“Let us first withdraw from this house; afterward we shall see.”
The young woman and the young man, without taking the trouble to shut the door after them, descended the Rue des Fossoyeurs rapidly, turned into the Rue des Fossés-Monsieur-le-Prince, and did not stop till they came to the Place St. Sulpice.
“And now what are we to do, and where do you wish me to conduct you?” asked D’Artagnan.
“I am at quite a loss how to answer you, I admit,” said Mme. Bonacieux. “My intention was to inform Monsieur Laporte, through my husband, in order that Monsieur Laporte might tell us precisely what had taken place at the Louvre in the last three days, and whether there is any danger in presenting myself there.”
“But I,” said D’Artagnan, “can go and inform Monsieur Laporte.”
“No doubt you could, only there is one misfortune, and that is that Monsieur Bonacieux is known at the Louvre, and would be allowed to pass; whereas you are not known there, and the gate would be closed against you.”
“Ah, bah!” said D’Artagnan; “you have at some wicket of the Louvre a concierge who is devoted to you, and who, thanks to a password, would—”
Mme. Bonacieux looked earnestly at the young man.
“And if I give you this password,” said she, “would you forget it as soon as you used it?”
“By my honor, by the faith of a gentleman!” said D’Artagnan, with an accent so truthful that no one could mistake it.