"I'm here," replied a gruff, coarse voice. And a man who looked like a groom approached. He was hardly distinguishable in the gloom, in spite of the lantern he carried, which lighted nothing but the pavement at his feet. He turned toward the open door of the huge vehicle. "Ah! so it's you, Sleepy-head," cried the conductor. "My name's not Sleepy-head; it's Coclès," replied the groom, in a surly tone, "and I am looking for the citizen Charles." "You come from citizeness Teutch, don't you?" said the boy, in a soft tone that formed an admirable contrast to the groom's surly tones. "Yes, from the citizeness Teutch. Well, are you ready, citizen?" "Conductor," said the boy, "you will tell them at home--" "That you arrived safely, and that there was some one to meet you; don't worry about that, Monsieur Charles." "Oh, ho!" said the groom, in a tone verging upon a menace, as he drew near the conductor and the boy. "Well, what do you mean with your 'Oh, ho'?" "I mean that the words you use may be all right in the Franche-Comté, but that they are all wrong in Alsace." "Really," said the conductor, mockingly, "you don't say so?" "And I would advise you," continued citizen Coclès, "to leave your _monsieurs_ in your diligence, as they are not in fashion here in Strasbourg. Especially now that we are so fortunate as to have citizens Lebas and Saint-Just within our walls." "Get along with your citizens Lebas and Saint-Just! and take this young man to the Hôtel de la Lanterne." And, without paying further heed to the advice of citizen Coclès, the conductor entered the Hôtel de la Poste. The man with the torch followed the conductor with his eyes, muttering to himself; then he turned to the boy: "Come on, citizen Charles," he said. And he went on ahead to show the way. Strasbourg, even at its best, was never a gay, lively town, especially after the tattoo had been beaten for two hours; but it was duller than ever at the time when our story opens; that is to say, during the early part of the month of December, 1793. The Austro-Prussian army was literally at the gates of the city. Pichegru, general-in-chief of the Army of the Rhine, after gathering together all the scattered forces at his command, had, by force of will and his own example, restored discipline and resumed the offensive on the 18th Frimaire, three days before; organizing a war of skirmishing and sharpshooting, since he was powerless to offer battle. He had succeeded Houchard and Custine, who had been guillotined because they had met with reverses, and Alexandre de Beauharnais, who was also in danger of being guillotined. Furthermore, Saint-Just and Lebas were there, not only commanding Pichegru to conquer, but decreeing the victory. The guillotine followed them, charged with executing their decrees the instant they were made. And three decrees had been issued that very day.