The Three Musketeers
By Alexandre Dumas
D'Artagnan joins Athos, Porthos, and Aramis in defending the French King and Queen.
Table of Contents
EPILOGUE AUTHOR’S PREFACE In which it is proved that, notwithstanding their names’ ending in _os_ and _is_, the heroes of the story which we are about to have the honor to relate...
THE THREE PRESENTS OF D’ARTAGNAN THE ELDER On the first Monday of the month of April, 1625, the market town of Meung, in which the author of _Romance of the Rose_ was born, appear...
THE ANTECHAMBER OF M. DE TRÉVILLE M. de Troisville, as his family was still called in Gascony, or M. de Tréville, as he has ended by styling himself in Paris, had really commenced...
THE AUDIENCE M. de Tréville was at the moment in rather ill-humor, nevertheless he saluted the young man politely, who bowed to the very ground; and he smiled on receiving D’Artag...
THE SHOULDER OF ATHOS, THE BALDRIC OF PORTHOS AND THE HANDKERCHIEF OF ARAMIS D’Artagnan, in a state of fury, crossed the antechamber at three bounds, and was darting toward the st...
THE KING’S MUSKETEERS AND THE CARDINAL’S GUARDS D’Artagnan was acquainted with nobody in Paris. He went therefore to his appointment with Athos without a second, determined to be ...
HIS MAJESTY KING LOUIS XIII. This affair made a great noise. M. de Tréville scolded his Musketeers in public, and congratulated them in private; but as no time was to be lost in g...
THE INTERIOR OF THE MUSKETEERS When D’Artagnan was out of the Louvre, and consulted his friends upon the use he had best make of his share of the forty pistoles, Athos advised him...
CONCERNING A COURT INTRIGUE In the meantime, the forty pistoles of King Louis XIII., like all other things of this world, after having had a beginning had an end, and after this e...
D’ARTAGNAN SHOWS HIMSELF As Athos and Porthos had foreseen, at the expiration of a half hour, D’Artagnan returned. He had again missed his man, who had disappeared as if by enchan...
A MOUSETRAP IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY The invention of the mousetrap does not date from our days; as soon as societies, in forming, had invented any kind of police, that police i...
IN WHICH THE PLOT THICKENS His visit to M. de Tréville being paid, the pensive D’Artagnan took the longest way homeward. On what was D’Artagnan thinking, that he strayed thus fro...
GEORGE VILLIERS, DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM Mme. Bonacieux and the duke entered the Louvre without difficulty. Mme. Bonacieux was known to belong to the queen; the duke wore the uniform o...
MONSIEUR BONACIEUX There was in all this, as may have been observed, one personage concerned, of whom, notwithstanding his precarious position, we have appeared to take but very l...
THE MAN OF MEUNG The crowd was caused, not by the expectation of a man to be hanged, but by the contemplation of a man who was hanged. The carriage, which had been stopped for a ...
MEN OF THE ROBE AND MEN OF THE SWORD On the day after these events had taken place, Athos not having reappeared, M. de Tréville was informed by D’Artagnan and Porthos of the circu...
IN WHICH M. SÉGUIER, KEEPER OF THE SEALS, LOOKS MORE THAN ONCE FOR THE BELL It is impossible to form an idea of the impression these few words made upon Louis XIII. He grew pale a...
BONACIEUX AT HOME It was the second time the cardinal had mentioned these diamond studs to the king. Louis XIII. was struck with this insistence, and began to fancy that this reco...
LOVER AND HUSBAND Ah, Madame,” said D’Artagnan, entering by the door which the young woman opened for him, “allow me to tell you that you have a bad sort of a husband.” “You have...
PLAN OF CAMPAIGN D’Artagnan went straight to M. de Tréville’s. He had reflected that in a few minutes the cardinal would be warned by this cursed stranger, who appeared to be his ...
THE JOURNEY At two o’clock in the morning, our four adventurers left Paris by the Barrière St. Denis. As long as it was dark they remained silent; in spite of themselves they subm...
THE COUNTESS DE WINTER As they rode along, the duke endeavored to draw from D’Artagnan, not all that had happened, but what D’Artagnan himself knew. By adding all that he heard fr...
