- [first lines]
- [eight horsemen are chasing a masked rider]
- Horseman #1: Ya! Ya! Faster! Faster!
- [the horsemen trap the masked rider in the courtyard of a ruined farmhouse]
- Horseman #2: Aye, you're surrounded. Give up!
- D'Artagnan: [a cloaked figure chuckles evilly as he emerges from the farmhouse] You didn't really think it would be that easy, did you?
- [the masked rider leaps to the ground and draws its sword]
- D'Artagnan: [drawing his sword in reply] All right then.
- D'Artagnan: [after a lengthy fight, the cloaked figure disarms the masked rider] All right, now...
- [the masked rider pulls out a dagger and points it at the throat of its adversary]
- D'Artagnan: Ahh! What other little tricks have you got up your sleeve, huh?
- [as a church bell tolls in the distance, the two adversaries break apart and uncloak their faces]
- D'Artagnan: Well, we many not have managed to kill each other today, but your mother will. We're late for dinner!
- Valentine D'Artagnan: Are you making excuses, old man?
- [D'Artagnan catches his daughter sneaking out of the house]
- D'Artagnan: Going somewhere?... You'll need this. It's a letter of introduction to Commander Finot of the Musketeers.
- Valentine D'Artagnan: Thank you, Papa.
- D'Artagnan: Now off you go to Paris. You've got two good reasons to be brave. First, you're a Gascon. Second, you're my daughter. Always fight at the least provocation and never submit to insults or edicts. Above all, remember who you are - a D'Artagnan.
- [drawing his sword]
- D'Artagnan: I want you to have this.
- Valentine D'Artagnan: Oh, Papa, your sword. You carried it when you were a Musketeer.
- D'Artagnan: There are only four like it in the whole of France. I've taught you to use a blade well. I hope you have as much good luck with this as I did.
- Valentine D'Artagnan: I promise you I'll live up to this. I'm gonna make you proud of me.
- D'Artagnan: I already am.
- [to Gaspar, after the swordsman demonstrates great fencing skill skill in front of the new recruits]
- Villeroi: Rule Number One: Never try and outshine the master.
- Villeroi: Ah, Commander Finot.
- Commander Finot: Villeroi.
- Villeroi: *Captain* Villeroi.
- Commander Finot: [chuckling] Captain Villeroi, is it?
- Villeroi: As Captain of the Cardinal's personal guard, you will refer to me as such.
- Commander Finot: What I should have called you was a liar and a coward.
- Villeroi: It fits you very well to speak of cowardice - you who lead a group of unskilled dregs trying to pass themselves off as men. You're relics to a day long past, and you, you're the saddest of them all.
- Commander Finot: [chuckles] Now I think you've somewhat deluded yourself, just as you did when you tried to convince yourself that you had the requisite honor and dignity to become a Musketeer and we all know how that worked out, don't we?
- [reading Valentine's letter of introduction from D'Artagnan]
- Commander Finot: Well, he speaks very highly of your skills
- Valentine D'Artagnan: I can outduel anyone in my village.
- Commander Finot: But good God, girl, you're a... girl!
- Valentine D'Artagnan: That should have nothing to do with it.
- Commander Finot: There will never be a female in the King's Musketeers!
- Commander Finot: [indicating Corinne's father] And you - stay away from that man's daughter.
- Gaston: Yes sir.
- Commander Finot: In fact, stay away from all women under the age of 50.
- Commander Finot: If only you were a man.
- Valentine D'Artagnan: If only you were half the man my father said you were!
- Cardinal Mazarin: Welcome back to France. We've missed you. How was England?
- Etienne: Full of Protestants.
- Mrs. Planchet: If it wasn't for me, you'd still be a servant.
- [Mrs. Planchet stalks off]
- Planchet: [to Valentine] And a happy one at that.
- Mrs. Planchet: I heard that!
- Marie Mancini: I will always love you, unless... .
- Captain Paul Mauriac: Unless what?
- Marie Mancini: Unless you develop a hump.
- Captain Paul Mauriac: [coyly] Well, actually, I'm developing one right now.
- Captain Paul Mauriac: When the Spanish princess arrives in Paris, I'll end this war and marry her, warts and all.
- Trevoux: If Cardinal Mazarin were bold enough to attack your own musketeers, sire, I'm afraid he might try to kill the princess before she arrives.
- Captain Paul Mauriac: He wouldn't dare!
- Trevoux: Your mistress is his niece, sire.
- Captain Paul Mauriac: Marie would never betray me... on purpose.
- [the Cardinal's Guard has ambushed a troop of the King's Musketeers, killing its commander]
- King Louis: This time, Mazarin has crossed the line!
- Trevoux: He would not do so, sire, unless he was very sure of himself.
- King Louis: How do I decrease Mazarin's hold over France?
- Trevoux: Increase your own.