ly for the gratification of your
fancy; yours is sense which deserves more
honourable treatment. You are _not_ in love with
him; you never _have_ been really in love with
him.

Yours very affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.

Chawton: Thursday [March 13, 1817].

As to making any adequate return for such a letter
as yours, my dearest Fanny, it is absolutely
impossible. If I were to labour at it all the rest
of my life, and live to the age of Methuselah, I
could never accomplish anything so long and so
perfect; but I cannot let William go without a few
lines of acknowledgment and reply.

I have pretty well done with Mr. ----. By your
description, he _cannot_ be in love with you,
however he may try at it; and I could not wish the
match unless there were a great deal of love on
his side.

* * * * *

Poor Mrs. C. Milles, that she should die on the
wrong day at last, after being about it so long!
It was unlucky that the Goodnestone party could
not meet you, and I hope her friendly, obliging,
social spirit, which delighted in drawing people
together, was not conscious of the division and
disappointment she was occasioning. I am sorry and
surprised that you speak of her as having little
to leave, and must feel for Miss Milles, though
she _is_ Molly, if a material loss of income is to
attend her other loss. Single women have a
dreadful propensity for being poor, which is one
very strong argument in favour of matrimony, but I
need not dwell on such arguments with _you_,
pretty dear.

To you I shall say, as I have often said before,
do not be in a hurry, the right man will come at
last; you will in the course of the next two or
three years meet with somebody more generally
unexceptionable than anyone you have yet known,
who will love you as warmly as possible, and who
will so completely attract you that you will feel
you never really loved before.

* * * * *

Aun