| Victor Marie Hugo (1802–1885). Notre Dame de Paris. |
| The Harvard Classics Shelf of Fiction. 1917. |
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| Book X |
| VI. The Pass-Word |
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| ON quitting the Bastille, Gringoire fled down the Rue Saint-Antoine with the speed of a runaway horse. Arrived at the Baudoyer Gate, he made straight for the stone cross in the middle of the square as if he discerned in the dark the figure of a man, clothed and hooded in black, sitting upon its steps. | 1 |
| “Is that you, master?” said Gringoire. | 2 |
| The figure rose. “Death and hell! you drive me mad, Gringoire. The watch on the tower of Saint-Gervais has just called the half after one.” | 3 |
| “It is no fault of mine,” returned Gringoire, “but of the watch and the King. I’ve had a narrow escape. I always miss being hanged within an ace. It is my predestination.” | 4 |
| “You miss everything,” retorted the other. “But come quickly now. Hast thou the pass-word?” | 5 |
| “Only think, master, I have seen the King. I’ve just left him. He wears worsted breeches. It was an adventure, I can tell you!” | 6 |
| “Oh, clappering mill-wheel of words! what’s thy adventure to me? Hast thou the truands’ pass-word?” | 7 |
| “I have it. Make yourself easy. ‘Dagger in pouch.’” | 8 |
| “Good! Without it we could not get through to the church; the truands block the streets. Luckily, they seem to have met with some opposition. We may yet arrive in time.” | 9 |
| “Yes, master; but how are we to gain entrance into Notre Dame?” | 10 |
| “I have the key of the tower.” | 11 |
| “And how shall we get out again?” | 12 |
| “There is a small door at the back of the cloister opening on to the Terrain and the waterside. I have got the key, and I moored a boat there this morning.” | 13 |
| “I had a near shave of being hanged,” repeated Gringoire. | 14 |
| “Quick, then, let us be going!” said the other; and both started off at full speed towards the city. | 15 |
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