Fragment of a novel written by Jane Austen, January-March 1817
Date: 2024-08-12T00:00:00+00:00
Keywords: England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century -- Fiction; Young women -- Fiction; Sussex (England) -- Fiction; Unfinished books; Heywood; Charlotte (Fictitious character) -- Fiction

The Project Gutenberg eBook of Fragment of a novel written by Jane Austen, January-March 1817

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: Fragment of a novel written by Jane Austen, January-March 1817

Now first printed from the manuscript

Author: Jane Austen

Editor: R. W. Chapman

Release date: August 12, 2024 [eBook #74233]

Language: English

Original publication: United Kingdom: Oxford University Press, 1925

Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/74233

Credits: Emmanuel Ackerman, Neil Mercer and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This book was produced from scanned images of public domain material from the Google Books project.)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRAGMENT OF A NOVEL WRITTEN BY JANE AUSTEN, JANUARY-MARCH 1817 ***

Transcriber's Note

New original cover art included with this eBook is granted to the public domain.

FRAGMENT
OF A
NOVEL

By JANE AUSTEN

Second Impression 1925

FRAGMENT
OF A
NOVEL

WRITTEN BY
JANE AUSTEN

January–March 1817

NOW FIRST PRINTED FROM
THE MANUSCRIPT

OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
1925

Oxford University Press

LondonEdinburghGlasgowCopenhagen
New YorkTorontoMelbourneCape Town
BombayCalcuttaMadrasShanghai

Humphrey Milford Publisher to the University

Printed in England

PREFACE

The fragment of a novel, written by Jane Austen in the first three months of the year in which she died, has no name; but it has long been known to members of her family as Sanditon.

The manuscript passed into the possession of Jane Austen’s niece Anna (Mrs. Ben Lefroy); and it was known to Mrs. Lefroy’s half-brother, James Edward Austen-Leigh, the author of the Memoir of Jane Austen first published in 1870. In the second edition (1871) Mr. Austen-Leigh added the cancelled chapter of Persuasion, the fragment called The Watsons, and Lady Susan, and in his concluding chapter gave an account of ‘The Last Work’.

Such an unfinished fragment cannot be presented to the public; but I am persuaded that some of Jane Austen’s admirers will be glad to learn something about the latest creations which were forming themselves in her mind; and therefore, as some of the principal characters were already sketched in with a vigorous hand, I will try to give an idea of them, illustrated by extracts from the work.

In the account which follows, the fragment is described in some detail; the verbatim quotations amount to perhaps twenty pages of this edition. The present owner[1] of the manuscript has reached the conclusion that, since so much has long been before the public, it is right that the whole should no longer be withheld.

1 A grand-daughter of Anna Lefroy.

Some explanation may be thought necessary of the way in which the fragment is printed. It approximates to the manner of 1817, and the result is somewhat less in bulk than one of the three volumes in which Mr. Egerton or Mr. Murray would doubtless have issued the work if it had been completed for publication. The printer, however, would have made certain departures from his copy: he would have expanded the contractions; he would have broken up the chapters into paragraphs; and he would, in a greater or less degree, have regularized the spelling and the punctuation. It has seemed best not to do this in 1925, but to print the author’s manuscript as nearly as possible in the last form it attained. It may be thought pedantic to reproduce irregularities which the author would not have wished to retain; but it seemed more important to avoid another danger. To have smoothed out the manuscript into a specious semblance of finality would have been to prejudice, in some degree, the question how far it did, in fact, represent the author’s final intention. This edition, printed as it is, is open to no such objection. It is, for critical purposes, virtually a facsimile of all that Miss Austen wrote and did not erase.

It will be seen from the textual notes, printed at the end of the volume, that the manuscript contains a very large number of erasures and interlineations. It is so neat, and so uniformly spaced, that it is almost everywhere possible to distinguish what was first written from what was added, or substituted, between the lines. These corrections are not such as could have resulted from subsequent revision of a fair copy previously made. In very many places the author has changed her mind currente calamo; has begun a sentence in one form and finished it in another. The number and nature of such changes create a presumption, at least, that we are dealing with a first draft.

The manuscript consists of three quires. The first and second, which are sewn together, are of 16 and 24 leaves respectively, measuring 7½ in. × 4¹¹⁄₁₆ in. The watermark, which occurs several times in both quires, is Kent 1812.

