he publication took place; but the
others deal largely with _Pride and Prejudice_, while there is an
under-current of allusions to _Mansfield Park_--now approaching
completion.

Chawton: Sunday evening [January 24, 1813].

MY DEAR CASSANDRA,--This is exactly the weather we
could wish for, if you are but well enough to
enjoy it. I shall be glad to hear that you are not
confined to the house by an increase of cold.

* * * * *

We quite run over with books. My mother has got
Sir John Carr's _Travels in Spain_ from Miss B.
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 ever I was with Clarkson or Buchanan, or
even the two Mr. Smiths of the City[237]--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, for the first fortnight
to Miss Papillon, and among 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 learn
from Sir J. Carr that there is no Government House
at Gibraltar; I must alter it to the
Commissioner's.[238]

Our party on Wednesday was not unagreeable. . . .
We were eleven altogether, as you will find on
computation, adding Miss Benn and two strange
gentlemen, a Mr. Twyford, curate of Great Worldham,
who is living in Alton, and his friend Mr. Wilkes.
I don't know that Mr. T. is anything except very
dark-complexioned, but Mr. W. was a useful
addition, being an easy, talking, pleasantish young
man--a _very_ young man, hardly twenty, perhaps. He
is of St. John's, Cambridge, and spoke very highly
of H. Walter as a scholar. He said he was
considered as the best