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The Three Musketeers: Artagnan

At Meung, even before reaching Paris, d'Artagnan had had an honorable encounter, his adversary being a tall, commanding stranger of olivine complexion and scarred on the cheek. A beautiful woman had accompanied this man. Both their faces were stamped on d'Artagnan's memory. Before he could be admitted to the Musketeers d'Artagnan was to serve probation as a guardsman; but already he was a Musketeer in spirit and his comrades longed as keenly as he for the day when he would be allowed to join their company. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis were alike only in soldierly qualities. Athos was of noble bearing, and when he was drunk he would talk of a secret sorrow; Porthos was a great lover of ladies, and declared that his conquests would bring his downfall; Aramis, who had friends in the Church and a sweetheart at court, pretended that he was only temporarily a Musketeer, and would willingly change his plumed hat for a monk's cowl when the time came. One day d'Artagnan's landlord, Bonancieux, burst into the room with news that Mme. Bonancieux, a pretty seamstress in the service of the queen, had just been abducted. From the landlord's description d'Artagnan recognized the abductor as his man of Meung and was anxious to help, the more so when he learned that the object of the abduction was to force the lady to tell what she knew of the love-affair between the queen and George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham, who was coming secretly to Paris.

It was in their resolve to protect Mme. Bonancieux, for whom the impressionable d'Artagnan had suddenly conceived an undying affection, that the four comrades came together in their oath. "Remember," said Aramis, "henceforth we are at issue with the cardinal." Aided by d'Artagnan, who fought off the cardinal's officers, the lady contrived to escape. He declared his love for her, but she would promise nothing. Next time he saw her she was conducting the Duke of Buckingham, disguised as a musketeer, toward the royal palace. If d'Artagnan had followed he would have learned that the queen did indeed love Buckingham, but was loyal to the king. As a token she gave Buckingham twelve diamond studs that the king had given her.