The first quire contains Chapters 1–3. The third chapter appears to end, on f. 16v, with an incomplete sentence; but the concluding words, that Loveliness was complete, were written at the foot of f. 1r. The second quire contains Chapters 4–8 and part of Chapter 9.

The third quire (marked 2 on the first page) is of 40 leaves, 6⅜ in. × 4 in. It bears a large ornamental watermark, and also the name Joseph Coles and the date 1815. Folios 21–40, i. e. the latter half of the quire, are blank; a fact which suggests that no part of the manuscript is lost. This quire contains the remainder of Chapter 9 (beginning with the words with a thousand regrets—p. 117 of this edition) and Chapters 10–12.

The dates added by Miss Austen are:

(1) at the top of the first page of the first quire, Jan: 27.–1817

(2) at the top of the first page of the third quire, March 1st

(3) at the end of the last sentence (the last page of the third quire), March 18.

Part of the second quire was originally written in pencil, and afterwards inked over. The passage so written is that printed on pp. 99–101 of this edition (from cried Lady D— to so seriously that Charlotte). The author of the Memoir writes, on this point:

The chief part of this manuscript is written in her usual firm and neat hand, but some of the latter pages seem to have been first traced in pencil, probably when she was too weak to sit long at her desk, and written over in ink afterwards.

But the manuscript as such does not bear out this implication of a progressive decline. The place at which pencil was used is in fact not much later than the middle; and the latter part of the manuscript shows no change in legibility or in accuracy.

FRAGMENT
OF A
NOVEL

CHAPTER 1.

