Chapter 17 Analysis: Aramis Is Sought, but Only Bazin Is Found
Spoiler Notice: This summary and analysis contains spoilers for Chapter 17 of Between Two Kings. If you haven’t read the chapter yet, proceed with caution.
Summary
D’Artagnan arrives at Athos’s estate shortly after the comte has departed. The steward Blaisois claims Athos is bound for Paris, but when pressed, admits the destination may be a decoy; Grimaud would never break a promise to carry money to Blaisois’s wife in Paris, and he didn’t. Realizing Athos is away on some unknown journey, d’Artagnan rides off with feigned nonchalance and decides his real target is Aramis in Melun.
Four days later, d’Artagnan locates the presbytery. He finds Bazin, once a musketeer servant, now a schoolmaster drilling a class of boys. Bazin gleefully reveals that Aramis has been made Bishop of Vannes by the fabulously wealthy superintendent Fouquet. Throughout a frugal supper, Bazin boasts of Fouquet’s magnificence, his stables, and his court, scoffing at d’Artagnan’s talk of the king’s prerogatives. The musketeer struggles to get real information; Bazin parries with smug platitudes.
That night d’Artagnan is awakened by a dazzling procession: Monsieur Fouquet’s retinue sweeps past the presbytery. Bazin stands at the window waving a handkerchief and cheering, while the superintendent laughs and bows from his carriage. D’Artagnan reflects on how Aramis always manages to attach himself to the greatest power and concludes that leaving the king’s service may have been wiser than he thought.
Key Events
- D’Artagnan learns from Blaisois that Athos has left on a journey, and that the stated Paris destination is likely a ruse.
- Deducting Athos is unavailable, d’Artagnan sets off for Melun to find Aramis.
- At the Melun presbytery, d’Artagnan encounters Bazin teaching a clamorous schoolroom.
- Bazin announces that Aramis is now Bishop of Vannes, elevated by the Superintendent of Finances, Fouquet.
- A tense supper conversation reveals Bazin’s absolute loyalty to Fouquet and his skepticism toward royal favor.
- A midnight procession of Fouquet’s court passes the house; Bazin hails it with almost comic reverence.
- D’Artagnan privately contrasts the self-sufficient wealth of Fouquet with the court of the king and muses on Aramis’s talent for aligning with power.
Character Development
D’Artagnan: His sharp deductive skills are on full display—he quickly sees through Blaisois’s story and adjusts his plans. The chapter highlights his pragmatic adaptability, but also a subtle weariness. He no longer acts for the king; instead he moves with a free-agent’s calculation. His final “Bah!” shows a man who has learned to curb impulsive passion with philosophical distance.
Bazin: Once a mere valet, Bazin now embodies worldly clerical ambition. He rules his classroom with a stick, yet he can barely conceal his delight in Fouquet’s grandeur. His smugness and unwavering faith in the superintendent’s power mirror the shifting allegiances of the era, where terrestrial wealth rivals royal authority.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Deception and Evasion: Athos’s false destination and Aramis’s absence create a trail of misdirection, reflecting the broader climate of political secrecy.
Old Loyalties vs. New Power: Bazin’s devotion to Fouquet—and his dismissal of the king’s prerogative—illustrates how the traditional fealty to the crown is being challenged by new centers of wealth.
Worldliness in the Church: Aramis’s rise as a bishop with Fouquet’s backing, and Bazin’s unapologetic materialism, underline the merger of spiritual office and political ambition.
The Passing of an Era: D’Artagnan’s detachment and his bemused musings on the “other stars” beside the royal sun signal the twilight of the musketeers’ former world.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter pivots the narrative away from Athos’s mysterious travels and toward the formidable partnership between Aramis and Fouquet. It serves as D’Artagnan’s first direct glimpse of the alternative power center that will shape the novel’s conflict. Bazin’s giddy praise gives readers a ground-level view of Fouquet’s magnetic influence, while d’Artagnan’s reactions—wary, calculating, yet intrigued—prepare the ground for his eventual entanglement with the superintendent’s faction. The chapter also deepens the motif of separation among the former musketeers, each now walking a path that may not easily converge again.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Blaisois suspect that Athos is not truly going to Paris?
Blaisois relies on Grimaud’s meticulous character. Grimaud had promised to take money to Blaisois’s wife on his next Paris trip; since he broke that promise, the journey must be elsewhere. This detail shows how even a servant’s word can serve as a credible clue in d’Artagnan’s world.
2. What does Bazin’s behavior reveal about the atmosphere surrounding Fouquet?
Bazin is openly scornful of royal authority, claiming the superintendent could hire every musketeer. His smug delight and the carnival-like applause for Fouquet’s nighttime procession suggest that the superintendent’s household fosters a near-rebellious confidence, treating the king’s court as secondary.
3. How does d’Artagnan’s reaction to the midnight procession reflect his changed outlook?
Instead of rushing to swear allegiance to the rising star, he watches from his window with detached amusement and a touch of sarcasm. He notes that no one laughs when the king passes by, implying that Fouquet’s open joy is human but less secure. His resignation (“Bah!”) signals a man no longer bound by duty, weighing his options with cool pragmatism.