- D’Artagnan asks his friends what he should do with the money. Athos suggests a good meal, Porthos suggests a good servant, and Aramis suggests getting a girlfriend.
- The friends have a good meal and they’re waited on by a good servant named Planchet, who works for Porthos. Since Porthos already has got a lackey named Mousqueton, he tells Planchet to begin working for D’Artagnan. When Planchet sees D’Artagnan throwing around gold like water, he becomes very happy.
- Next we have Athos’s servant Grimaud who must adjust to his master’s quiet ways. The man doesn’t laugh and barely talks, preferring instead to communicate via body language.
- Although Athos is handsome and smart, he doesn’t appear to "hang out" with the ladies very often. Based on his comments when other men are talking about the fairer sex, it seems that Athos doesn’t like women very much. (We later learn that a woman broke his heart.)
- Since he really hates talking, Athos has trained Grimaud to obey movements. Athos almost never actually talks to his servant. When Grimaud misinterprets the order, Athos beats him. No, do not try this at home.
- Porthos has the reverse personality—he loves to talk and he loves to exaggerate.
- It makes sense then that his servant, Mousqueton, loves to dress well.
- Aramis has a servant named Bazin, who likes to pretend his master is actually a churchman. Bazin is quite devout.
- Next, the narrator begins describing each of the Musketeers’ dwellings.
- Athos lives in an apartment of two small rooms, sparsely furnished, where a beautiful and expensive sword, a casket, and a portrait are the only marks of incredible wealth. (Porthos is particularly envious of the sword.)
- Porthos lives in a large, extravagant, and very fashionable apartment, which no one is allowed to see.
- Aramis lives in a small apartment on the ground floor with a lovely little garden.
- D’Artagnan tries to pierce the real identities of each of the Musketeers, but no luck. The real names of Porthos, Aramis, and Athos remain hidden.
- Time passes, and soon the forty pistoles run out. Planchet (D’Artagnan’s new servant) starts to complain that he didn’t sign up for this lifestyle.
- Athos recommends firing Planchet; Porthos recommends beating him; Aramis recommends ignoring him.
- D’Artagnan is unsure how to take this—he wonders how to "inspire either the affection, the terror, or the respect in Planchet."
- Then the three friends compare the master-servant relationship to the husband-wife relationship.
- D’Artagnan then beats Planchet and forbids him from quitting the job. He tells Planchet that their circumstances are sure to eventually improve.
- It works! Planchet stays.
- The four men are now BFFs and spend all their time together. This includes guard duty—D’Artagnan joins whoever of his friends is patrolling as a Musketeer, and quickly becomes accepted into the group at large. Tréville remains impressed with the young man and continues praising him to the King.
- The four are thus known as the Inseparables. Get four for the price of one!
- D’Artagnan is finally admitted as a cadet into M. de Chevalier Dessessart’s company of guards, which he reluctantly accepts. (Remember, his dream is to become a Musketeer!)
- Even though he’s serving in a different company, Porthos, Aramis, and Athos still faithfully stick by his side. M. de Chevalier Dessessart’s company thus gets four for the price for one.