Of the Company Formed at the Golden Pestle

Spoiler notice: This page reveals plot details of Chapter XX.

Summary

In Planchet’s grocery shop under the sign of the Golden Pestle, d’Artagnan unveils his scheme to restore the exiled Charles II to the English throne. He plans to raise forty men with forty thousand livres—half from his own purse, half borrowed from Planchet—and sail to England to capture General Monck, the taciturn master of the nation. Planchet, who remembers the bloody history of Charles I, is initially aghast; he rattles off obstacles such as the Parliament, the army, and the entire English nation. D’Artagnan dismisses them all: the nation prefers drinking songs to psalms, the army can be avoided by stealth, and Parliament is a mere debating club. He recounts how Oliver Cromwell died and how his successor Richard proved insignificant, leaving power in the hands of the inscrutable Monck. Warming to the venture, Planchet timidly offers a third “possibility” for the captured general: put him in a cage and charge admission. The chapter closes as the two old comrades form their improbable business company, agreed to finance and execute d’Artagnan’s grand plan.

Key Events

D’Artagnan reminds Planchet of the tragic history of Charles I and the existence of his exiled son, Charles II.
He lays out a scheme to restore the Stuart king by a daring expedition to England.
Planchet reels off the daunting forces standing in the way: Parliament, the army, and the nation that approved the regicide.
D’Artagnan counters every objection, insisting he can avoid pitched battles and that the Puritan establishment will crumble.
The conversation pivots to the late Oliver Cromwell, his weak son Richard, and the current strongman, General Monck.
D’Artagnan reveals the heart of the plan: sail with forty hand‑picked men, abduct Monck, and bring him to France to create two—later three—lucrative options.
Planchet, carried away, suggests exhibiting Monck in a cage for profit, a notion that amuses d’Artagnan.
The two agree to form a company, combining equal sums of twenty thousand livres each, under the roof of the Golden Pestle.

Character Development

D’Artagnan: The Gascon’s characteristic blend of boldness, strategic cunning, and theatrical persuasion is on full display. He frames a near‑impossible royal restoration as a sound business deal, showing his knack for turning high politics into a personal venture.
Planchet: The former valet turned prosperous confectioner proves himself a shrewd, cautious partner. While initially fearing for d’Artagnan’s sanity, he soon reveals a merchant’s practical imagination—his cage‑and‑admission idea exposes a mercenary streak that complements d’Artagnan’s romantic ambition. His respect for his old master remains, but he now speaks as an equal investor.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Adventure as commerce: The chapter’s title and setting (the grocery shop with the Golden Pestle sign) reframe a monarchist coup as a merchant’s joint venture, blending high romance with bourgeois calculation.
Power vacuums and the lone operator: The memory of Cromwell and the insignificance of his son underscore the novel’s motif that a single capable man—Monck, or d’Artagnan himself—can tip the scales of nations.
History as memory: Planchet’s vivid recollection of Grimaud’s tale of Charles I’s execution and Mordaunt’s death ties the new scheme to the emotional weight of the past, giving d’Artagnan’s argument a moral urgency beneath the swagger.
The cage motif: Planchet’s half‑comic proposal of caging Monck crystallises the chapter’s playful suggestion that power can be packaged and sold, a satirical nod to the commodification of politics.

Why This Chapter Matters

This is the hinge where Between Two Kings commits to its central plot. D’Artagnan’s plan transforms a threadbare historical premise—the Restoration of Charles II—into a personal, daring intrigue. By recruiting Planchet as a financier and partner, the novel binds the heroic world of the musketeer with the rising world of the Parisian bourgeoisie. The conversation also economically introduces General Monck, the silent figure who will become the story’s antagonist and, paradoxically, its most coveted prize. Without this chapter’s compact business negotiation, the entire adventure that follows would have no engine.

Study Questions

How does d’Artagnan claim he can overcome the English army and Parliament?
He asserts he will never fight a pitched battle; instead, he will rely on tactical retreats and stealth, avoiding the army altogether. As for Parliament, he dismisses it as a talking‑shop unworthy of fear, a body that “doesn’t sing at all” and will collapse once Monck is removed.
What role does Planchet’s grocery business play in the formation of the company?
The shop under the Golden Pestle provides both a literal meeting place and a financial base. D’Artagnan proposes a joint venture of forty thousand livres, half borrowed from Planchet, and the two agree to operate the expedition as a commercial enterprise, mirroring Planchet’s own sweet‑shop model of supply and profit.
What does Planchet’s proposal to exhibit Monck in a cage reveal about his character?
It shows his pragmatic, slightly mercenary turn of mind. Though initially fearful, he quickly reframes the political kidnapping as a popular attraction, demonstrating an instinct for profit and a sturdy realism that grounds d’Artagnan’s lofty ambition. His suggestion also injects a note of earthy humour into the grandiose scheme.