Pimpernel and Rosemary · Chapter
II explained
Three days after the execution of Alice Gerbier, M.
What happens
Three days after the execution of Alice Gerbier, M. de Kervoisin meets with the secret agent known as Number Ten in Lille. Number Ten recounts how he tracked and trapped Alice Gerbier, a spy who used British airmen's tunics to smuggle information to the Germans, and describes the thrill of witnessing her execution.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Exposition.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak of Jasper’s hidden anguish,…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Deception and Betrayal
Number Ten's elaborate deception of Alice Gerbier, using a false romance to trap her.
- Journalism and Truth
Indirectly referenced through the spy's clever concealment of information in tunics.
Characters to notice
- M. de Kervoisin
Meets with Number Ten in Lille, expresses horror at the execution.
- Number Ten
Describes his role in trapping Alice Gerbier and his pleasure in witnessing her execution.
- Alice Gerbier
The executed spy; her method of using airmen's tunics is revealed.
Key passages
“It is a thrill well worth experiencing.”
Number Ten finds watching an execution exhilarating.
Reflects his cold, ruthless nature.
“She was dangerous because she was so extraordinarily clever.”
Number Ten acknowledges Alice Gerbier's intelligence as the source of her threat.
Highlights the cat-and-mouse game of espionage.
