"But," said Charles, lowering his voice, "you called me monsieur out loud. Are you not afraid that you will lose your place?"
"Oh! I say, captain," laughed the young man, "here is a young citizen who is afraid that I shall lose my place for calling him monsieur! Do you know any one who wants my place? I will do him the honor of giving it to him instantly."
The captain replied only by a sad smile and a shrug; but Charles thought he heard him murmur, "Poor devil!"
"Tell me," continued the young man in the white cloak, "since you are from Besançon—for you do come from there, do you not?"
"I do not deny it," replied Charles.
"You must know a family there named Sainte-Hermine."
"Yes, a widowed mother whose husband was guillotined eight months ago."
"That is the one," said the young man, lifting his eyes to heaven.
"And three sons."