THE BALLET OF LA MERLAISON On the morrow, nothing was talked of in Paris but the ball which the aldermen of the city were to give to the king and queen, and in which their Majesti...
THE RENDEZVOUS D’Artagnan ran home immediately, and although it was three o’clock in the morning and he had some of the worst quarters of Paris to traverse, he met with no misadve...
THE PAVILION At nine o’clock D’Artagnan was at the Hôtel des Gardes; he found Planchet all ready. The fourth horse had arrived. Planchet was armed with his musketoon and a pistol...
PORTHOS Instead of returning directly home, D’Artagnan alighted at the door of M. de Tréville, and ran quickly up the stairs. This time he had decided to relate all that had passe...
ARAMIS AND HIS THESIS D’Artagnan had said nothing to Porthos of his wound or of his procurator’s wife. Our Béarnais was a prudent lad, however young he might be. Consequently he h...
the Principal of Amiens, Monsieur the Curate of Montdidier, and I are arguing certain theological questions in which we have been much interested; I shall be delighted to have your...
THE WIFE OF ATHOS We have now to search for Athos,” said D’Artagnan to the vivacious Aramis, when he had informed him of all that had passed since their departure from the capital...
THE RETURN D’Artagnan was astounded by the terrible confidence of Athos; yet many things appeared very obscure to him in this half revelation. In the first place it had been made ...
HUNTING FOR THE EQUIPMENTS The most preoccupied of the four friends was certainly D’Artagnan, although he, in his quality of Guardsman, would be much more easily equipped than Mes...
D’ARTAGNAN AND THE ENGLISHMAN D’Artagnan followed Milady without being perceived by her. He saw her get into her carriage, and heard her order the coachman to drive to St. Germain...
ENGLISH AND FRENCH The hour having come, they went with their four lackeys to a spot behind the Luxembourg given up to the feeding of goats. Athos threw a piece of money to the go...
A PROCURATOR’S DINNER However brilliant had been the part played by Porthos in the duel, it had not made him forget the dinner of the procurator’s wife. On the morrow he received...
SOUBRETTE AND MISTRESS Meantime, as we have said, despite the cries of his conscience and the wise counsels of Athos, D’Artagnan became hourly more in love with Milady. Thus he ne...
IN WHICH THE EQUIPMENT OF ARAMIS AND PORTHOS IS TREATED OF Since the four friends had been each in search of his equipments, there had been no fixed meeting between them. They din...
A GASCON A MATCH FOR CUPID The evening so impatiently waited for by Porthos and by D’Artagnan at last arrived. As was his custom, D’Artagnan presented himself at Milady’s at abou...
DREAM OF VENGEANCE That evening Milady gave orders that when M. d’Artagnan came as usual, he should be immediately admitted; but he did not come. The next day Kitty went to see t...
MILADY’S SECRET D’Artagnan left the hôtel instead of going up at once to Kitty’s chamber, as she endeavored to persuade him to do—and that for two reasons: the first, because by t...
HOW, WITHOUT INCOMMDING HIMSELF, ATHOS PROCURES HIS EQUIPMENT D’Artagnan was so completely bewildered that without taking any heed of what might become of Kitty he ran at full spe...
A VISION At four o’clock the four friends were all assembled with Athos. Their anxiety about their outfits had all disappeared, and each countenance only preserved the expression ...
A TERRIBLE VISION The cardinal leaned his elbow on his manuscript, his cheek upon his hand, and looked intently at the young man for a moment. No one had a more searching eye than...
THE SIEGE OF LA ROCHELLE The Siege of La Rochelle was one of the great political events of the reign of Louis XIII., and one of the great military enterprises of the cardinal. It ...
THE ANJOU WINE After the most disheartening news of the king’s health, a report of his convalescence began to prevail in the camp; and as he was very anxious to be in person at th...
THE SIGN OF THE RED DOVECOT Meanwhile the king, who, with more reason than the cardinal, showed his hatred for Buckingham, although scarcely arrived was in such a haste to meet th...
