“Twenty years later” by A. Dumas in brief
The middle of the XVII century. Instituted by the Fronde, the people of Paris murmur: the deputies, the merchants, the judiciary are outraged by the policies of Cardinal Mazarin, who sucks out all the juices from taxpayers. The Queen, who was going to Mass in the Cathedral of the Notre Dame, was haunted by a crowd of women calling for justice. The people crowded along the path of the young King Louis XIV, who was returning to the palace from the Parliament, where he announced several verdicts, one more ruinous than the other. Even the first President of Parliament openly opposed the King’s interference in the rights of deputies. In the Palais Royal, the merchant sergeant-major threatens with unrest and real rebellion, if Mazarin does not stop his hostile actions. And the unrest is already visible on the streets of the capital…
Mazarin – all hated, mocking foreigner of low birth, a weak shadow of the most powerful Richelieu – feels like the earth is shaking
D’Artagnan’s natural flair and his ability to untie any language lead him alternately to the three Musketeers, who took leave of the turbulent life: Aramis-Abbot, Athos and Porthos taste the quiet pleasures of being in their estates.
Porthos ingenuously agrees to be D’Artagnan’s companion: they are both soldiers, and they do not serve France disinterestedly. A different breed – Aramis and Athos.
Athos is expressed much more sharply than Aramis: the honor of a nobleman does not allow him to serve Mazarin – this rascal, this moneylender, who does not penny the queen and is about to unleash an internecine war in France. Hardly having waited until D’Artagnan’s departure, who only completed the cardinal’s commission by one-third, the earl de La Ferre-Athos informs his adopted son Raul, Viscount de Bragelon: “In the evening we are going to Paris.”
Upon his arrival in the capital, he presents Raul to the Countess de Chevreuse; from their conversation you can guess that the viscount is the fruit of one frivolous adventure, one love night, experienced by them in their youth. Athos entrusts the Countess with the care of Raoul while he is away; he will have a dangerous journey…
Meanwhile, Rochefort arranges the escape from the prison of the Duc de Beaufort, who was the favorite of the queen after the death of Louis XIII, hidden behind the bars by the new idol of Her Majesty Mazarin. The Cardinal sends a search for a dangerous fugitive D’Artagnan and Porthos. Departing from Paris, D’Artagnan, at full gallop, knocks down a passer-by. If he died under the hoofs – and the story would flow differently; but this man, Councilor of Parliament Brusel, remains alive. Paris regards the incident as a political assassination, the whole of the Fronde these days is making visits to Brussel, the air is electrified by threats against the cardinal.
Pounding one horse after another, the musketeers overtake the Duke de Beaufort. Forces, alas, are not equal: it is accompanied by a detachment of fifty people, among whom D’Artagnan and Porthos recognize not only Rochefort, but Aramis and Athos. This circumstance saves their lives. “The princes, the ministers, the kings, like a muddy stream, will sweep and disappear – and we will remain the same,” the four heroes are convinced. “Are we cardinalists or Fronda’s supporters? Is it all the same in the face of our friendship, our willingness to help each other in We will be faithful to our union until the end! .. “
Viscount de Bragelon – on the approaching end of the war with Spain. On the battlefield, he picks up the mortally wounded priest and takes him to the hotel. The Holy Father wants to confess. The case turns itself: Raul and his friend de Guiche are met on the road by a wandering monk. Accepting the confession of a dying man, this monk learns that before him is the executioner of his mother, my lady Winter. Hiding under the monastic robe, the English spy John-Francis Winter-Mordaunt kills the one whose confession he took. Before emitting a spirit, the repentant hangman tells who he is and who his killer, Grimaud, the squire of Athos, Raoul’s companion in a military campaign. Grimaud rushes to Paris; he realizes that Milady’s son is sending footsteps, this threatens the lives of several witnesses of the execution of Lady Winter…
In Paris – Uncle Mordaunt, brother of the ill-fated Milady Lord Winter. He was sent by the King of England Charles I to ask the French queen and Cardinal Mazarin about military and political assistance in opposing the army of rebels under the leadership of Cromwell. The English queen, who lives in Paris in exile in the monastery of the Carmelites, is in despair: Lord Winter was unable to persuade France to lose the crown of Charles I. Winter is trying to console his sovereign: there are still people in France who are ready to help us! This is D’Artagnan and his friends, who once already proved their courage and true nobility to the British Empire. Lord Winter visits Athos. An old friend grieves him: d’Artagnan and Porthos are servants of the cardinal. But we are with Aramis – at your disposal!
At the berth in Boulogne, Aramis, Athos and Winter awaits ready to avenge Mordaunt’s mother. Mordauntu can not penetrate the ship, which sail to England, his uncle and two musketeers. He is ready to swim in their tracks on the next free ship.
