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Epilogue
Epilogue
La Rochelle, deprived of the assistance of the English fleet, and of the
reinforcements promised by Buckingham, surrendered after a siege of a year.
On the 28th of October, 1628, the capitulation was signed.
The king made his entrance into Paris on the 23d of December of the same
year. He was received in triumph, as if he came from conquering an enemy,
and not Frenchmen. He entered by the Fauborg St. Jacques under the verdant
triumphal arches.
D`Artagnan took possession of his rank. Porthos left the service, and
in the course of the following year married Madame Coquenard; the so much
coveted coffer contained 800,000 livres.
Mousqueton had a magnificent livery and enjoyed the satisfaction he had
been ambitious of all his life - that of standing behind a gilded carriage.
Aramis after a journey into Lorraine disappeared all at once, and ceased
to write to his friends; they learned at a later period, by Madame de
Chevreuse, who told it to two or three of her intimates, that he had taken
the habit in a convent of Nancy. Bazin became a lay brother.
Athos remained a musketeer under the command of D`Artagnan till the year
1631, at which period, after a journey which he made to Couraine, he also
quitted the service under the pretext of having inherited a small property
in Rousillon.
Grimaud followed Athos.
D`Artagnan fought three times with Rochefort, and wounded him at each
encounter.
"I shall most likely kill you at the fourth," said he to him, holding
out his hand to assist him to rise.
"We had much better leave off as we are, both for you and for me,"
answered the wounded man. Corbleu! I am much more your friend than you
think; for, from our very first encounter, I could, by saying a word to the
cardinal, have had your throat cut!"
They this time embraced heartily, and without retaining any malice.
Planchet obtained from Rochefort the rank of sergeant in the guards.
M. Bonacieux lived on very quietly, perfectly ignorant what had become
of his wife, and caring very little about the matter. One day he had the
imprudence to intrude himself upon the memory of the cardinal; the cardinal
had him informed that he would provide for him, so that he should never want
for anything in the future. In fact, M. Bonacieux having left his house at
seven o`clock in the evening to go to the Louvre, never appeared again in the
Rue des Fossoyeurs; the opinion of those who seemed to be the best informed
was that he was fed and lodged in some royal castle, at the expense of his
generous eminence.
The End.
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