THE UTILITY OF STOVEPIPES It was evident that without suspecting it, and actuated solely by their chivalrous and adventurous character, our three friends had just rendered a servi...
A CONJUGAL SCENE As Athos had foreseen, it was not long before the cardinal came down. He opened the door of the room in which the Musketeers were, and found Porthos playing an ea...
THE BASTION SAINT-GERVAIS On arriving at the lodgings of his three friends, D’Artagnan found them assembled in the same chamber. Athos was meditating; Porthos was twisting his mus...
THE COUNCIL OF THE MUSKETEERS As Athos had foreseen, the bastion was only occupied by a dozen corpses, French and Rochellais. “Gentlemen,” said Athos, who had assumed the command...
A FAMILY AFFAIR Athos had invented the phrase, family affair. A family affair was not subject to the investigation of the cardinal; a family affair concerned nobody. People might ...
FATALITY Meantime Milady, drunk with passion, roaring on the deck like a lioness that has been embarked, had been tempted to throw herself into the sea that she might regain the c...
CHAT BETWEEN BROTHER AND SISTER During the time which Lord de Winter took to shut the door, close a shutter, and draw a chair near to his sister-in-law’s _fauteuil_, Milady, anxio...
OFFICER Meanwhile, the cardinal looked anxiously for news from England; but no news arrived that was not annoying and threatening. Although La Rochelle was invested, however cert...
CAPTIVITY: THE FIRST DAY Let us return to Milady, whom a glance thrown upon the coast of France has made us lose sight of for an instant. We shall find her still in the despairin...
CAPTIVITY: THE SECOND DAY Milady dreamed that she at length had D’Artagnan in her power, that she was present at his execution; and it was the sight of his odious blood, flowing b...
CAPTIVITY: THE THIRD DAY Felton had fallen; but there was still another step to be taken. He must be retained, or rather he must be left quite alone; and Milady but obscurely perc...
CAPTIVITY: THE FOURTH DAY The next day, when Felton entered Milady’s apartment he found her standing, mounted upon a chair, holding in her hands a cord made by means of torn cambr...
CAPTIVITY: THE FIFTH DAY Milady had however achieved a half-triumph, and success doubled her forces. It was not difficult to conquer, as she had hitherto done, men prompt to let ...
MEANS FOR CLASSICAL TRAGEDY After a moment of silence employed by Milady in observing the young man who listened to her, Milady continued her recital. “It was nearly three days s...
ESCAPE As Lord de Winter had thought, Milady’s wound was not dangerous. So soon as she was left alone with the woman whom the baron had summoned to her assistance she opened her e...
WHAT TOOK PLACE AT PORTSMOUTH AUGUST 23, 1628 Felton took leave of Milady as a brother about to go for a mere walk takes leave of his sister, kissing her hand. His whole body app...
IN FRANCE The first fear of the King of England, Charles I., on learning of the death of the duke, was that such terrible news might discourage the Rochellais; he tried, says Rich...
THE CARMELITE CONVENT AT BÉTHUNE Great criminals bear about them a kind of predestination which makes them surmount all obstacles, which makes them escape all dangers, up to the m...
TWO VARIETIES OF DEMONS Ah,” cried Milady and Rochefort together, “it is you!” “Yes, it is I.” “And you come?” asked Milady. “From La Rochelle; and you?” “From England.” “Buc...
THE DROP OF WATER Rochefort had scarcely departed when Mme. Bonacieux re-entered. She found Milady with a smiling countenance. “Well,” said the young woman, “what you dreaded has...
THE MAN IN THE RED CLOAK The despair of Athos had given place to a concentrated grief which only rendered more lucid the brilliant mental faculties of that extraordinary man. Pos...
TRIAL It was a stormy and dark night; vast clouds covered the heavens, concealing the stars; the moon would not rise till midnight. Occasionally, by the light of a flash of light...
EXECUTION It was near midnight; the moon, lessened by its decline, and reddened by the last traces of the storm, arose behind the little town of Armentières, which showed against ...
CONCLUSION On the sixth of the following month the king, in compliance with the promise he had made the cardinal to return to La Rochelle, left his capital still in amazement at t...