Quote:
Originally Posted by stuartjmz
At lest a decade ago, an online article I read about the resurgence of anti-Semitism in France referred to this very part of the book in support of the article author's contention that the sentiment really was so deeply-ingrained as to make Chauvelin's behaviour credible
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I think that's one of the things this book does quite successfully: skirt the edges of plausibility (at the time you are reading it).
In this scene it is the question of whether prejudice can hide him from the active search of not just Chauvelin but the soldiers with him. The additional factor is the unexpected boldness of the Pimpernel presenting himself again so quickly, but this must surely (if we wanted to treat this realistically) be offset by previous experience, such as...
At the start of the book we have the guard, Bibot, fearing of disease but also fearing the guillotine given the recent experience of Grospierre. Knowing such tales, who is going to accept anyone at face value?
But in each case we are given just enough reason to believe - for the sake of the story - that things would play out as given. That we can later see the flaws did not disturb the enjoyment of the tale - but only because the it is so apparent that the story is not taking itself that seriously; it doesn't so we don't.