The Man In The Iron Mask

Alexandre DumasFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 1850

A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.

Download PDF

Chapters 34-36Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 34 Summary

D’Artagnan returns to Paris just as King Louis has gone out on a hunting trip. Instead of going immediately after him, D’Artagnan uses the next few hours to clean himself up and learn what has happened in his absence. He learns that despite being in the king’s favor, Fouquet is anxious and ill, and no physician can cure him. He also learns that the queen mother is depressed, and the king’s brother has become more pious, Colbert was radiant—perhaps pridefully—and La Valliere had become entirely “indispensable” to the king. D’Artagnan uses the king’s time away from the castle to attempt a private conversation with La Valliere about Raoul. He finds her among other ladies of the court, who inquire about De Beaufort’s expedition to Africa. When D’Artagnan says that Raoul is going as De Beaufort’s aide-de-camp, the women antagonize La Valliere, tormenting her with the thought that Raoul only went to die in Africa because she broke his heart. King Louis returns and orders D’Artagnan to ride ahead to prepare for his arrival at the estates in Nantes.

Chapter 35 Summary

D’Artagnan stops at Fouquet’s offices to exchange a voucher for funds given to him by the king for his trip. He finds Fouquet in his chambers with the Epicureans, and they briefly discuss the trip to Nantes. Fouquet provides the funds, then offers D’Artagnan a glass of wine so they can toast to the king’s health. After D’Artagnan leaves, Fouquet and his friends discuss the places they would be able to go with the money they have left. Pelisson suggests he go to Nantes, then Belle-Isle. Fouquet agrees and decides to leave at once. However, before he can even leave the room, a messenger from the king delivers a letter ordering that Fouquet’s remaining 700,000 pounds fund the court’s trip to Nantes. The king wrote that the letter is a receipt for the funds' transfer, so the money is already gone, leaving Fouquet with no funds remaining. Fouquet faints, and his Epicureans load him into a carriage, leaving immediately.

Chapter 36 Summary

While on the road to Nantes, D’Artagnan rides ahead of his musketeers, using post horses to keep a fast pace. He rides past Colbert’s house, where he sees Colbert and two hooded women getting into a carriage. D’Artagnan catches up to the carriage, curious to learn the women's identities. He rides close enough to startle them, so they look out the window at him, and he sees one of the women is Mme. Vanel, Colbert’s mistress, while the other is the Duchesse de Chevreuse. The carriage drops Vanel off at her husband’s house, and De Chevreuse continues riding with Colbert. She turns the conversation to Colbert’s inevitable promotion to surintendant and expresses her intention to fully support him in this position. De Chevreuse explains to Colbert that Fouquet will be ruined once the king reaches Nantes and learns of Fouquet’s involvement in the great secret about Philippe. De Chevreuse also stresses the importance of not letting Aramis get away—as the General of the Jesuits, he could ruin them for what they know.

Chapters 34-36 Analysis

There are substantial changes at court since the revelation of Philippe, the secret twin, and all the schemes surrounding the switch. Fouquet’s immense anxiety stems from the fact that he sees his being in the king’s favor as a temporary, insecure position that can change at any time because, despite his freeing the king from the Bastille, Fouquet still mismanaged royal funds and his actions have left the crown quite poor. The queen mother, Queen Anne of Austria, is depressed because she was confronted with the reality of her late husband’s actions and the consequences of separating the twins. They worried that the two might have grown up in conflict, but by separating them and treating them so differently, the queen mother and late king unwittingly created just cause for conflict. When faced with the man her son has become, Queen Anne is deeply upset and holds herself the most accountable for everything.

D’Artagnan’s diligence in his job is why he uncovers more information about the plot to switch the kings. By riding ahead of his men, his path intersects with Colbert’s at the most opportune moment for him to learn of their plan to oust Fouquet not only from the king’s favor but also from his position as the surintendant of finances. The reader has likely known for several chapters now that Colbert is determined to usurp Fouquet’s job, but this scene in the carriage makes it clear what his plans are. Interestingly, De Chevreuse wants Aramis held accountable for his orchestrating the switch. If he goes free, he could reveal their schemes to replace Fouquet with Colbert.