The Vicomte de Bragelonne · Chapter
How Mouston Had Become Fatter Without Giving Porthos Notice Thereof, and of the Troubles Which Consequently Befell That Worthy Gentleman explained
D'Artagnan visits Porthos and finds him in a melancholy state.
What happens
D'Artagnan visits Porthos and finds him in a melancholy state. Porthos reveals that although he has received an invitation to the grand fête at Vaux, he is distressed because none of his many suits fit him. He explains his ingenious but flawed plan to have his servant Mouston measured for clothes instead of himself, but Mouston grew fatter without informing him, rendering all the new suits too large. D'Artagnan listens to Porthos's lament and offers a solution.
Themes in this chapter
Friendship and Betrayal
D'Artagnan's faithful visit to Porthos underscores their enduring friendship, while Mouston's failure to inform Porthos of his weight gain represents a minor betrayal of trust.
Class and Social Mobility
Porthos's anxiety about his appearance at court highlights the importance of fashion and presentation in maintaining social standing among the nobility.
Characters to notice
- D'Artagnan
Visits Porthos out of concern after not hearing from him for a fortnight; listens to his friend's troubles and offers advice.
- Porthos
Found in a melancholy state, distressed that none of his many suits fit him due to Mouston's unannounced weight gain; explains his scheme to have Mouston measured instead of himself.
- Mousqueton
Now called Mouston; his increased corpulence has ruined Porthos's clothing plan; he holds up a scarlet coat for inspection and defends himself against blame.
Key passages
“The fact is, I have received an invitation for the fête at Vaux, said Porthos, with a lugubrious expression.”
Porthos announces his invitation to the Vaux celebration with a gloomy tone.
Porthos's distress over his wardrobe overshadows the honor of the invitation.
“I have a horror of letting anyone take my measure. Confound it! either one is a nobleman or not. To be scrutinized and scanned by a fellow who completely analyzes you, by inch and line—’tis degrading!”
Porthos finds being measured by a tailor humiliating and beneath his dignity as a nobleman.
Porthos's pride and sense of nobility lead him to devise an elaborate scheme to avoid the tailor's measuring tape.