As it turns out, Athos’s reaction was the only way to protect Madame de Bonacieux, who is apparently alive and doing well. Her current location suggests that she was indeed the person in the carriage who d’Artagnan rode out to meet earlier in the story. As the musketeers celebrate, the cardinal reacts in a surprising fashion. Although he is angry, his anger is not because of Athos’s insult; rather, he is annoyed that the musketeers are better men than his guards.