Chapter 35: A Gascon A Match For Cupid

Summary

     The night on which Milady is supposed to meet the ‘Comte de Wardes’ approaches. That evening, d’Artagnan goes over to the Place Royale as usual. At 10:00, Milady starts getting restless, and d’Artagnan leaves. Or ‘leaves,’ because he actually just hides in Kitty’s wardrobe again, waiting for the appointed time. When I read this part, I wasn’t quite sure how this would work at all because of course Milady could tell the difference between d’Artagnan and the Comte de Wardes. However, Milady conveniently plans to turn all the lights off in her house because she wants the meeting to be furtive and romantic. While d’Artagnan waits, he tries to comfort a heartbroken Kitty. Milady calls Kitty to her side, all smiles and joy. She asks poor Kitty every detail of her supposed interactions with the Comte de Wardes, asking Kitty how in love he looked, if he was excited, etc. She is so wild with happiness and love that she gives Kitty a purse with money to make up for how she has treated her recently. Wow, she really cares for the Comte. I can’t help but pity her. 

     Then, as soon as the lights are off, d’Artagnan announces his entrance. Yeah, not suspicious at all. I’m going to be honestly surprised if the astute and ruthless Milady is fooled. Their meeting is torturous to d’Artagnan as he becomes more and more jealous of the Comte, who Milady really cares about. Kitty of course is devastated, and is sobbing in her room. Worse, Milady asks ‘the Comte’ how much his wounds hurt. At a loss, d’Artagnan awkwardly replies that they hurt a lot. She then gets vicious, promising to cruelly take vengeance on d’Artagnan. D’Artagnan-pretending-to-be-the-Comte should be having an awful time, but he has such a weird mixture of love/attraction and loathing/fear towards her that he is drawn towards her and hangs on her every word. Or at least that’s his excuse. Near the end of their meeting, Milady gives d’Artagnan a beautiful sapphire ring inset with brilliants.

     The next morning, d’Artagnan practically trips over himself running to Athos’s for advice – and a bit of bragging. Dingbat. He tells Athos all, and as he anticipated, Athos disapproves highly. He says that though Milady is cold and vicious, he has played a cruel trick on her, and ought to be afraid that she will find out and take revenge. I completely agree. D’Artagnan eventually agrees to break away connections with Milady. Ha! So his ‘love’ for her doesn’t run so deep either! He then shows off his new ring. He has taken off the queen’s ring, and replaced it with Milady’s. Good grief, is he in his right senses? Why in the world would he wear it for everyone to see? Didn’t he hear Milady’s promises of vengeance? And she’s that angry at him without knowing about this latest trick. Luckily, Athos convinces him to take it off. Upon further examination, Athos also realizes that the ring is familiar – it is a ring he used to own, and that was in his family for generations. He gave it away in a night of love, he says. Mysterious! In addition, the friendship between the two guys is repaired, as Athos tells d’Artagnan that he cares about him as if he was family, and only wants the best for him. They part amiably, and d’Artagnan returns home.

     Upon reaching home, d’Artagnan sees Kitty waiting for him with another message from Milady to the Comte, asking him when to meet again. D’Artagnan proceeds to write a crushingly cruel letter from ‘the Comte,’ which in effect disavows any love, and thus breaks it off with Milady as he promised to Athos. The actual letter’s words are worse. D’Artagnan has the Comte de Wardes say that ever since his recovery from his wounds, he has been having quite a few affairs with women, Milady being just one out of many. He has a schedule to keep, y’know, so Milady ought to stop bothering him. Say what? I am actually in shock. What. Is. D’Artagnan. Doing. Kitty is mad with joy, and runs back very speedily with the letter, glad that Milady and d’Artagnan are over. Okay, I’m starting to get annoyed with Kitty. Milady, understandably, is devastated, humiliated, and furious when she reads the letter. She stumbles, and sinks into a chair with horror. Kitty thinks she is fainting, and tries to help, but Milady pushes her off in anger. 

Reaction

     I am honestly appalled at d’Artagnan’s behavior. Milady is an avaricious and cruel lady, but d’Artagnan really tried to kick her where it hurts. And then that letter he sent? Really, d’Artagnan? He’s just rubbing salt in her wounds. And Kitty is so oblivious is hurts – she is helping d’Artagnan crush Milady’s heart because she loves him. But he still definitely does not love her back. Also, d’Artagnan keeps claiming that his actions are revenge against Milady. Uh, what exactly is d’Artagnan trying to take revenge for? One could hardly argue that he is trying to take revenge for Madame Bonacieux’s kidnapping; it is clear that he has completely forgotten his love for her. What else, then? The only explanation is that he is trying to take revenge for his broken heart. Even since Kitty told him that Milady loves the Comte, he has being trying to form this ‘revenge.’ Taking revenge for love not being reciprocated is not only immature, it also very inappropriate in this situation. D’Artagnan has really acted awfully in the last few chapters. How awfully has he behaved? Let me count the ways:

 1. He did not try very hard to search for poor Madame  Bonacieux.

     2. He failed to feed the lovely Planchet.  

     3. He stopped caring about Madame Bonacieux, and decided that it was okay to pursue other women.

     4. He became infatuated with a murderous and cruel lady.

     5. He risked his best friends’ lives in a duel in order to meet Milady.

     6. He refused to accept Milady’s lack of reciprocation.

     7. He forged a letter to Milady from her love interest, getting her hopes up.

     8. He manipulated, lied to, and pretended to love a poor young maid. 

     9. He impersonated another man in order to pretend that Milady actually loved him even just for a night (don’t even pretend that’s not why you did that, d’Artagnan)

    10. He accepted a valuable ring from Milady that was meant for someone else.

    11. He showed off said ring to his friends as if he made a conquest or something.

    12. He took advantage of Milady’s weak spot by again forging a letter to her that brutally rejected her in the most humiliating way possible. This part was truly awful, because Milady seemed inhuman except for her love for the Comte de Wardes, and d’Artagnan actively broke down that human side of her.

There you go. Twelve reasons why d’Artagnan is acting like a scumbag.

     My favorite part by far was Milady’s angry refusal of Kitty’s help after she received ‘the Comte’s’ rejection. I actually love that the scariest villain in this novel is a woman, despite her selfishness and cruelty, I admire Milady’s spirit and lack of gender conformity. I mean, the other women in the novel are peaceful, emotional, self-sacrificing, and in need of rescuing. Even Madame Bonacieux, spy extraordinaire, was freed from her bonds by d’Artagnan initially. But not Milady! This lady just goes for what she wants, bam! She isn’t afraid to be angry or self-interested. And this latest chapter made her rather sympathetic, too. Great villain, I must say. .. Dumas, you have redeemed yourself at least partially, solely by creating Milady’s character. I am impressed. My favorite line of hers was:

“I faint? I? I? Do you take me for half a woman? When I am insulted I do not faint; I avenge myself!” I actually adore this line so much that I want to frame it along with a picture of Milady chomping away on her handkerchief.