er,
soon again regained her self-command. She endeavored to banish from
her mind all painful thoughts of her husband and her child, and to
accommodate herself as heroically as possible to her situation. The
prison regulations were very severe. The government allowed twenty
pence per day for the support of each prisoner. Ten pence was to be
paid to the jailer for the furniture he put into the cell; ten pence
only remained for food. The prisoners were, however, allowed to
purchase such food as they pleased from their own purse. Madame
Roland, with that stoicism which enabled her to triumph over all
ordinary ills, resolved to conform to the prison allowance. She took
bread and water alone for breakfast. The dinner was coarse meat and
vegetables. The money she saved by this great frugality she
distributed among the poorer prisoners. The only indulgence she
allowed herself was in the purchase of books and flowers. In reading
and with her pen she beguiled the weary days of her imprisonment. And
though at times her spirit was overwhelmed with anguish in view of her
desolate home and blighted hopes, she still found great solace in the
warm affections which sprang up around her, even in the uncongenial
atmosphere of a prison.

Though she had been compelled to abandon all the enthusiastic dreams
of her youth, she still retained confidence in her faith that these
dark storms would ere long disappear from the political horizon, and
that a brighter day would soon dawn upon the nations. No misfortunes
could disturb the serenity of her soul, and no accumulating perils
could daunt her courage. She immediately made a methodical arrangement
of her time, so as to appropriate stated employment to every hour. She
cheered herself with the reflection that her husband was safe in his
retreat, with kind friends ready to minister to all his wants. She
felt assured that her daughter was received with maternal love by one
who would ever watch over her with the tenderest care. The agitation
of the terrible conflict was over. She submitted with calmness and
quietude to her lot. After having been so long tossed by storms, she
seemed to find a peaceful harbor in her prison cell, and her spirit
wandered back to those days, so serene and happy, which she spent with
her books in the little chamber beneath her father's roof. She
however, made every effort in her power to regain her freedom. She
wrote to the Assembly, protesting against her illegal arrest