The Man In The Iron Mask

Aramis is in shock following Porthos’s death. The Bretons guide him to the canoe, and they set off for open water. Aramis remains quiet during their voyage, which unsettles the superstitious Bretons. After some time, Aramis falls asleep. The Bretons awake him as they are being pursued by a larger ship. Through Aramis’s telescope, the Bretons can see the men aboard preparing a cannon aimed at their canoe. Aramis declares it is better to wait for the ship to catch up since their small canoe cannot outrun it. When the ship reaches them, the commander states he is there to capture Aramis, and Aramis surrenders. Once aboard the ship, Aramis confers with the commandant, who concedes to Aramis’s authority—much to the surprise of the crew and the Bretons. That night when Aramis sleeps, the board of the rail upon which he rests his head is wet with his tears.

When D’Artagnan reaches Nantes in the morning, he tries at once to get an audience with the king, but his requests are refused. D’Artagnan thinks that because the king will not see him, he has no further use for him, and this thought prompts D’Artagnan to tender his resignation as captain of the musketeers.