Therefore, although he had become a lieutenant of musketeers, D'Artagnan found himself still more isolated. He was not of sufficiently high birth, like Athos, to be admitted into the highest society, nor had he the vanity of Porthos, to make others believe that this was the case. But he had applied this acuteness to the small, and not the great, purposes of life. Such is the picture drawn of D'Artagnan at the beginning of the present story. Fortunately his shell of isolation is broken into.
Events come to a head demanding an alert mind and a resolute arm.
D'Artagnan intuitively grasps the situation. The brief contact, though destined to be broken again, leaves him re-imbued with the traits that had been lacking, and again ready to follow out his destiny more unswervingly. In sketching D'Artagnan, side-lights have been thrown upon the other three. Athos is living the quiet life of a country gentleman, giving close attention to the training of his young son, Raoul. He emerges from his retirement to take part in the Fronde and in the closing scenes of Charles I.'s career.