- The Man from Meung disappeared, as usual. Finally, D’Artagnan gives up the search and goes home.
- He finds Porthos, Aramis, and Athos waiting for him.
- They debate whether this mystery man from Meung is real or a ghost.
- Before he gives his friends the details, D’Artagnan asks Planchet to get some fine wine from Bonacieux. Then he tells them the whole story while they sip the wine. D’Artagnan is all excited that a woman is involved.
- The friends talk about the Queen and the Duke for a little bit, and decide that although he is English, the Duke of Buckingham is still a fine man and they too would be interested in the Queen, given the chance.
- Porthos in particular admires the Duke’s fashion sense.
- The friends decide that angering the Cardinal is always the best course of action, even if it means helping the Queen cheat on the King.
- Aramis then has a story to tell. It starts off perfectly innocent—he was visiting a learned man. Then we learn that the man has a niece.
- Aramis escorted the niece to her carriage, when the man from Meung, along with a couple other men, accosted the two of them and addressed Aramis as the Duke.
- Clearly the man from Meung mistook Aramis for the Duke of Buckingham, and the niece for the Queen.
- Porthos expresses astonishment at the story, pointing out that a Musketeer’s clothes are rather visible.
- Aramis confesses that he was wearing a giant coat. And a giant hat.
- Porthos teases Aramis about all these precautions. Clearly some hanky-panky was going on.
- At this point, Bonacieux bursts into the room asking for help. He’s about to be arrested.
- Four Guards follow Bonacieux inside the room. D’Artagnan invites them inside, saying that everyone is a loyal servant of the King and Cardinal.
- The Guards look skeptical.
- They arrest Bonacieux. D’Artagnan lets them. (It seems that D’Artagnan has a plan, but we’re not sure yet what it is!)
- Before the Guards leave, D’Artagnan engages their leader in a toast. He then toasts to the health of the King and the Cardinal. The quality of the wine convinces the Guard that D’Artagnan is sincere.
- Athos and Aramis congratulate D’Artagnan on appeasing the Guard.
- Then we get the famous "All for one, one for all!" line and lots of nice brotherly feelings.
- D’Artagnan takes command—he orders everyone home and declares that of this moment, they are enemies of the Cardinal.