Twenty Years After · Chapter
LXXI: Port Wine explained
The servants Blaisois, Mousqueton, and Grimaud discuss their thirst and devise a plan to steal port wine from the English.
What happens
The servants Blaisois, Mousqueton, and Grimaud discuss their thirst and devise a plan to steal port wine from the English. Grimaud enters the hold through a hole in the partition, but instead of wine, he discovers gunpowder and overhears Mordaunt and Groslow plotting to blow up the ship at a quarter past midnight.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Rising action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the dramatic climax because it marks the psychological and political reversal of Madame de Longueville…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Revenge and Justice
Mordaunt's plot to blow up the ship is driven by a desire for revenge against the musketeers, highlighting the theme of personal vengeance.
- Class and Ambition
The servants' scheme to steal wine reflects their lower-class cunning and ambition to enjoy what their masters possess.
Characters to notice
- Mousqueton
Leads the plan to steal port wine, displaying his marauding character and disdain for the English.
- Blaisois
Naive servant who questions the morality of stealing but is persuaded by Mousqueton's arguments.
- Grimaud
Laconic and resourceful; enters the hold to fetch wine but discovers gunpowder and overhears the assassination plot.
- Mordaunt
Plans revenge by setting a gunpowder fuse to blow up the ship, speaking in French and coordinating with Groslow.
- Groslow
Captain who assists Mordaunt in the plot, ensuring the longboat and oars are ready.
- Porthos
Heard snoring through the partition, indicating the masters are asleep and unaware of the danger.
Key passages
“Why buy what one can take?”
Why purchase something when you can simply steal it?
Mousqueton justifies theft from the English, whom he considers enemies.
“Nothing one does not do one's self is ever well done.”
A task is only done properly when you do it yourself.
Mordaunt insists on personally setting the fuse, showing his determination and distrust of others.
