sloane st., tuesday.

my dear cassandra,—i had sent off my letter yesterday before yours came, which i was sorry for; but as eliza has been so good as to get me a frank, your questions shall be answered without much further expense to you.

the best direction to henry at oxford will be "the blue boar, cornmarket."

i do not mean to provide another trimming for my pelisse, for i am determined to spend no more money; so i shall wear it as it is, longer than i ought, and then—i do not know.

my head-dress was a bugle-band like the border to my gown, and a flower of mrs. tilson's. i depended upon hearing something of the evening from mr. w. k., and am very well satisfied with his notice of me—"a pleasing-looking young woman"—that must do; one cannot pretend to anything better now; thankful to have it continued a few years longer!

it gives me sincere pleasure to hear of mrs. knight's having had a tolerable night at last, but upon this occasion i wish she had another name, for the two nights jingle very much.

we have tried to get "self-control," but in vain. i should like to know what her estimate is, but am always half afraid of finding a clever novel too[170] clever, and of finding my own story and my own people all forestalled.

eliza has just received a few lines from henry to assure her of the good conduct of his mare. he slept at uxbridge on sunday, and wrote from wheatfield.

we were not claimed by hans place yesterday, but are to dine there to-day. mr. tilson called in the evening, but otherwise we were quite alone all day; and after having been out a good deal, the change was very pleasant.

i like your opinion of miss atten much better than i expected, and have now hopes of her staying a whole twelvemonth. by this time i suppose she is hard at it, governing away. poor creature! i pity her, though they are my nieces.

oh! yes, i remember miss emma plumbtree's local consequence perfectly.

i am in a dilemma, for want of an emma,

escaped from the lips of henry gipps.

but, really, i was never much more put to it than in continuing an answer to fanny's former message. what is there to be said on the subject? pery pell, or pare pey? or po; or at the most, pi, pope, pey, pike, pit.

i congratulate edward on the weald of kent canal bill being put off till another session, as i have just had the pleasure of reading. there is always something to be hoped from delay.

[171]

between session and session

the first prepossession

may rouse up the nation,

and the villanous bill

may be forced to lie still

against wicked men's will.

there is poetry for edward and his daughter. i am afraid i shall not have any for you.

i forgot to tell you in my last that our cousin miss payne called in on saturday, and was persuaded to stay dinner. she told us a great deal about her friend lady cath. brecknell, who is most happily married, and mr. brecknell is very religious, and has got black whiskers.

i am glad to think that edward has a tolerable day for his drive to goodnestone, and very glad to hear of his kind promise of bringing you to town. i hope everything will arrange itself favorably. the 16th is now to be mrs. dundas's day.

i mean, if i can, to wait for your return before i have my new gown made up, from a notion of their making up to more advantage together; and as i find the muslin is not so wide as it used to be, some contrivance may be necessary. i expect the skirt to require one-half breadth cut in gores, besides two whole breadths.

eliza has not yet quite resolved on inviting anna, but i think she will.

yours very affectionately,

jane.