Twenty Years After Chapter 23 Summary

Summary

The chapter follows the Duc de Beaufort as he prepares and executes one of his planned escapes from the fortress of Vincennes. While confined, Beaufort daydreams of vengeance against Mazarin and enjoyment of freedom; he fixates on how news of his escape will ripple through the Palais-Royal. La Ramee, the prison officer, indulges in a lavish meal and good humor, while Grimaud, taciturn and alert, sets the practical details in motion. Beaufort uses everyday routines—a tennis game, a dinner with a decorated pie, and La Ramee’s gourmandise—as cover for clandestine signals and hidden contraband.

As the hour approaches, Beaufort narrates his ‘‘method’’ to La Ramee: using tennis balls to exchange messages and hiding a rope ladder inside a pâté. La Ramee is flattered, frightened, and ultimately bound and gagged to provide plausible deniability while Grimaud extracts the ladder and other tools. The escape sequence unfolds rapidly: Grimaud descends first on the improvised apparatus, which breaks and sends him into the moat; the waiting allies rescue and secure him. Beaufort then descends without the board, relying on strength and agility, lands safely, meets Rochefort and two other cavaliers, mounts a horse, and rides off shouting his freedom. The chapter closes with Beaufort exultant at his successful flight, while Grimaud lies injured but instrumental to the plan.

Key events

1. Beaufort daydreams about vengeance and freedom while La Ramee prepares a festive dinner.
2. Grimaud positions himself by the wall and signals during a tennis game to rehearse the plan.
3. Beaufort reveals the escape plan: letters in tennis balls and a rope ladder hidden in a pâté.
4. La Ramee is threatened, bound and gagged to avoid being implicated; Grimaud withdraws the ladder from the pie.
5. Grimaud descends first but falls into the moat when the cord breaks and is rescued by allies.
6. Beaufort descends the wall without the board, reaches the moat, meets Rochefort and two cavaliers, and flees on horseback shouting 'Free!'

Analysis

This chapter stages a tightly choreographed escape that blends humor, tension, and character revelation. Dumas contrasts Beaufort’s theatrical courage and restlessness with La Ramee’s gourmandizing complacency and Grimaud’s inscrutable competence. The scene uses domestic detail (the pâté, the tennis game, the table) to disguise subterfuge, turning everyday rituals into tools of liberation. The pâté-as-container is a clever instance of mise-en-scène: food—associated with indulgence and trust—becomes the vehicle of revolt. Grimaud’s near-silent heroism crystallizes his loyalty and physical reliability despite earlier ominous descriptions; his fall complicates the triumph, introducing real risk and cost.

Narratively, the chapter accelerates plot momentum, moving Beaufort from passive captivity to active agency. The dialogue reveals social hierarchies and attitudes toward Mazarin and the court while keeping focus tightly on the immediate mechanics of escape. Dumas employs suspense by delaying the strike of seven and using precise stage directions—keys, ropes, clock strikes—to time the action. The mixture of comic banter and sudden violence (poniards, gagging, binding) underscores the novel’s blend of adventure and peril, and foreshadows how personal daring will continue to shape events. The escape also tests loyalties and exposes the moral compromises characters accept under pressure.

Important quotes

“Meanwhile time was passing on for the prisoner, as well as for those who were preparing his escape; only for him it passed more slowly.”

NarratorOpens the chapter by establishing Beaufort's impatience and the emotional tempo of captivity.

“"Seven o'clock!" said Grimaud, who had not spoken a word.”

Narrator (reporting Grimaud)The clock strike signals the precise moment for the escape to begin and highlights Grimaud's rare, pivotal utterance.

““Free! free! free!””

Duc de BeaufortBeaufort's triumphant cry as he mounts his horse and flees, emphasizing the emotional payoff of the escape.

Characters in Chapter 23

• Duc de Beaufort
• La Ramee
• Grimaud
• Monsieur de Chavigny
• Mazarin
• Noirmont
• Père Marteau
• De Rochefort
• the three cavaliers (unnamed)