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The Three Musketeers: D'Artagnan

In church next day d'Artagnan's eye was caught by a very beautiful lady whom he recognized as the one who had been with the stranger at Meung. Following her from the church, he saw her talking with an Englishman, and, drawing close, he heard her call this man her brother-in-law, Lord de Winter. D'Artagnan fell deeply in love with Lady de Winter, but his ardor cooled when he learned that she was a cardinalist plotter. By a trick he obtained from her a sapphire ring, which he showed to Athos. "Where did you get this?" cried Athos. "It was my mother's." D'Artagnan told him. "Renounce that woman," said Athos. "She is a fatal creature." That night d'Artagnan accused Lady de Winter of treachery. She rushed upon him and, in avoiding her blow, he pulled her dress from her shoulder. There was the executioner's brand--the fleur-de-lys. At this time the war between England and France was at its height and the siege of La Rochelle was beginning. Richelieu, learning all that d'Artagnan had done, tried to buy him into his own service. D'Artagnan refused, knowing that refusal might cost him his life. The three musketeers set out now to discover the cardinal's next move. Eavesdropping, they heard Richelieu instruct Lady de Winter to go to London and there tell Buckingham to order that the English surrender, warning him that if the war continued Richelieu would expose the queen. If Buckingham refused, he was to be assassinated. For her part, the lady asked Richelieu for the death of d'Artagnan, who knew her secret, and of Mme. Bonancieux, who had thwarted her so often. Half an hour later Athos was alone with the woman. "The Count de la Fere!" she cried, deathly pale. "Yes, my lady," said Athos. "You thought me dead, as I thought you dead, and the name of Athos concealed the Count de la Fere, as the name of Lady de Winter concealed Anne de Breuil."

Athos took from his false wife the carte-blanche passport Richelieu had given her and sent her to the coast, where a boat waited to take her to England. She could not disobey, knowing that Athos could expose her. Back to the siege the four comrades then went, and, in order to be together to discuss their plans, they spent an hour in the Bastion of St. Gervais, withstanding all assaults. Between attacks they talked, and as a result they sent messages to Lord de Winter, exposing his false sister-in-law and heiress, and to an influential friend of Aramis, asking for the name of the convent where Mme. Bonancieux was confined.

Thus on her arrival in England Lady de Winter was seized and imprisoned in her brother-in-law's castle; but, exercising her wiles upon her young jailer, she contrived to escape, and so poisoned the jailer's ears against Buckingham that he was ready to do her deadly work. Sent by de Winter as a messenger to the duke, he plunged a dagger into Buckingham's side. De Winter arrived in London one minute too late to save the duke, but a messenger from Paris was just in time to deliver to Buckingham the queen's pledge of love. He died with the queen's name on his lips.

Now Mme. de Winter had fled to France--to the convent of Bethune, where Mme. Bonancieux was. By poison she accomplished her purpose, and when d'Artagnan and his comrades arrived at the convent they found the body of the pretty seamstress. They set out in pursuit of the murderess, and when they found her they held a formal trial and condemned her to death. An executioner was found--the very man who had put the brand upon her shoulder years before. The next day d'Artagnan was arrested and taken before the cardinal, his captor being none other than his "man of Meung," who now called himself the Chevalier de Rochefort. D'Artagnan told the cardinal of the crimes of Lady de Winter, and finally produced the cardinal's own passport, absolving the bearer. Admiration overcame anger in the cardinal. Instead of ordering d'Artagnan's imprisonment, he wrote out there and then a lieutenant's commission in the Musketeers. D'Artagnan offered the commission to his three friends in turn. All three refused it, protesting they did not deserve it. Besides, Aramis announced that he was about to enter the Church, and Porthos said he was about to be married. Athos thereupon wrote upon the blank commission the name of d'Artagnan.