chawton, friday (sept. 29).

my dear anna,—we told mr. b. lefroy that if the weather did not prevent us we should certainly come and see you to-morrow and bring cassy, trusting to your being good enough to give her a dinner about one o'clock, that we might be able to be with you the earlier and stay the longer. but on giving cassy her choice between the fair at alton or wyards, it must be confessed that she has preferred the former, which we trust will not greatly affront you; if it does, you may hope that some little anne hereafter may revenge the insult by a similar preference of an alton fair to her cousin cassy. in the mean while we have determined to put off our visit to you until monday, which we hope will be not less convenient. i wish the weather may not resolve on another put off. i must come to you before wednesday if it be possible, for on that day i am going to london for a week or two with your uncle henry, who is expected here on sunday. if monday should appear too dirty for walking, and mr. lefroy would be so kind as to come and fetch me, i should be much obliged to him. cassy might be of the party, and your aunt cassandra will take another opportunity.

yours very affectionately, my dear anna,

j. austen.

[291]

note by lord brabourne.

but before the week or two to which she had limited her visit in hans place was at an end, her brother fell ill, and on october 22 he was in such danger that she wrote to steventon to summon her father to town. the letter was two days on the road, and reached him on sunday the 24th. even then he did not start immediately. in the evening he and his wife rode to chawton, and it was not until the next day that he and cassandra arrived in hans place. the malady from which henry austen was suffering was low fever, and he was for some days at death's door: but he rallied soon after his brother and sisters arrived, and recovered so quickly that the former was able to leave him at the end of the week. the great anxiety and fatigue which jane underwent at this time was supposed by some of her family to have broken down her health. she was in a very feeble and exhausted condition when the bank in which her brother henry was a partner broke, and he not only lost all that he possessed, but most of his relations suffered severely also. jane was well enough to pay several visits with her sister in the summer of 1816, including one to steventon,—the last she ever paid to that home of her childhood. the last note which mrs. lefroy had preserved is dated,[292]—