Scaramouche (novel)

The idealistic Philippe de Vilmorin, a seminarian and Moreau's closest friend, denounces the act as murder.

After being brushed off by the arrogant official, who refuses to act against a man of the Marquis' status, Moreau discovers a large political gathering where one of the speakers against the nobility's excesses has been assassinated.

Much to the surprise of his peers, who think he is on the side of the aristocracy, Moreau uses de Vilmorin's arguments to deliver a speech with inspiring rhetoric.

To hide from the law, Moreau joins a troupe of traveling commedia dell'arte actors, led by M. Binet.

He discovers an aptitude for acting and writing that propels the troupe from near-poverty to success and the Feydau theater in Nantes.

Moreau becomes engaged to Binet's daughter, Climene, but after Andre-Louis reveals that he is not of noble birth, she (to her father's delight) accepts a proposition from the Marquis de la Tour d'Azyr and becomes his mistress.

It is later revealed that, during Binet's recovery, his entire troupe deserted him and actually thrived without him; he and his daughter (who was "dumped" by the Marquis following the riot) are both completely ruined.

Arriving in Paris, he finds a fencing academy seeking "a young man of good address with some knowledge of swordsmanship".

Moreau manages to convince M. Bertrand des Amis, the Maître en fait d'Armes (master at arms), to hire him.

Over time, Andre-Louis develops his own style of fencing, based on calculations of different moves, and the school begins to prosper.

With the outbreak of the French Revolution, M. des Amis is killed in a street riot, and Moreau inherits the school.

They face the scourge of spadassinicides, aristocratic senators who provoke inexperienced Republicans to fight duels and wound or kill them, just as the Marquis did to de Vilmorin.

Finally, Moreau manages to goad the Marquis into challenging him to a duel; at last, he can confront the murderer of his childhood friend, de Vilmorin.

After safely escaping from Paris and returning to relative safety in Gavrillac, Andre-Louis and Aline unravel their misconceptions about their feelings for each other and declare their love.

Moreau conceives and then masterminds, with the Baron de Batz, a plan to destroy the Revolution and restore the monarchy.