Chapter 13: Monsieur Bonacieux

Summary

     This chapter tells us about the fate and character of the aforementioned M. Bonacieux. When the unfortunate man is dragged to jail, the guards treat him roughly for about half-an-hour while they wait for someone to summon him. Poor guy. Then, a clerk takes him to the interrogation room, which sounds terrifying. Disappointingly, M. Bonacieux turns out to be a selfish dingbat. Dumas explains that his two main motives in life are avarice and self-preservation. He basically tells the cardinal’s men everything, including the Musketeers’ and d’Artagnan’s role in the whole business. He also reveals that Athos is just pretending to be d’Artagnan. Athos handles being exposed as an imposter quite well, and is amusingly polite and calm, but the guards still keep him locked up to prevent him from alerting his friends. I no longer pity M. Bonacieux. In fact, I deeply dislike him as the hysterical man avows that he has nothing to do with the plans his wife has made, and will renounce her if she has done anything wrong. Terrified that he will be executed, M. Bonacieux is completely willing to betray his wife in order to save his own skin. Hmm, what a contrast to some other characters we know! Because he is an indiscreet idiot, M. Bonacieux further divulges that he suspects that the letter thief has stolen his wife – and he describes him in detail. He has obviously made a wrong move, because he is put back into his cell immediately, and the interrogator looks pretty worried. M. Bonacieux is highly anxious, and weeps pitifully all day. I hope they don’t actually decapitate him!  

     At nine o’clock in the evening, his cell door is opened. M. Bonacieux leaps away like a frightened rabbit, certain that it is his executioner. When he sees that it is merely his interrogator and the clerk, he wants to embrace them with joy. His relief quickly morphs back into anxiety when they bid him follow them to a carriage, insert him inside, and lock the door. Then, the carriage slowly moves away. Now they’re just being cruel; the man is about to vomit with nervousness and they don’t tell him where they are taking him! Out of a narrow slit of a window, M. Bonacieux observes where they are. They keep approaching and then bypassing known spots for executions, and M. Bonacieux almost has a heart attack each time. Finally, they near the last execution site. And the carriage stops there. M. Bonacieux can hear voices outside. This is too much for the overtaxed man, and he faints.

Reaction

     M. Bonacieux is a greedy, selfish man, seemingly undeserving of his wife’s love. This would be a melancholy state in any case, but especially here. Regrettably, I cannot help but suspect that Dumas portrayed M. Bonacieux as such in order to make d’Artagnan seem deserving of Madame Bonacieux’s love in comparison. Sigh.

     My favorite line is from Athos, who sums up this chapter beautifully. “‘Bah!’ said Athos to the commissary, ‘if you have no more need of me, send me somewhere. Your Monsieur Bonacieux is very tiresome.’”