Ten Years Later

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

1258

Title

Ten Years Later

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in 17th-century France, this novel follows the Duke of Buckingham and the Marquis de Wardes as they navigate political intrigue and personal vendettas. The narrative culminates in a dramatic duel on a receding tide, exploring themes of honor, loyalty, and the volatile nature of power.

Summary up to 500 words

In the concluding volume of the D'Artagnan series, *Ten Years Later*, Alexandre Dumas shifts the narrative focus to the Marquis de Wardes and the Duke of Buckingham. The story culminates in a fatal duel between the two men on a small island surrounded by rapidly rising tides. Following a tense confrontation fueled by mutual animosity, Buckingham wounds Wardes, but the encroaching sea threatens to drown both combatants. In a striking display of complex chivalry, Buckingham saves Wardes from drowning, revealing a deep-seated conflict between his hatred and his code of honor. The narrative also explores the harsh realities of imprisonment through a subplot involving the Bastille. Here, Aramis and Governor Baisemeaux visit a prisoner, highlighting the influence of Cardinal Mazarin and the grim conditions within the fortress. The text concludes with Wardes being rescued by fishermen and carried to safety, wrapped in Buckingham's doublet, leaving his ultimate fate uncertain but his life preserved. The volume opens with a scene at the hostelry of Master Cropole, where an unknown, handsome, and melancholy gentleman arrives in anticipation of King Louis XIV's visit. Despite his destitution, the gentleman pays his lodging in full, offering a diamond as collateral when his funds run low, demonstrating noble integrity amidst poverty. The story then transitions to the Bastille, where Aramis and Baisemeaux tour the dungeons. They encounter a young prisoner, the author of a controversial distich, who is devastated by his mother's poverty and begs for release. Baisemeaux, moved by the boy's plight, arranges for him to receive extra rations and wine, illustrating the governor's kindness amidst the prison's oppressive atmosphere. The final act takes place at Calais, where the two rivals prepare for their duel as the tide rises. They engage in a fierce sword fight that leaves both men wounded. As the water swallows the island, Buckingham carries the dying Wardes toward safety, defying his own sailors' hostility to ensure his French opponent's survival. The volume ends with Wardes being transferred to fishermen, wrapped in the Duke's discarded doublet, a poignant symbol of the enduring bond between enemies forged in the crucible of death and the sea.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• History
• Fiction