y might commit, and she
desired me to scratch my face with my nails, and disfigure myself, in
case they should wish to carry me off! Did you ever hear such an idea?

Well! ere long the national guards marched in with their bands
playing. Papa went to meet them with a deputation. Our servants all
ran out to see the soldiers, and I could not find mamma anywhere; the
day before, she had never ceased searching for a place to conceal
herself in--never answering me when I called and looked for her; and
if by chance I found her in a wardrobe, or in the clock, she scolded
me severely for discovering her hiding-place.

As I was left quite alone, I thought the best thing I could do was to
lay out the table with every sort of eatable and wine I could find;
that at least these national guards should not eat me, but find
something else prepared for them; and I determined in my own mind to
give them quietly every thing they asked for, and let them see I did
not fear them in the least; and then I waited with the utmost
resignation to hear cries for help through the streets.

At last the sound of spurred footsteps and clinking swords echoed
along the corridor, but no noise or swearing; _au contraire_, a very
polite double knock at the door. In my terror or flurry, however, I
had no power to say, Come in. But do not imagine they broke in the
door with their muskets--not at all, they only repeated the knock, and
waited till I gave permission, in a trembling voice--expecting at
least six dog-faced Tartars to enter, with square heads and skin
caps--beards down to their girdles, and dressed in bears' hides, with
leather sacks over their shoulders, to thrust their plunder into; and
covered all over with pistols and knives, as I have heard mamma
describe them; but conceive my surprise, when, instead of all this,
two young officers walked in; one fair, and the other dark, but very
well dressed, and just like other people.

They wore small fur cloaks across their shoulders, and under this, a
tight-fitting attila--no idea of skins or square heads; indeed, the
dark one was quite a handsome youth.

Their first action was to beg pardon for any inconvenience they might
cause; to which I replied, that I considered it no inconvenience
whatever, and was ready to serve them in any way they wanted.

The dark youth, glancing at the table, could scarcely refrain from a
smile, which embarrassed me extremely, as I thought he must have
supposed I had p