arged
me to tell you with her best love.

J. E. Austen, Esq.,
Exeter College, Oxford.

The original of this letter, which is preserved, bears sad testimony to
the truth of her remark about her handwriting. Some few days after this,
she must have written her last extant letter, quoted in the short Memoir
prefixed to the original edition of _Northanger Abbey_:--

My attendant is encouraging, and talks of making
me quite well. I live chiefly on the sofa, but am
allowed to walk from one room to the other. I have
been out once in a Sedan-chair, and am to repeat
it, and be promoted to a wheel-chair as the
weather serves. On this subject I will only say
further that my dearest sister, my tender,
watchful, indefatigable nurse, has not been made
ill by her exertions. As to what I owe to her, and
to the anxious affection of all my beloved family
on this occasion, I can only cry over it, and pray
to God to bless them more and more.

Some allusion to the family disappointment about the will probably
followed, and she added: 'But I am getting too near complaint. It has
been the appointment of God, however secondary causes may have
operated.'

Jane's mother could still indulge in the hope of her amendment. In a
note to Anna, she says:--

You will be happy to hear that our accounts from
Winchester are very good. Our letter this morning,
which was written yesterday evening, says 'Jane
has had a better night than she has had for many
weeks and has been comfortable all day. Mr. Lyford
says he thinks better of her than he has ever
done, though he must still consider her in a
precarious state.'

And, in another letter--

I had a very comfortable account of your Aunt Jane
this morning; she now sits up a little. Charles
Knight came this morning: he saw her yesterday,
and says she looks better and seem'd very
cheerful. She hoped to be well enough to see Mrs.
Portal to-day; your Mamma is there (went yesterday
by the coach), which I am very glad of. Cassandra
did not quite like the nurse they had got, so
wish'd Mrs. J. A. to come in her stead, as she
promised she would whenever she was wanted.