midnight
It will be remembered that our gallant officer had retired with Fleur-de-Lys several moments before Quasimodo had rescued the condemned girl from the hands of Charmolue . Afterwards , in all his visits to the Gondelaurier mansion he had taken care not to mention that woman , the memory of whom was , after all , painful to him ; and on her side , Fleur-de-Lys had not deemed it politic to tell him that the gypsy was alive . Hence Phœbus believed poor `` Similar '' to be dead , and that a month or two had elapsed since her death . Let us add that for the last few moments the captain had been reflecting on the profound darkness of the night , the supernatural ugliness , the sepulchral voice of the strange messenger ; that it was past midnight ; that the street was deserted , as on the evening when the surly monk had accosted him ; and that his horse snorted as it looked at Quasimodo . `` The gypsy ! '' he exclaimed , almost frightened . `` Look here , do you come from the other world ? ''