- D’Artagnan meets Planchet at nine; Planchet is armed and D’Artagnan has his sword and two pistols. The two head out; at first Planchet rides behind D’Artagnan but he gradually moves his horse forward.
- As the two are riding through the woods, Planchet’s mind again turns to Bonacieux. D’Artagnan again makes light of his servant’s fears.
- Shortly, they come to a point where D’Artagnan plans to leave Planchet behind. Planchet isn’t too keen on this idea and points out that the night is cold. D’Artagnan tells Planchet to go to one of the inns and to be ready to meet him at six in the morning.
- So our hero continues to the pavilion and waits for his beloved. He passes the time dreaming pleasant thoughts. The time strikes as he stares at a building where a light shines through the trees. He waits another half-hour. Finally, he begins to get scared. Eleven o’clock rings out and he gets more scared. He worries and then decides to climb into the window that’s lit.
- When D’Artagnan reaches the first floor window (a "first floor" window really means second-floor to us Americans), he sees a chaotic scene and evidence of a struggle. He searches the room and finds a woman’s torn and scented glove that he keeps.
- The more he searches, the more he worries.
- He runs along a path and finds a ferryman whom he interrogates. At about seven in the evening, the man took over a young woman, who must have been Madame Bonacieux.
- D’Artagnan reads and rereads his letter from Madame Bonacieux (otherwise known as Constance) to make sure that he was unmistaken about the time and place.
- D’Artagnan spots a nearby cottage and decides that its inhabitant must have seen the episode.
- He knocks and a fearful old man pokes out his head.
- D’Artagnan begs to learn what happened, and tells the old man his own circumstances.
- The old man tells D’Artagnan that at nine o’clock three strange men with horses and a carriage wanted a ladder. They took his ladder, gave him some money, and warned him not to tell anyone of what he might see and hear that night.
- The old man pretends to go inside but house but really stands outside to watch everything unfold.
- The old man tells D’Artagnan that a little man came out of the carriage, ascended the ladder, and peeked into the first floor window of the pavilion, reporting back "it is she!"
- One of the men takes a key and goes into the pavilion while the other two men go up to the window.
- Then he heard a woman screaming and crying. The men throw her into the carriage and drive off.
- D’Artagnan is clearly upset. The old man points out that at least she’s not dead.
- D’Artagnan asks for a description of the leader, who turns out to be the Man from Meung. D’Artagnan then asks about the short man, whom, the old man says, was not a gentleman.
- D’Artagnan promises that he won’t reveal the old man as his source of information, and heads for the ferry, his mind "torn by doubt, grief, and despair." And he misses his friends.
- At this point it’s past midnight and D’Artagnan goes to find Planchet. No luck. D’Artagnan realizes he’s better off waiting for the appointed hour of six o’clock, and he stops in a cabaret for some wine and rest.
- There he finds Planchet.