THIS will be a quick return for yours, my dear Cassandra. I doubt its
having much else to recommend it; but there is no saying: it may turn
out to be a very long and delightful letter. I am exceedingly pleased
that you can say what you do, after having gone through the whole work,
and Fanny's praise is very gratifying. My hopes were tolerably strong of
her, but nothing like a certainty. Her liking Darcy and Elizabeth is
enough. She might hate all the others, if she would. I have her opinion
under her own hand this morning; but your transcript of it, which I read
first, was not, and is not, the less acceptable. To me it is of course
all praise, but the more exact truth which she sends you is good
enough. . . . Our party on Wednesday was not unagreeable, though we
wanted a master of the house less anxious and fidgety, and more
conversable. Upon Mrs. ----'s mentioning that she had sent the rejected
addresses to Mrs. H., I began talking to her a little about them, and
expressed my hope of their having amused her. Her answer was, "Oh dear,
yes, very much, very droll indeed, the opening of the house, and the
striking up of the fiddles!" What she meant, poor woman, who shall say?
I sought no farther. As soon as a whist-party was formed, and a round
table threatened, I made my mother an excuse and came away, leaving just
as many for their round table as there were at Mrs. Grant's.[16] I wish
they might be as agreeable a set. My mother is very well, and finds
great amusement in glove-knitting, and at present wants no other work.
We quite run over with books. She has got Sir John Carr's "Travels in
Spain," and I am reading a Society octavo, an "Essay on the Military
Police and Institutions of the British Empire," by Capt. Pasley of the
Engineers,--a book which I protested against at first, but which upon
trial I find delightfully written and highly entertaining. I am as much
in love with the author as I ever was with Clarkson or Buchanan, or even
the two Mr. Smiths of the city. The first soldier I ever sighed for; but
he does write with extraordinary force and spirit. Yesterday, moreover,
brought us "Mrs. Grant's Letters," with Mr. White's compliments; but I
have disposed of them, compliments and all, to Miss P., and amongst so
many readers or retainers of books as we have in Chawton, I dare say
there will be no difficulty in getting rid of them for another
fortnight, if necessary. I have disposed of Mrs. Grant for the second
fortnight to Mrs. ----. It can make no difference to her which of the
twenty-six fortnights in the year the three vols. lie on her table. I
have been applied to for information as to the oath taken in former
times of Bell, Book, and Candle, but have none to give. Perhaps you may
be able to learn something of its origin where you now are. Ladies who
read those enormous great stupid thick quarto volumes which one always
sees in the breakfast-parlor there must be acquainted with everything
in the world. I detest a quarto. Captain Pasley's book is too good for
their society. They will not understand a man who condenses his thoughts
into an octavo. I have learned from Sir J. Carr that there is no
Government House at Gibraltar. I must alter it to the Commissioner's.