Chapter XXII: D’Artagnan Travels for the House of Planchet and Co.

Spoiler Warning: This summary and analysis contain plot details from Chapter 22 of Between Two Kings.

Summary

D’Artagnan arrives at the Grand Monarch Inn in Calais, a dockside tavern, right as a dice game explodes into a brawl. Among the chaos, he spots his ten newly hired men sitting calmly on the sidelines, refusing to join the fight until one is directly provoked. The recruits reveal themselves as disciplined, hard-hitting fighters who rout the sailors with furniture and well-placed blows. D’Artagnan ends the melee with his sword and a commanding shout, then leads the men to the dunes to disclose their mission.

Under the cover story that they are investigating English smuggling for Superintendent Fouquet, the troop will pose as Picard fishermen. Four of the men turn out to have genuine sailing experience, a lucky break that makes the sea voyage possible. D’Artagnan divides the group for the journey to The Hague, keeping two former guardsmen close and feeding them a false secret—that they are actually meant to harm English trade through French smuggling—certain that drink will spread the lie among the others. Two weeks later, the company reassembles in The Hague.

There d’Artagnan observes the exiled Charles II walking alone in the dunes at Scheveningen, staring mournfully across the North Sea. Struck by the king’s melancholy, d’Artagnan rents a fishing boat, secretly embarks his soldiers, and at three in the morning sets out at high tide, launching the undercover operation for Planchet and Company.

Key Events

• D’Artagnan arrives at the Grand Monarch Inn and witnesses a sailor brawl while his ten recruits stay out of the fight.
• The recruits eventually join the brawl when one of their own is attacked, displaying tactical combat skills.
• D’Artagnan quells the fight with drawn sword and the shouted command “Holà!”
• On the dunes, d’Artagnan unveils the cover story: they are Picard fishermen investigating English smuggling on behalf of Fouquet.
• Four of the recruits reveal sailing backgrounds; the troop now has both land and sea capability.
• D’Artagnan splits the men, gives a false secret to two favorites, and sets a two-week rendezvous in The Hague.
• In The Hague, d’Artagnan learns Charles II is staying in Scheveningen and observes the exiled king’s solitary evening walks.
• D’Artagnan rents a dogger fishing boat, pays a deposit, and secretly boards his men at night.
• At high tide, with the former galley slave as pilot, d’Artagnan sets sail to begin the real mission.

Character Development

D’Artagnan acts as a master strategist and leader. He tests his men by letting the brawl unfold, judges their sangfroid and combat effectiveness, then commands absolute obedience with a single word. His false confession to the two favorites is a classic intelligence tactic, showing how he manipulates information to control his troop. The chapter also reveals a reflective side when he watches Charles II—the tough soldier pauses to absorb the pathos of exile.

The Recruits emerge as a rough but capable band. Their response to the brawl demonstrates both restraint and ferocity. The revelation of their nautical pasts—from galley slavery to piracy—adds color and hints at the criminal underworld d’Artagnan is willing to employ for this secret task.

Themes and Motifs

• Disguise and Deception: The entire operation rests on a manufactured identity. D’Artagnan layers false stories—Picard fishermen, a fake smuggling objective—to keep his true purpose hidden even from his own men.
• The Command of Neptune: The narrator explicitly casts d’Artagnan as Neptune pronouncing Quos ego, the Virgilian god calming the winds. This motif elevates his authority to mythic proportions and underscores the theme of mastery over chaos.
• Exile and Melancholy: Charles II’s lonely walks on the shore mirror the chapter’s deeper political undercurrent. The sea that separates him from England becomes a visual symbol of his banishment, just as it separated Mary Stuart from France.
• The Soldier’s Trade: The brawl is described with technical admiration—“placing their blows with a tactical skill it was a pleasure to behold.” The chapter celebrates professional competence in violence, a recurring value in D’Artagnan’s world.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter 22 is the logistical backbone of the expedition D’Artagnan has been secretly planning since his partnership with Planchet. It transforms abstract scheming into concrete action: the men are assembled, tested, briefed, and finally launched into the North Sea. The chapter also introduces the emotional landscape of the novel’s larger conflict by presenting Charles II not as a remote claimant but as a forlorn figure mourning his lost kingdom. D’Artagnan’s quiet observation of the king adds a layer of personal sympathy that will color his choices in the chapters ahead. Without this chapter’s careful set-up, the sea voyage and the later intelligence work would lack credibility.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does d’Artagnan test his recruits in Calais, and what does the test prove? D’Artagnan watches the brawl without intervening until the recruits are drawn in. He observes that they remain detached, react only when directly attacked, and then fight with calculated brutality rather than wild brawling. The test proves they possess the discipline, loyalty, and combat skill necessary for a covert mission.

2. Why does d’Artagnan give a false confession to his two favorites, and why is it effective? He tells them the real goal is to harm English trade through French smuggling, knowing they will likely leak this “secret” during carousing. The stratagem creates a believable but harmless layer of information behind which the actual plan remains hidden. It works because it exploits the men’s natural indiscretion after drinking, turning a potential security risk into a tool of deception.

3. How does the portrait of Charles II at Scheveningen contribute to the novel’s themes? The scene shows the exiled king as a solitary figure, separated from his homeland by the sea, mirroring the historical melancholy of the Stuarts. It deepens the theme of exile and sets up the human stakes of the political intrigue. For d’Artagnan, the sight may reinforce his sense of purpose—the mission touches something beyond mere profit for Planchet’s company.

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