Calvert of Strathore

The narrative follows Mr. Calvert, a young American brought to Paris as a prospective secretary in the American legation, as he moves through high society and revolutionary streets during the years around 1789. He witnesses both elegant amusements and brutal popular hardship, forms friendships and enmities with figures such as Beaufort, and is drawn into political and military turmoil that includes service under Lafayette, a personal duel, hazardous enterprises, and a daring penetration of royal precincts, culminating in dramatic events within the palace and the upheaval of the tenth of August.