The Three Musketeers: Chapter 14 Summary & Analysis

Despite Monsieur Bonacieux’s fears, he is not taken to be executed. Instead, his carriage is parked and then he is led inside a nearby building and taken up some stairs. He is then taken to an elaborately furnished room. At this point, Monsieur Bonacieux realizes that his captors are not planning to kill him. He is then moved into yet another room where he sees a map of La Rochelle and a man he does not recognize. The man is Cardinal de Richelieu and when Monsieur Bonacieux learns his identity, he is both afraid and in awe. 

The cardinal begins asking Monsieur Bonacieux about his wife’s activities. Monsieur Bonacieux tells him that he knows about the cardinal’s plan to trap the Duke of Buckingham with a fake letter from the queen. This upsets the cardinal, who insults Monsieur Bonacieux for even suggesting he could be responsible for such a thing. The cardinal then tells Monsieur Bonacieux that his wife is currently missing, but that he plans to catch her soon.

Next, the cardinal questions Monsieur Bonacieux about some of the locations his wife often frequents. In response, Monsieur Bonacieux mentions the addresses of two linen drapers that she often visits while working for the queen. The cardinal is pleased with this information, and he asks his guards to go and get Count Rochefort. Shortly after, a man walks into the room and Monsieur Bonacieux realizes that it is the same man who kidnapped his wife. He relates this information to the cardinal, who promptly orders his guards to lock up Rochefort. Realizing the power of his actions, Monsieur Bonacieux quickly corrects himself and says that he was mistaken, and that Rochefort didn’t kidnap his wife.

Because he wants to speak to his soldiers in private, the cardinal sends Monsieur Bonacieux out of the room. One of his guards then informs him that the duke and the queen met with one another at the Louvre. This information was gathered by one of the queen’s attendants who is secretly a spy for the cardinal. The cardinal is also told that the queen gave the duke a box, which contains diamond tags that were originally gifted to the queen by the king. This makes the cardinal happy because he knows he will be able to use this information against the queen. He thanks his guard for the information and then tells him to send Monsieur Bonacieux back in.

When Monsieur Bonacieux returns, the cardinal mocks him for thinking that his wife was actually visiting linen drapers when in reality she was involved in some sort of plot. Monsieur Bonacieux apologizes to the cardinal for his mistake and then proceeds to suck up to him. This pleases the cardinal, who knows he will be able to use Monsieur Bonacieux in the future, although he does find him pathetic. To keep Monsieur Bonacieux on his good side, the cardinal gives him a hundred pistoles. Monsieur Bonacieux is ecstatic at this sudden turn of events, and he swears his loyalty to the cardinal. Monsieur Bonacieux is then dismissed and allowed to return home.

After Monsieur Bonacieux leaves, the cardinal finally turns his attention to Rochefort. Rochefort tells the cardinal that he’s confirmed the information Monsieur Bonacieux gave the cardinal, but that he’s yet to locate Madame Bonacieux. In response, the cardinal tells Rochefort that they now have a new ally on their side: Monsieur Bonacieux. Both men agree that he will prove useful.

Later, after Rochefort leaves the cardinal’s residence, the cardinal calls for one of his servants. He gives the man a letter to bring to Milady. The letter contains instructions for a job that the cardinal wants done. He tells Milady to find the Duke of Buckingham and cut off two of the diamond studs that he is sure to be wearing.