The Three Musketeers · Chapter
The Return explained
The four friends return to Paris and discuss their finances after their journey.
What happens
The four friends return to Paris and discuss their finances after their journey. D'Artagnan learns he has been accepted into the Musketeers, but the joy is tempered by the news that the king plans to open a campaign on May 1, requiring expensive outfits. The friends calculate their funds and consider how to raise the necessary money, with Porthos having an idea and Athos eyeing d'Artagnan's ring.
Themes in this chapter
Loyalty and Friendship
The four friends openly discuss their finances and support each other, demonstrating their bond and mutual reliance.
Class and Social Mobility
D'Artagnan's acceptance into the Musketeers represents a step up in social status, while the friends' struggle to afford proper outfits highlights the economic barriers of the class system.
Characters to notice
- D'Artagnan
Returns to Paris, receives news of his acceptance into the Musketeers, and discusses finances with his friends.
- Athos
Hosts the council at his residence, recalls his drunken confession from the previous night, and suggests using d'Artagnan's ring to fund their outfits.
- Porthos
Shares his financial situation after giving away his horse and paying for Mousqueton's wound, and later proposes an idea to raise money.
- Aramis
Reveals he spent money on Masses for himself and his friends, and participates in the financial discussion.
- M. de Tréville
Informs d'Artagnan of his acceptance into the Musketeers and communicates the king's plan to open the campaign.
Key passages
“On arriving in Paris, d'Artagnan found a letter from M. de Tréville, which informed him that, at his request, the king had promised that he should enter the company of the Musketeers.”
When d'Artagnan reached Paris, he received a letter from M. de Tréville saying the king had agreed to make him a Musketeer.
This marks d'Artagnan's official acceptance into the Musketeers, a key milestone in his journey.
“M. de Tréville had intimated to them His Majesty's fixed intention to open the campaign on the first of May, and they must immediately prepare their outfits.”
M. de Tréville informed them that the king planned to start the military campaign on May 1, so they needed to get their equipment ready right away.
This sets up the financial challenge the friends face in the chapter.