g to the wants of the needy, and receiving the recompense of
grateful hearts. Thus, on the free wing of imagination, she penetrated
all scenes of beauty, and spread them out in vivid reality before her
eye. At times she almost forgot that she was a captive. Well might she
have exclaimed, in the language of Maria Antoinette, "What a resource,
amid the calamities of life, is a highly-cultivated mind!"

A few devoted friends periled their own lives by gaining occasional
access to her. During the dark hours of that reign of terror and of
blood, no crime was more unpardonable than the manifestation of
sympathy for the accused. These friends, calling as often as prudence
would allow, brought to her presents of fruit and of flowers. At last
the jailer's wife, unable to resist the pleadings of her own heart for
one whom she could not but love and admire, ventured to remove her to
a more comfortable apartment, where the daylight shone brightly in
through the iron bars of the window. Here she could see the clouds and
the birds soaring in the free air. She was even allowed, through her
friends, to procure a piano-forte, which afforded her many hours of
recreation. Music, drawing, and flowers were the embellishments of her
life. Madame Bouchaud, the wife of the jailer, conceived for her
prisoner the kindest affection, and daily visited her, doing every
thing in her power to alleviate the bitterness of her imprisonment. At
last her sympathies were so aroused, that, regardless of all
prudential considerations, she offered to aid her in making her
escape. Madame Roland was deeply moved by this proof of devotion, and,
though she was fully aware that she must soon place her head upon the
scaffold, she firmly refused all entreaties to escape in any way
which might endanger her friend. Others united with Madame Bouchaud in
entreating her to accept of her generous offer. Their efforts were
entirely unavailing. She preferred to die herself rather than to incur
the possibility of exposing those who loved her to the guillotine. The
kindness with which Madame Roland was treated was soon spied out by
those in power. The jailer was severely reprimanded, and ordered
immediately to remove the piano-forte from the room, and to confine
Madame Roland rigorously in her cell. This change did not disturb the
equanimity of her spirit. She had studied so deeply and admired so
profoundly all that was noble in the most illustrious characters of
antiquity, t