Part 50 (1/2)

[350] The road by which e

[351] A se, at the junction of the Winchester and Gosport roads

[352] Unpublished fragment

[353] Edward Lefroy, brother of Ben

[354] See p 360 Mrs West was a fare of ninety-three, and left behind her eighteen volu's nephew, afterwards Sir William Heathcote

[356] Henry Austen

[357] The poem by Southey, who had lost his eldest son early in 1816 It has been already stated that Southey was a nephew of Mr Hill

[358] The watering-place is called 'Sanditon,' and this naiven to the twelve chapters by the faeon had perhaps lost her savings in the crash that ended her et that he had just lost 10,000 in the bankruptcy of his nephew Henry

[362] _Memoir_, p 161

CHAPTER XXI

WINCHESTER

1817

Even after the beginning of April, Jane's hopefulness did not desert her 'I ahter Anna, 'to give you a good account, written by herself in a letter from your Aunt Jane; but all who love--and that is all who know her--must be anxious on her account'

When May came, she consented to the proposal of those around her that she should et the best hbourhood afforded The Lyford fah character for skill in the profession of medicine at that place; and the Mr Lyford of the day was a reat London consultants expressed confidence[363] Accordingly, on Saturday, May 24, she bade farewell to her e conveyed Cassandra and herself to Winchester The little cavalcade--for they were attended by two riders--started in sadness and in rain; and all must have doubted whether she would ever co, however, to a place for which she felt the veneration which all good Hampshi+re people owe to their county town: a veneration shared by a good lishmen outside the lie Street, in the house next to as then called 'Commoners,' and is now the head master's house On the front wall of the little house where they lived there is now a plaque co the stay of Jane Austen Near to the their old friends Mrs Heathcote and Miss Bigg, who did all they could to add to their coht, and young Williaht hope to see from time to time

The course of the illness, and its fatal termination, are shown pretty clearly in the letters which follow; theand the most pathetic of which (next to her own) are the tritten by Cassandra to fanny Knight after all was ended

Some of the letters are undated, and we cannot therefore be certain of the order in which they ritten; we must also allow for the probable fact that Cassandra did not sayweakness and discoh it is believed that he had, from the first, very little expectation of a permanent cure Some temporary rally there sees, Jane was able to write as follows to Edward Austen:--

Mrs David's, College Street, Winton: Tuesday [May 27, 1817][364]

I know no better way,you for youryou et better I will not boast of ; neither that nor my face have yet recovered their proper beauty, but in other respects I ath very fast I aht: upon the sopha, 'tis true, but I eat my meals with aunt Cass in a rational way, and can employ myself, and walk from one room to another Mr Lyford says he will cure me, and if he fails, I shall draw up a memorial and lay it before the Dean and Chapter, and have no doubt of redress fros are very co-rooarden

Thanks to the kindness of your father and e, my journey hither on Saturday was perforue, and had it been a fine day, I think I should have felt none; but it distressed ht, who kindly attended us on horseback, riding in the rain almost all the way

We expect a visit froht; and on Thursday, which is Confiret Charles out to breakfast We have had but one visit yet from _him_, poor fellow, as he is in sick-rooht We see Mrs Heathcote every day, and William is to call upon us soon God bless you, my dear Edward If ever you are ill, may you be as tenderly nursed as I have been May the sa friends be yours: andof all in the consciousness of not being unworthy of their love _I_ could not feel this

Your very affec{te} Aunt, J A