew, Marguerite acknowledges that she knows that her husband is the Scarlet Pimpernel. She also tells Sir Andrew that she knows her husband is in grave danger. Without telling Sir Andrew all the details concerning how she knows this, she tells him that Chauvelin is determined to bring Sir Percy to...
(The entire section is 427 words.)
Chapter 21 Summary
Marguerite arrives at the inn in Dover before Sir Andrew does. When she arrives alone, Mr. Jellyband is a bit concerned. His worry increases when she tells Jellyband to expect Sir Andrew in an hour or two. Jellyband thinks Marguerite is having an affair with Sir Andrew. He concludes that Marguerite is a French woman, which in his mind explains her strange behavior. Once Marguerite realizes what it must look like for her to be in Dover without her husband and meeting clandestinely with another man, she finds a few seconds of humor in her otherwise dreadful day.
When Sir Andrew reaches the inn, he has bad news for Marguerite. He has checked with the men on the dock and everyone tells him that there is no chance a boat can...
(The entire section is 417 words.)
Chapter 22 Summary
The next morning, the storm is still blowing across the water. Sir Andrew goes to the dock but finds that with the winds so strong and the tide going out, circumstances are against their leaving Dover for several more hours at best. However, a few hours later, Andrew finds a captain of a very swift yacht who is willing to take the chance. So Marguerite and Andrew finally set sail for Calais.
The sunset is beautiful as they make their way across the Channel, though Marguerite pays little attention to the scenery. Her mind is set on finding Sir Percy as soon as she can and warning him that Chauvelin will soon be in Calais in pursuit of him. Once Marguerite and Andrew set foot on French soil, they make their way through...
(The entire section is 546 words.)
Chapter 23 Summary
Sir Andrew continually reminds Marguerite to control her emotions and not speak so loudly because there are spies everywhere in France. Sir Andrew tells her that it is wise if they do not let Brogard know who they are looking for or why. However, Marguerite can barely control herself. She thinks that in a few minutes she will see Sir Percy, her husband, and the ordeal will be all over. Percy will be safe, and they will be able to leave France and return to British soil.
Andrew has to temper Marguerite's joyous mood with the news that Sir Percy would never leave unless the people he has come to rescue are safe. It is not until Andrew's words that Marguerite remembers her brother. She had become so obsessed with...
(The entire section is 473 words.)
Chapter 24 Summary
As Marguerite waits in the attic room, she observes Brogard, the Calais innkeeper, set the table in preparation for the meal Sir Percy will soon eat. The anticipation of seeing her husband grows stronger in Marguerite, though she knows that she dare not stir even when Sir Percy arrives. Andrew has warned her not to greet Sir Percy in any public place because this might bring dangerous attention to him. Chauvelin's spies are everywhere.
As she waits for Percy's arrival, she suddenly hears footsteps outside. At first, her heart leaps because she believes it must be her husband. Then she is disappointed when she listens more closely. The strides are too short. Upon listening more attentively, Marguerite realizes that...
(The entire section is 511 words.)
Chapter 25 Summary
Sir Percy enters the inn, and from what Marguerite can observe, her husband might have been taken aback upon seeing Chauvelin for only a mere six seconds. Sir Percy then casually walks over to the table and pats Chauvelin on the back. Although Marguerite had not been able to see, Chauvelin is dressed in disguise. He has a priest's frock on and is wearing a wig. When Sir Percy immediately calls Chauvelin by name, the Frenchman chokes on the spoonful of soup he is in the process of swallowing. Percy asks Chauvelin why he is dressed in this way and kids him about his terrible wig.
Percy continues his conversation with Chauvelin, sometimes calling the man by a mispronunciation of his name just to irritate him. As her...
(The entire section is 503 words.)
Chapter 26 Summary
Chauvelin finally is able to catch his breath and stop sneezing just as his men reach the inn. As soon as Desgas enters, Chauvelin asks Desgas if he had seen the tall British man. Desgas had not. Chauvelin has to take his misery out on someone, so he yells at Desgas, screaming that had he been five minutes earlier they would have captured the British man. However, Chauvelin recovers, as he realizes that catching the Scarlet Pimpernel in the act of defying the French government would mean his sure death. They needed to wait and catch him as Sir Percy attempts to rescue Armand and Suzanne's father. The roads were well guarded. There was no way that Sir Percy could go anywhere without being seen. They would track him. He would...
(The entire section is 414 words.)
Chapter 27 Summary
Marguerite waits in the attic room to make sure that Chauvelin and his soldiers are outside before she creeps downstairs. She peers into the darkness outside to ensure that the soldiers are gone, then she goes outside and follows behind them as closely as she dares. She knows that Miquelon, Chauvelin's destination, is at least nine miles ahead. She is ready for the journey even if she must make it on foot. She must go where her husband is about to meet his fate. She will try to save him. However, if she fails, at least she will be there at his side.
There is a moon in the night sky but clouds cover it, giving Marguerite enough darkness to hide along the sides of the road. She is forced to trample along the bushes and...
(The entire section is 475 words.)
Chapter 28 Summary
Marguerite was exhausted, though this condition did not fully make an impression on her thoughts. In her mind, she was oblivious to all pain except for her longing for her husband. She had abandoned all hope of rescuing him. All she felt she had left to her was that she would see him long enough to tell him how much she loved him and how sorry she was that she had foolishly lead him to his death. Her shoes were gone and her feet were sore. Her knees buckled with each step. She and the soldiers in front of her had arrived at their destination. Marguerite felt as if she had been walking in a trance. She was not unaware of her surroundings, though. She had noticed that the cart had stopped, and Chauvelin was giving orders to someone....
(The entire section is 555 words.)
Chapter 29 Summary
Marguerite had possibly fainted. She no longer was aware of time. When she came to, she noticed only that someone had placed her on the ground, with her back leaning against a rock. Then she heard a conversation between Chauvelin and one of his men. The fisherman's hut had been checked. There were four men inside, the soldier reported. They were all sitting by a small fire. There was no sign of the tall Englishman. His yacht was seen in the harbor, but no one knew where the small boat that would bring the men from the shore to yacht had been hidden.
After Chauvelin gave new orders, his soldier returned to the hut. Chauvelin then turned to Marguerite. He tells her that he wants to make her more comfortable, adding that...
(The entire section is 484 words.)
Chapter 30 Summary
The singing voice came nearer and nearer to Marguerite. She knew it was her husband singing "God Save the King." She also knew that Sir Percy was walking to his death, still unaware that Chauvelin and his men were waiting for him. She could not stay quiet any longer. If she must sacrifice her brother in order to save her husband, then so be it. She could no longer remain silent. So she shouted out, calling her brother by name, imploring him to either come out of the hut shooting or to run away to the beach. He must do something, Marguerite yelled.
Chauvelin, hearing Marguerite's wails, commands one of his soldier to subdue her. Thus Marguerite is pushed to the ground and her head is covered with some kind of bag. The...
(The entire section is 535 words.)
Chapter 31 Summary
Marguerite stirs after Chauvelin and his men are gone. She had been unconscious and did not know what had happened to her brother or her husband. For all she knew they were both dead. She was extremely exhausted, and her feet were badly damaged from the long walk without shoes. She was so tired, she did not care to move. She could stay there forever on that rocky cliff, especially if she had lost the two men whom she loved.
Then out of the darkness, she heard a distinctive cry. Someone had cursed. The tone of voice was unmistakably British and the sound was very familiar. Marguerite sensed that it was Sir Percy, but she could not tell from where the sound of the voice was coming from. She sat up and looked around. In...
(The entire section is 519 words.)