At this time in Paris, arrested Brussel. People go out into the streets and engage in skirmishes with the army. Rochefort, at the head of the Fronde, together with the other instigators of the riots, demands the immediate release of his leader. The Queen is forced to sign her ultimatum, but her hatred for the distraught subjects is hiding in her heart: “I and the young king must leave Paris.” The mob is lost when they see that their ruler is not on the throne, “and then I will burn this dastardly city!” Accompanied by the irreplaceable D’Artagnan, she and her 10-year-old son leave the capital and find refuge in Saint-Germain. A few hours earlier the same D’Artagnan miraculously removed from Paris and Mazarin…
Returning to Paris, d’Artagnan receives a letter from Athos and Aramis: they are in a dangerous mess, they give him custody of Raoul and are willing to take revenge on Mordaunt. They do not inform their addresses intentionally, knowing that the duty of friendship can also expose their friends to the same danger that now threatens them. D’Artagnan was at this time sent Mazarin to England with a secret message. The sea way they with Porthos do in the company of Mordaunt, waiting for them in Boulogne. Further their route – to Newcastle, to the camp of Charles I. There already appeared Athos and Aramis, accompanied by Lord Winter. His Majesty devotes two brave musketeers to knights. Unfortunately, they will not be able to serve the King of England for long: the Scottish Guardsmen cross over to Cromwell’s side, the king is captured. Defending him, Lord Winter kills Mordaunt. To all four musketeers, captured with Charles I, manages to escape. Now it is their duty to help the king.
At the military council, the plan is to get into the confidence of the captive Karl, to make friends with the soldiers and to disarm the rivals behind the card game. This plan at the last moment tears off Mordaunt, ran into the guardroom with a cry: “This is treason!” …
The king was sentenced to execution. The night before the execution of the verdict to him at White Hall is the clothed Bishop Aramis and warns that his escape is being prepared. People loyal to the king will kidnap at the dawn of the executioner, they will postpone the execution for a day – and enough days to deliver His Majesty from death!
Four musketeers, disguised as carpenters, occupy the planned places near the scaffold and under its flooring. To their horror, another executioner ascends to the scaffold. Carl touches the people with touchingness and puts his head on the block. Athos, hiding under the scaffold, feels that his forehead is wet; spends his palm on it – this is the blood of a beheaded monarch.
The executioner – as it turns out soon enough – is none other than Mordaunt. Having met with him, the musketeers cast lots: which of them is the first to fight this rascal. The choice falls on d’Artagnan. Retreating closer to the wall, Mordaunt suddenly dissolves in the air, he managed to escape through a secret door.
Pursuing Mordaunt, the musketeers find themselves on the ship, where he hides. About their penetration into the ship the captain immediately informs Mordaunt. He is preparing a grand farewell performance: he sets a wick, leading to barrels of gunpowder. The musketeers by pure chance turn out to be devoted to this plan – and jump off on the boat tied to the side of the ship earlier than Mordaunt has time to do. From a safe distance, friends look at his doom… but is not he the devil? After a few moments they see his head above the water. He was one of the whole team survived. He sails to them, he prays for their help, he grabs Atos’s hand, stretched out to him, and pulls him into the water. It seems that for ages you can not see either one. Finally, the corpse of my Lady Milady, her descent, with a dagger in the heart, emerges from under the water… and then – the living and unharmed Athos.
From the fire – yes into the fire: from the troubled England – into the rebellious Paris. The duty of the musketeers is to extinguish this flame. They take bold steps: they escape from imprisonment, to which the queen has subjected them for preference of calling of the heart to the highest orders and failure to comply with the orders of Her Majesty and His Eminence. At the same moment, like all four in freedom, their captive becomes… Mazarin.
In the castle of Porthos in Pierfon, the cardinal signs an act of his surrender to Parliament – an agreement composed by the Fronde’s deputy. Under the enthusiastic cries of the still enraged people, the queen and the little king are moving into Paris yesterday. Returns to his palace and Mazarin. The last riotous crowd, headed by Rochefort, makes an attempt to pull the cardinal out of the carriage – but their leader comes across the sword of d’Artagnan. The mob rushes in all directions. Rochefort has time to say: “It’s fate, I was healed three times after the pricks of your sword, and for the fourth time it seems like there’s no miracle…” D’Artagnan was truly upset: “Count, I did not see that it was you. I would not want you to die with a feeling of hatred for me! “
Eternal enemies friendly shake hands…
The little king, returning to the Palais Royal, notices his mother: “Monsieur d’Artagnan is brave.” “Yes, my son,” replies Queen Anne, “be more kind to him.”
Ten years pass, and Louis XIV is quite sure how important this is and how difficult it is…
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