“For two or three months following, I was subject to continual harassments, partly through my ignorance of police management, and partly through the insatiable desire of every petty officer to enrich himself through our misfortunes. When the officers came to our house to confiscate our property, they insisted on knowing how much I had given the governor and prison officers to release the teachers from the inner prison. I honestly told them, and they demanded the sum from the governor, which threw him into a dreadful rage, and he threatened to put all the prisoners back into their original place. I went to him the next morning, and the first words with which he accosted me were, ‘You are very bad; why did you tell the royal treasurer that you had given me so much money?’ ‘The treasurer inquired; what could I say?’ I replied. Say that you had given nothing,’ said he, ‘and I would have made the teachers comfortable in prison; but now I know not what will be their fate.’ ‘But I can not tell a falsehood,’ I replied; ‘my religion differs from yours; it forbids prevarication; and had you stood by me with your knife raised, I could not have said what you suggest.’ His wife, who sat by his side, and who always, from this time, continued my firm friend, instantly said, ‘Very true; what else could she have done? I like such straightforward conduct; you must not,’ turning to the governor, ‘be angry with her.’ I then presented the governor with a beautiful opera-glass I had just received from England, and begged his anger at me would not influence him to treat the prisoners with unkindness, and I would endeavor, from time to time, to make him such presents as would compensate for his loss. ‘You may intercede for your husband only; for your sake he shall remain where he is; but let the other prisoners take care of themselves.’ I pleaded hard for Dr. Price; but he would not listen, and, the same day, had him returned to the inner prison, where he remained ten days. He was then taken out, in consequence of the doctor’s promising a piece of broadcloth, and my sending two pieces of handkerchiefs.
“About this period I was one day summoned to the Lut-d’hau in an official way. What new evil was before me I knew not, but was obliged to go. When arrived, I was allowed to _stand_ at the bottom of the stairs, as no female is permitted to ascend the steps, or even to stand, but sit on the ground. Hundreds were collected around. The officer who presided, in an authoritative voice began: ‘Speak the truth in answer to the questions I shall ask. If you speak true, no evil will follow; but if not, your life will not be spared. It is reported that you have committed to the care of a Burmese officer a string of pearls, a pair of diamond earrings, and a silver teapot. Is it true?’ ‘It is not,’ I replied; ‘and if you or any other person can produce these articles, I refuse not to die.’ The officer again urged the necessity of ‘speaking true.’ I told him I had nothing more to say on the subject, but begged he would use his influence to obtain the release of Mr. Judson from prison.
“I returned to the house with a heart much lighter than I went, though conscious of my perpetual exposure to such harassments. Notwithstanding the repulse I had met in my application to the queen, I could not remain without making continual efforts for your brother’s release, while there was the least probability of success. Time after time my visits to the queen’s sister-in-law were repeated, till she refused to answer a question, and told me by her looks I had better keep out of her presence. For the seven following months, hardly a day passed that I did not visit some one of the members of Government, or branches of the royal family, in order to gain their influence in our behalf; but the only benefit resulting was, their encouraging promises preserved us from despair, and induced a hope of the speedy termination of our difficulties, which enabled us to bear our distresses better than we otherwise should have done. I ought, however, to mention that, by my repeated visits to the different members of Government, I gained several friends, who were ready to assist me with articles of food, though in a private manner, and who used their influence in the palace to destroy the impression of our being in any way engaged in the present war. But no one dared to speak a word to the king or queen in favor of a foreigner while there were such continual reports of the success of the English arms.