# The Bastion of Saint-Gervais explained — The Three Musketeers

> Chapter companion for The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas.

## What happens

D'Artagnan joins Athos, Porthos, and Aramis at their lodgings after a night of battle. To avoid eavesdroppers and discuss important matters privately, Athos proposes a bold wager: the four friends will breakfast in the Bastion Saint-Gervais for an hour, despite enemy fire. They gather provisions, set off with Grimaud, and enter the bastion, drawing a crowd of onlookers.

## Themes in this chapter

### Courage and Heroism

The four friends deliberately march into a dangerous bastion under enemy fire, demonstrating reckless bravery for honor and camaraderie.

### Loyalty and Friendship

The musketeers stick together despite the peril, trusting Athos's plan and supporting one another in a shared wager.

### Deception and Disguise

Athos uses the wager as a pretext to hold a secret meeting, hiding their true purpose from spies and onlookers.

## Character check-ins

### D'Artagnan

Arrives after a night of taking a bastion; questions Athos's plan but follows along.

### Athos

Orchestrates the wager to breakfast in the bastion for private conversation; leads the group with calm authority.

### Porthos

Twists his mustache and agrees to the bet; shows concern about lacking muskets.

### Aramis

Prays from a Book of Hours; supports Athos's plan with a Latin quote.

### Grimaud

Silently obeys Athos, carrying the breakfast basket; hesitates but is compelled forward.

### M. de Busigny

A light-horseman who accepts Athos's wager and sets his watch for the bet.

## Key lines

> Pardieu, gentlemen, I hope what you have to tell me is worth the trouble, or else, I warn you, I will not pardon you for making me come here instead of getting a little rest after a night spent in taking and dismantling a bastion.

D'Artagnan complains that his friends had better have something important to say, since he missed his rest after a night of capturing a bastion.

_D'Artagnan expresses irritation at being summoned after a battle._

> We are going, in order to win it, to remain an hour in the bastion. Either we shall be attacked, or not. If we are not, we shall have all the time to talk, and nobody will hear us—for I guarantee the walls of the bastion have no ears; if we are, we will talk of our affairs just the same.

Athos explains that they will spend an hour in the bastion to talk privately, whether they are attacked or not.

_Athos justifies the risky plan as a way to hold a secret conversation._

> Well, we shall find their muskets, their cartridges, and their flasks; and instead of four musketoons and twelve balls, we shall have fifteen guns and a hundred charges to fire.

Athos points out that they can scavenge weapons from the dead soldiers on the bastion.

_Athos reassures Porthos about having enough firepower._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_three_musketeers_se/chapters/xlvi-the-bastion-of-saint-gervais
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