Conclusion — The Three Musketeers

The king keeps his promise and rides back toward La Rochelle. The queen will not believe Buckingham is dead until Laporte brings the duke's dying gift. Louis shows his joy in front of her, then turns dull again. The four friends travel with sad eyes. At a cabaret on the road, the stranger of Meung pulls up. This time he does not run. He is the Chevalier de Rochefort, and he arrests D'Artagnan in the king's name. Athos, Porthos, and Aramis place themselves as his guards. Athos tells Rochefort it is useless to look for Milady.

At Surgères the cardinal takes the young man alone. The charges are corresponding with enemies, surprising state secrets, and thwarting his general. D'Artagnan names Milady de Winter and says they tried her and she is dead. Richelieu shudders, then his face clears. He calls them assassins for punishing without licence. D'Artagnan produces the paper Athos took from her, signed by Richelieu himself. The cardinal tears it, writes on a parchment already two-thirds filled, and hands over a lieutenant's commission with the name left blank.

D'Artagnan offers that blank to Athos, then to Porthos, then to Aramis. Athos says it is too much for Athos and too little for the Comte de la Fère. Porthos is trying on a wedding suit; the duchess's husband has died. Aramis has decided to enter the Lazarists after the siege. Athos writes D'Artagnan's name on the commission. The young man weeps for bitter recollections. Athos tells him he is young, and those recollections have time to become sweet remembrances.