Citizen Chauvelin, formerly a Marquis, is an accredited agent of the French Republican government. It is his duty publically and his desire personally to hunt down the Scarlet Pimpernel, an enemy of France. Once being a fan of Marguerite St. Just, Chauvelin travles to England to enlist her aid in finding the elusive hero. Using her beloved brother as bait, he forces Marguerite to spy for him in London society. Even though he discovers the true identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel, his plans are thwarted time and again by the elusive mastermind.