# Abbé Foucquet — The Elusive Pimpernel character guide

> Abbé Foucquet in The Elusive Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Foucquet, the Abbé, l'Abbé Foucquet

**First appearance:** 0003-ii-a-retrospect

## Snapshot

A gentle old priest whose trembling hands and tear-dimmed eyes make him the most relentless jailer Marguerite's enemies could devise.

## Who they are

Abbé Foucquet once kept the Marny jewels safe in his church crypt until the Convention forced every priest to choose apostasy or death; now he sits in a narrow cell, helpless while the treasures he swore to guard are stolen. He speaks of Juliette Marny's escape to England with earnest joy, crediting the Scarlet Pimpernel and the good God in the same breath, and his simple faith moves Marguerite to her first tears of relief. His presence transforms her prison vigil into a shared suffering, binding her fate to the wider network of lives the Pimpernel has saved.

## In the story

### [III: Ex-Ambassador Chauvelin](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/iii-ex-ambassador-chauvelin)

Mentioned as the priest in Boulogne who was guarding the Marny family's jewels and gold.

### [Lady Blakeney's Rout](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/x-lady-blakeney-s-rout)

Mentioned by Juliette as the trusted guardian of her family jewels, hidden in the crypt of his Boulogne church.

### [XV: Farewell](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xv-farewell)

Mentioned as the one Percy intends to rescue from France.

### [Boulogne](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xvii-boulogne)

Marguerite plans to seek him out as a link to her husband, but he may already be gone from Boulogne.

### [No. 6](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xviii-no-6)

An elderly, gentle former priest forced to guard Marguerite; he treats her with kindness and builds a screen for her privacy.

### [XIX: The Strength of the Weak](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xix-the-strength-of-the-weak)

The gentle old priest who is Marguerite's jailer, forced to guard her under threat of death to himself and his wards; he recounts his story and his faith.

### [XXI: Suspense](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xxi-suspense)

Coerced into becoming Marguerite's jailer; his niece and nephew are used as leverage.

### [XXII: Not Death](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xxii-not-death)

Briefly appears, attempting to protest Marguerite's removal but is roughly pushed aside by soldiers.

### [XXIX: The National Fête](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xxix-the-national-f-te)

Mentioned as being in prison and likely to be pardoned under the amnesty; the crowd suggests he would be wise to leave Boulogne with the children.

### [The Letter](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xxxii-the-letter)

The Abbé Foucquet is selected by Chauvelin to ring the Angelus as the signal for the amnesty and the Scarlet Pimpernel's disgrace.

### [The English Spy](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xxxiii-the-english-spy)

Brought from his cell to witness the events; he prays quietly and is told he will ring the Angelus as a signal for the amnesty.

### [XXXIV: The Angelus](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xxxiv-the-angelus)

Mentioned as having been sitting in the room and later marched off to ring the Angelus.

### [XXXV: Marguerite](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/chapters/xxxv-marguerite)

Escorted safely out of Boulogne, murmurs prayers and blessings for their English rescuer during the boat journey.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/characters/abbe_foucquet
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_elusive_pimpernel_se/characters