The Three Musketeers: Chapter 8 Summary & Analysis

Because the money from the king eventually runs dry, the three musketeers do what they can to scrape some money together. Eventually, they run out of ideas and have to ask M. de Tréville for an advance on their pay. When that money is almost gone, Porthos uses what is left to gamble with and loses all of it. Desperate, the musketeers do their best to get themselves invited to dinners—often by people for whom they’ve done favors in the past—and then bring along the rest of the group. D’Artagnan appreciates his friends’ efforts and is embarrassed that he cannot do more himself because he does not yet have connections in the city.

One night, while sitting in his room and thinking about how to get more money, d’Artagnan receives a knock on his door. Outside is a man who says he has an urgent secret to tell d’Artagnan. D’Artagnan invites him inside. After the door is closed, the man tells d’Artagnan that his wife has been abducted and needs saving. However, the man is reticent with the details of the situation. D’Artagnan repeatedly has to remind the man that it was he who came to d’Artagnan and if he wants his help, then he needs to tell the full story. Eventually the man complies and tells d’Artagnan that his wife works for the queen. He also implies that she has something to do with the alleged affair between the queen and the Duke of Buckingham. It is for this reason that the man suspects his wife was kidnapped.

The man believes that his wife is being persecuted by the cardinal. He describes the man who he believes is responsible for the kidnapping and d’Artagnan recognizes the description as the stranger from Meung. This excites d’Artagnan, who becomes more eager than ever to help the man. Finally, d’Artagnan gets the man to tell him his name: Monsieur Bonacieux. He also informs d’Artagnan that he is his landlord and believes that d’Artagnan should help him because he’s been so lenient in allowing d’Artagnan to skip paying rent.

Additionally, Monsieur Bonacieux shows d’Artagnan a threatening letter he received urging him not to look for his wife. The letter suggests that there will be dire consequences if he does. Despite the danger, d’Artagnan eagerly accepts the job. In addition to free rent, Monsieur Bonacieux also offers him a decent sum of money as a reward for his services. Just as they strike a deal, d’Artagnan looks outside and spots the stranger from Meung. Excited, he jumps up and runs outside to track him down. However, he ultimately has no luck. While looking for the man, d’Artagnan runs into Athos and Porthos. Not wanting to get in d’Artagnan’s way, Athos and Porthos decide to wait in d’Artagnan’s room until he returns.