Chapter 44: The Utility of Stovepipes

Summary

     The Musketeers are chilling in their room, waiting for the cardinal, when they realize that they can hear the cardinal’s conversation rather well by listening through a stovepipe in their chamber. Immoral little beasts that they are, they huddle around it – but perhaps it is justified, since they hear the cardinal talking to Milady! They had unwittingly protected her honor! The cardinal is instructing her to blackmail the Duke of Buckingham using as proof a scandalous meeting between him and Queen Anne. The cardinal further asks Milady to find a woman who has reason to hate the duke, so she can put their plan of assassinating the duke into action. She is to be the accomplice in the assassination, and Milady must find a young man to do the actual killing. Milady says that it will be done. The topic then changes to Milady’s enemies. She asks the cardinal to find out where Madame Bonacieux is, so Milady can take her revenge. She also wants him to get rid of d’Artagnan. He agrees to get him put in jail, but says that killing him will be harder. He writes her a permission note to kill d’Artagnan herself, however. Then, Milady prepares to leave. The cardinal says that the Musketeers will escort him back (he clearly does not know they overheard the conversation or know who Milady is). Athos obviously doesn’t want to be seen by Milady, so he leaves quickly, telling the others to inform the cardinal that he went ahead to be a lookout.

Reaction

     Tiny chapter again! Milady is a very skilled spy – her professionalism and references to other missions carried out successfully are quite impressive. I hope Milady doesn’t know who Porthos and Aramis are! The stovepipe was a little bit too convenient, but it moved the plot ahead so I won’t complain.

     My favorite line was: “As to Athos, he went out without any mystery, took his horse, which was tied with those of his friends to the fastenings of the shutters, in four words convinced the attendant of the necessity of a vanguard for their return, carefully examined the priming of his pistols, drew his sword, and took, like a forlorn hope, the road to the camp.” He sounds so Lone Ranger-y! I love that – ‘like a forlorn hope.’