e all that
Martha can be supposed to want, and in that
light, under these circumstances, your visit will
indeed have been well timed.

* * * * *

The Cookes want us to drink tea with them
to-night, but I do not know whether my mother will
have nerves for it. We are engaged to-morrow
evening--what request we are in! Mrs. Chamberlayne
expressed to her niece her wish of being intimate
enough with us to ask us to drink tea with her in
a quiet way. We have therefore offered her
ourselves and our quietness through the same
medium. Our tea and sugar will last a great while.
I think we are just the kind of people and party
to be treated about among our relations; we cannot
be supposed to be very rich.

* * * * *

_Thursday._--I was not able to go on yesterday;
all my wit and leisure were bestowed on letters to
Charles and Henry. To the former I wrote in
consequence of my mother's having seen in the
papers that the _Urania_ was waiting at Portsmouth
for the convoy for Halifax. This is nice, as it is
only three weeks ago that you wrote by the
_Camilla_. . . . I wrote to Henry because I had a
letter from him in which he desired to hear from
me very soon. His to me was most affectionate and
kind, as well as entertaining; there is no merit
to him in _that_; he cannot help being amusing. . . .
He offers to meet us on the sea coast, if the plan
of which Edward gave him some hint takes place.
Will not this be making the execution of such a
plan more desirable and delightful than ever? He
talks of the rambles we took together last summer
with pleasing affection.

Yours ever,
J. A.

_From the Same to the Same._

Gay Street: Sunday Evening,
April 21 [1805].[144]

MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--I am much obliged to you for
writing to me again so soon; your letter
yesterday was quite an unexpected pleasure. Poor
Mrs. Stent!