The Three Musketeers · Chapter
VII: The Housekeeping of the Musketeers explained
D'Artagnan tries to learn more about his three friends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, but finds them secretive.
What happens
D'Artagnan tries to learn more about his three friends Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, but finds them secretive. He observes their contrasting habits: Athos is a melancholic gambler, Porthos is vain and ostentatious, and Aramis is studious and evasive. D'Artagnan deals with his valet Planchet by beating him and forbidding him to leave, earning respect. The four become inseparable companions, and d'Artagnan is admitted as a cadet in the Guards, with his friends often joining him on duty.
Themes in this chapter
Loyalty and Friendship
The four young men form a fraternal bond, supporting each other in daily life and on duty, exemplifying deep loyalty.
Deception and Disguise
Each musketeer conceals his true identity and past under pseudonyms, and Aramis hides his worldly involvements behind a pious facade.
Characters to notice
- D'Artagnan
Curious about his friends' pasts, he manages his valet Planchet with a firm hand and begins his service as a cadet in the Guards.
- Athos
A melancholic gambler who never borrows money and pays debts promptly; rumored to have suffered a great betrayal in love.
- Porthos
Vain and indiscreet, he boasts of his successes and lives in a sumptuous apartment, but his real wealth is unknown.
- Aramis
A musketeer at heart a churchman, he avoids worldly matters, studies theology, and is evasive about his personal life.
- Planchet
D'Artagnan's valet, initially complaining about his wages, but after being beaten and threatened, he becomes loyal and admires his master.
- M. de Tréville
Continues to support d'Artagnan, recommending him to the king and arranging his admission as a cadet in the Guards.
Key passages
“He formed, therefore, the resolution of believing for the present all that was said of their past, hoping for more certain and extended revelations in the future.”
He decided to accept what he had heard about their pasts for now, expecting to learn more later.
D'Artagnan's pragmatic approach to the mysteries surrounding his friends.
“It is with valets as with wives, they must be placed at once upon the footing in which you wish them to remain.”
You must establish the proper relationship with servants from the start, just as with spouses.
Advice from the three musketeers on managing servants.
“D'Artagnan, who was by nature very curious—as people generally are who possess the genius of intrigue—did all he could to make out who Athos, Porthos, and Aramis really were.”
D'Artagnan, naturally inquisitive like those with a talent for scheming, tried hard to discover the true identities of his friends.
D'Artagnan's persistent curiosity about his companions' backgrounds.