"M.

Pascal, who loved truth above all things," writes his niece, Marguerite Perier; "who, moreover, was pulled down by a pain in the head, which never left him; who had exerted himself to make them feel as he himself felt; and who had expressed himself very vigorously in spite of his weakness, was so grief-stricken that he had a fit, and lost speech and consciousness.

Everybody was alarmed.

Exertions were made to bring him round, and then those gentlemen withdrew.

When he was quite recovered, Madame Perier asked him what had caused this incident.