these rolls, and drawing near to the coach holding the child
prisoners, I threw them in, when the guards were not looking. The
mothers and the children made signs to me of such gratitude that I
resolved to give food to all the other prisoners, and piece by piece,
I gave them all the provisions which Spire had made for the two days
journey to Toulouse, which we were about to make.
We left, at last, without Spire having any suspicion of the
distribution which I had just made. The little prisoners blew me
kisses and their parents waved to me; but no sooner were we some
hundred paces from the post-house than my father, who had been in
haste to get away from a spectacle which distressed him, and had not
wished to eat at the inn, felt hungry, and asked for the provisions.
Spire pointed to the pockets in which he had placed them. My father
and M. Gault rummaged through all the interior of the coach, but
found nothing. My father grew angry with Spire, who from the height
of his seat, swore by all the saints that he had stuffed the coach
with food for two days. I was somewhat embarrassed; however, I did
not want poor Spire to be blamed any longer, so I admitted what I had
done. I expected to be scolded for acting without authority, but my
father put his arm round me in the most affectionate manner, and many
years after he still spoke with pleasure of my conduct on this
occasion.

From Cressensac to Toulouse the road was full of volunteers, going
to join the army of the Pyrenees, and making the air ring with
patriotic songs. I was charmed by this bustling spectacle and would
have been happy had it not been for my physical suffering. I had
never made a long journey by coach before, and I was sea-sick
throughout the trip, which decided my father to stop every night to
allow me some repose. I arrived at Toulouse feeling very tired, but