CASTLE SQUARE, Sunday (November 21).
YOUR letter, my dear Cassandra, obliges me to write immediately, that
you may have the earliest notice of Frank's intending, if possible, to
go to Godmersham exactly at the time now fixed for your visit to
Goodnestone.
He resolved, almost directly on the receipt of your former letter, to
try for an extension of his leave of absence, that he might be able to
go down to you for two days, but charged me not to give you any notice
of it, on account of the uncertainty of success. Now, however, I must
give it, and now perhaps he may be giving it himself; for I am just in
the hateful predicament of being obliged to write what I know will
somehow or other be of no use.
He meant to ask for five days more, and if they were granted, to go down
by Thursday night's mail, and spend Friday and Saturday with you; and he
considered his chance of succeeding by no means bad. I hope it will take
place as he planned, and that your arrangements with Goodnestone may
admit of suitable alteration.
Your news of Edward Bridges was quite news, for I have had no letter
from Wrotham. I wish him happy with all my heart, and hope his choice
may turn out according to his own expectations, and beyond those of his
family; and I dare say it will. Marriage is a great improver, and in a
similar situation Harriet may be as amiable as Eleanor. As to money,
that will come, you may be sure, because they cannot do without it. When
you see him again, pray give him our congratulations and best wishes.
This match will certainly set John and Lucy going.
There are six bedchambers at Chawton; Henry wrote to my mother the other
day, and luckily mentioned the number, which is just what we wanted to
be assured of. He speaks also of garrets for store-places, one of which
she immediately planned fitting up for Edward's man-servant; and now
perhaps it must be for our own; for she is already quite reconciled to
our keeping one. The difficulty of doing without one had been thought of
before. His name shall be Robert, if you please.
Before I can tell you of it, you will have heard that Miss Sawbridge is
married. It took place, I believe, on Thursday. Mrs. Fowle has for some
time been in the secret, but the neighborhood in general were quite
unsuspicious. Mr. Maxwell was tutor to the young Gregorys,--consequently,
they must be one of the happiest couples in the world, and either of
them worthy of envy, for she must be excessively in love, and he mounts
from nothing to a comfortable home. Martha has heard him very highly
spoken of. They continue for the present at Speen Hill.
I have a Southampton match to return for your Kentish one, Captain G.
Heathcote and Miss A. Lyell. I have it from Alethea, and like it,
because I had made it before.
Yes, the Stoneleigh business is concluded, but it was not till yesterday
that my mother was regularly informed of it, though the news had reached
us on Monday evening by way of Steventon. My aunt says as little as may
be on the subject by way of information, and nothing at all by way of
satisfaction. She reflects on Mr. T. Leigh's dilatoriness, and looks
about with great diligence and success for inconvenience and evil, among
which she ingeniously places the danger of her new housemaids catching
cold on the outside of the coach, when she goes down to Bath, for a
carriage makes her sick.
John Binns has been offered their place, but declines it; as she
supposes, because he will not wear a livery. Whatever be the cause, I
like the effect.
In spite of all my mother's long and intimate knowledge of the writer,
she was not up to the expectation of such a letter as this; the
discontentedness of it shocked and surprised her--but I see nothing in
it out of nature, though a sad nature.
She does not forget to wish for Chambers, you may be sure. No
particulars are given, not a word of arrears mentioned, though in her
letter to James they were in a general way spoken of. The amount of them
is a matter of conjecture, and to my mother a most interesting one; she
cannot fix any time for their beginning with any satisfaction to herself
but Mrs. Leigh's death, and Henry's two thousand pounds neither agrees
with that period nor any other. I did not like to own our previous
information of what was intended last July, and have therefore only said
that if we could see Henry we might hear many particulars, as I had
understood that some confidential conversation had passed between him
and Mr. T. L. at Stoneleigh.
We have been as quiet as usual since Frank and Mary left us; Mr.
Criswick called on Martha that very morning on his way home again from
Portsmouth, and we have had no visitor since.
We called on the Miss Lyells one day, and heard a good account of Mr.
Heathcote's canvass, the success of which, of course, exceeds his
expectations. Alethea in her letter hopes for my interest, which I
conclude means Edward's, and I take this opportunity, therefore, of
requesting that he will bring in Mr. Heathcote. Mr. Lane told us
yesterday that Mr. H. had behaved very handsomely, and waited on Mr.
Thistlethwaite, to say that if he (Mr. T.) would stand, he (Mr. H.)
would not oppose him; but Mr. T. declined it, acknowledging himself
still smarting under the payment of late electioneering costs.
The Mrs. Hulberts, we learn from Kintbury, come to Steventon this week,
and bring Mary Jane Fowle with them on her way to Mrs. Nune's; she
returns at Christmas with her brother.
Our brother we may perhaps see in the course of a few days, and we mean
to take the opportunity of his help to go one night to the play. Martha
ought to see the inside of the theatre once while she lives in
Southampton, and I think she will hardly wish to take a second view.
The furniture of Bellevue is to be sold to-morrow, and we shall take it
in our usual walk, if the weather be favorable.
How could you have a wet day on Thursday? With us it was a prince of
days, the most delightful we have had for weeks; soft, bright, with a
brisk wind from the southwest; everybody was out and talking of spring,
and Martha and I did not know how to turn back. On Friday evening we had
some very blowing weather,--from six to nine; I think we never heard it
worse, even here. And one night we had so much rain that it forced its
way again into the store-closet; and though the evil was comparatively
slight and the mischief nothing, I had some employment the next day in
drying parcels, etc. I have now moved still more out of the way.
Martha sends her best love, and thanks you for admitting her to the
knowledge of the pros and cons about Harriet Foote; she has an interest
in all such matters. I am also to say that she wants to see you. Mary
Jane missed her papa and mamma a good deal at first, but now does very
well without them. I am glad to hear of little John's being better, and
hope your accounts of Mrs. Knight will also improve. Adieu! remember me
affectionately to everybody, and believe me,
Ever yours, J. A.
Miss AUSTEN, EDWARD AUSTEN'S, Esq.,
Godmersham Park, Faversham, Kent.