An interview
between Rossiter and the Home Secretary nearly ended in a personal
assault. All the officials concerned refused to see Honoria, who
almost had a serious quarrel with her husband, the latter averring
that Vivien Warren had only got what she asked for. Vivien was
therefore taken to Holloway to serve her sentence as a common felon.
"Didn't she hunger-strike to force the Authorities to accord her
better prison treatment?" She did. But she was very soon, and with
extra business-like brutality, forcibly fed; and that and the
previous starvation made her so ill that she spent weeks in
hospital. Here it was very plainly hinted to her that between
hunger-striking and forcible feeding she might very soon die; and
that in her case the Government were prepared to stand the racket.
Moreover she heard by some intended channel about this time that
scores of imprisoned suffragists were hunger-striking to secure her
better treatment and were endangering if not their lives at any rate
their future health and validity. So she conveyed them an earnest
message--and was granted facilities to do so--imploring them to do
nothing more on her account; adding that she was resolved to go
through with her imprisonment; it might teach her valuable lessons.
The Governor of the prison fortunately was a humane and reasonable
man--unlike some of the Home Office or Scotland Yard officials.
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