oy had written to her grandmother at
Chawton, offering to go to her. Mrs. Austen answered:--

I thank you sincerely for all your kind
expressions, and your offer. I am certainly in a
good deal of affliction, but trust God will
support me. I was not prepared for the blow,
though it in a manner hung over us; I had reason
to think it at a distance, and was not quite
without hope that she might in part recover. After
a few months' illness she may be said to have died
suddenly. Mr. Lyford supposed a large blood-vessel
had given way. I hope her sufferings were not
severe--they were not long. I had a letter from
Cassandra this morning. She is in great
affliction, but bears it like a Christian. Dear
Jane is to be buried in the Cathedral, I believe
on Thursday--in which case Cassandra will come
home as soon as it is over.

Cassandra did go home, and a few days later wrote again to Fanny Knight
as follows:--

Chawton: Tuesday [July 29, 1817].[368]

MY DEAREST FANNY,--I have just read your letter
for the third time, and thank you most sincerely
for every kind expression to myself, and still
more warmly for your praises of her who I believe
was better known to you than to any human being
besides myself. Nothing of the sort could have
been more gratifying to me than the manner in
which you write of her, and if the dear angel is
conscious of what passes here, and is not above
all earthly feelings, she may perhaps receive
pleasure in being so mourned. Had _she_ been the
survivor I can fancy her speaking of _you_ in
almost the same terms. There are certainly many
points of strong resemblance in your characters;
in your intimate acquaintance with each other, and
your mutual strong affection, you were
counterparts.

Thursday was not so dreadful a day to me as you
imagined. There was so much necessary to be done
that there was no time for additional misery.
Everything was conducted with the greatest
tranquillity, and but that I was determined I
would see the last, and therefore was upon the
listen, I shoul