# End of the Port Wine Mystery explained — Twenty Years After

> Chapter companion for Twenty Years After by Alexandre Dumas.

## What happens

Grimaud reveals that the casks aboard the felucca contain gunpowder, not port wine. D'Artagnan wakes his friends and explains that Captain Groslow and his lieutenant Mordaunt plan to destroy them. The four musketeers and their servants escape through a small window into the sea, cutting the longboat loose as the felucca sails away.

## Themes in this chapter

### Friendship and Loyalty

The four musketeers act in unison to escape, and Porthos refuses to abandon his servant Mousqueton.

### Revenge and Justice

Mordaunt's presence as lieutenant signals a continuation of the vendetta against the musketeers.

## Character check-ins

### Grimaud

Discovers the gunpowder in the casks and reports to d'Artagnan.

### D'Artagnan

Leads the escape plan, urging his friends to abandon the felucca.

### Aramis

Awakened by d'Artagnan and helps organize the servants.

### Athos

Calmly follows d'Artagnan's lead and cuts the boat's cable.

### Porthos

Forces Mousqueton and Blaisois into the water and supports them during the swim.

### Mousqueton

Reluctantly jumps into the sea after being urged by Porthos.

## Key lines

> Ah! he said, wiping with his sleeve large drops of sweat from his forehead, how lucky it was that Mousqueton was thirsty!

Grimaud wipes sweat from his brow and reflects that Mousqueton's thirst inadvertently saved them.

_Grimaud's relief at the narrow escape from the powder trap._

> Friends, he said, we must leave this craft at once or we are dead men.

D'Artagnan tells his companions they must abandon the ship immediately or die.

_D'Artagnan's urgent warning to the group._

> The felucca is mined. Those casks which I took for casks of port wine are filled with powder.

The ship is rigged to explode; the barrels thought to hold wine actually contain gunpowder.

_D'Artagnan reveals the true nature of the cargo._

> There, he said, is our road.

D'Artagnan points to a small window as their escape route.

_Indicating the only way out of the doomed vessel._

> Ah! have you your sword, Athos? cried d'Artagnan. Yes. Cut the cable, then.

D'Artagnan asks Athos if he has his sword and orders him to cut the rope tethering the boat.

_The final step in their escape as Athos severs the connection to the felucca._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/twenty_years_after_se/chapters/lxxii-end-of-the-port-wine-mystery
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/twenty_years_after_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/twenty_years_after_se/chapters