| Quote #4 Then D’Artagnan, disposed to become the most tender of lovers, was at the same time a very devoted friend, In the midst of his amorous projects for the mercer’s wife, he did not forget his friends. The pretty Mme. Bonacieux was just the woman to walk with in the Plain St. Denis or in the fair of St. Germain, in company with Athos, Porthos, and Aramis, to whom D’Artagnan had often remarked this. Then one could enjoy charming little dinners, where one touches on one side the hand of a friend, and on the other the foot of a mistress. (11.10) |
Basically, he wants Constance as arm candy to show off in front of his friends. Are you getting that vibe too? Does this passage show him to be a devoted friend or a selfish self-promoter?
| Quote #5 It is well known how violent the king’s prejudices were against the queen, and how carefully these prejudices were kept up by the cardinal, who in affairs of intrigue mistrusted women infinitely more than men. One of the grand causes of this prejudice was the friendship of Anne of Austria for Mme. de Chevreuse. These two women gave him more uneasiness than the war with Spain, the quarrel with England, or the embarrassment of the finances. In his eyes and to his conviction, Mme. de Chevreuse not only served the queen in her political intrigues, but, what tormented him still more, in her amorous intrigues. (15.10) |
It’s fascinating that the Cardinal is more threatened by a friendship between two powerful women than by all of France’s diplomatic and financial problems.
| Quote #6 "And you are going alone?" |
Friendship is vitally important to the success of this first mission that our heroes undertake; this sets the tenor for the rest of the novel when they rely on each other in other endeavors.