Their mother, whose health had been broken by hard work, in vain endeavoured to suppress her terror at the thoughts of this domiciliary visit; she repeated incessantly that she knew they should all be discovered, and that her children would be dragged to the guillotine before her face.

She was in such a distracted state, that they dreaded she would, the moment she saw the soldiers, reveal all she knew.
"If they question me, I shall not know what to answer," cried the terrified woman.

"What can I say ?--What can I do ?" Reasoning, entreaties, all were vain; she was not in a condition to understand, or even to listen to, anything that was said.

In this situation they were when the domiciliary visitors arrived--they heard the noise of the soldiers' feet on the stairs--the poor woman sprang from the arms of her children; but at the moment the door was opened, and she saw the glittering of the bayonets, she fell at full length in a swoon on the floor--fortunately before she had power to utter a syllable.

The people of the house knew, and said, that she was subject to fits on any sudden alarm; so that her being affected in this manner did not appear surprising.