A Gentleman & Lady travelling from Tunbridge towards that part of the Sussex Coast which lies between Hastings & E. Bourne, being induced by Business to quit the high road, & attempt a very rough Lane, were overturned in toiling up it’s long ascent half rock, half sand.—The accident happened just beyond the only Gentleman’s House near the Lane—a House, which their Driver on being first required to take that direction, had conceived to be necessarily their object, & had with most unwilling Looks been constrained to pass by—. He had grumbled & shaken his shoulders so much indeed, and pitied & cut his Horses so sharply, that he might have been open to the suspicion of overturning them on purpose (especially as the Carriage was not his Masters own) if the road had not indisputably become considerably worse than before, as soon as the premises of the said House were left behind—expressing with a most intelligent portentous countenance that beyond it no wheels but cart wheels could safely proceed. The severity of the fall was broken by their slow pace & the narrowness of the Lane, & the Gentleman having scrambled out & helped out his companion, they neither of them at first felt more than shaken & bruised. But the Gentleman had in the course of the extrication sprained his foot—& soon becoming sensible of it, was obliged in a few moments to cut short, both his remonstrance to the Driver & his congratulations to his wife & himself—& sit down on the bank, unable to stand.—“There is something wrong here, said he—putting his hand to his ancle—But never mind, my Dear—(looking up at her with a smile)—It cd not have happened, you know, in a better place.—Good out of Evil—. The very thing perhaps to be wished for. We shall soon get releif.— There, I fancy lies my cure”—pointing to the neat-looking end of a Cottage, which was seen romantically situated among wood on a high Eminence at some little Distance—“Does not that promise to be the very place?”—His wife fervently hoped it was—but stood, terrified & anxious, neither able to do or suggest anything—& receiving her first real comfort from the sight of several persons now coming to their assistance. The accident had been discerned from a Hayfield adjoining the House they had passed—& the persons who approached, were a well-looking Hale, Gentlemanlike Man, of middle age, the Proprietor of the Place, who happened to be among his Haymakers at the time, & three or four of the ablest of them summoned to attend their Master—to say nothing of all the rest of the field, Men, Women & Children—not very far off.—Mr Heywood, such was the name of the said Proprietor, advanced with a very civil salutation—much concern for the accident—some surprise at any body’s attempting that road in a Carriage—& ready offers of assistance. His courtesies were received with Goodbreeding & gratitude & while one or two of the Men lent their help to the Driver in getting the Carriage upright again, the Travellor said—“You are extremely obliging Sir, & I take you at your word.—The injury to my Leg is I dare say very trifling, but it is always best in these cases to have a surgeon’s opinion without loss of time; and as the road does not seem at present in a favourable state for my getting up to his house myself, I will thank you to send off one of these good People for the Surgeon.” “The Surgeon Sir!—replied Mr Heywood—I am afraid you will find no surgeon at hand here, but I dare say we shall do very well without him.”—“Nay Sir, if he is not in the way, his Partner will do just as well—or rather better—. I wd rather see his Partner indeed—I would prefer the attendance of his Partner.—One of these good people can be with him in three minutes I am sure. I need not ask whether I see the House; (looking towards the Cottage) for excepting your own, we have passed none in this place, which can be the abode of a Gentleman.”—Mr H. looked very much astonished—& replied—“What Sir! are you expecting to find a Surgeon in that Cottage?—We have neither Surgeon nor Partner in the Parish I assure you.”—“Excuse me Sir—replied the other. I am sorry to have the appearance of contradicting you—but though from the extent of the Parish or some other cause you may not be aware of the fact;—stay—Can I be mistaken in the place?—Am I not in Willingden?—Is not this Willingden?” “Yes Sir, this is certainly Willingden.” “Then Sir, I can bring proof of your having a Surgeon in the Parish—whether you may know it or not. Here Sir—(taking out his Pocket book—) if you will do me the favour of casting your eye over these advertisements, which I cut out myself from the Morning Post & the Kentish Gazette, only yesterday morng in London—I think you will be convinced that I am not speaking at random. You will find it an advertisement Sir, of the dissolution of a Partnership in the Medical Line—in your own Parish—extensive Business—undeniable Character—respectable references—wishing to form a separate Establishment—You will find it at full length Sir”—offering him the two little oblong extracts.—“Sir—said Mr Heywood with a good humoured smile—if you were to shew me all the Newspapers that are printed in one week throughout the Kingdom, you wd not persuade me of there being a Surgeon in Willingden,—for having lived here ever since I was born, Man & Boy 57 years, I think I must have known of such a person, at least I may venture to say that he has not much Business—To be sure, if Gentlemen were to be often attempting this Lane in Post-chaises, it might not be a bad speculation for a Surgeon to get a House at the top of the Hill.—But as to that Cottage, I can assure you Sir that it is in fact—(in spite of its spruce air at this distance—) as indifferent a double Tenement as any in the Parish, and that my Shepherd lives at one end, & three old women at the other.” He took the peices of paper as he spoke—& having looked them over, added—“I beleive I can explain it Sir.—Your mistake is in the place.—There are two Willingdens in this Country—& your advertisements refer to the other—which is Great Willingden, or Willingden Abbots, & lies 7 miles off, on the other side of Battel—quite down in the Weald. And we Sir—(speaking rather proudly) are not in the Weald.”—“Not down in the Weald I am sure Sir, replied the Traveller, pleasantly. It took us half an hour to climb your Hill.—Well Sir—I dare say it is as you say, & I have made an abominably stupid Blunder.—All done in a moment;—the advertisements did not catch my eye till the last half hour of our being in Town;—when everything was in the hurry & confusion which always attend a short stay there—One is never able to complete anything in the way of Business you know till the Carriage is at the door—and accordingly satisfying myself with a breif enquiry, & finding we were actually to pass within a mile or two of a Willingden, I sought no farther ... My Dear—(to his wife) I am very sorry to have brought you into this Scrape. But do not be alarmed about my Leg. It gives me no pain while I am quiet,—and as soon as these good people have succeeded in setting the Carge to rights & turning the Horses round, the best thing we can do will be to measure back our steps into the Turnpike road & proceed to Hailsham, & so Home, without attempting anything farther.—Two hours take us home, from Hailsham—and when once at home, we have our remedy at hand you know.—A little of our own Bracing Sea air will soon set me on my feet again.—Depend upon it my Dear, it is exactly a case for the Sea. Saline air & immersion will be the very thing.—My sensations tell me so already.”—In a most friendly manner Mr Heywood here interposed, entreating them not to think of proceeding till the ancle had been examined, & some refreshment taken, & very cordially pressing them to make use of his House for both purposes.—“We are always well stocked, said he, with all the common remedies for Sprains & Bruises—& I will answer for the pleasure it will give my Wife & daughters to be of service to you & this Lady in every way in their power.”—A twinge or two, in trying to move his foot disposed the Travellor to think rather more as he had done at first of the benefit of immediate assistance—& consulting his wife in the few words of “Well my Dear, I beleive it will be better for us.”—turned again to Mr H— & said—“Before we accept your Hospitality Sir,—& in order to do away any unfavourable impression which the sort of wild goose-chace you find me in, may have given rise to—allow me to tell you who we are. My name is Parker.—Mr Parker of Sanditon;—this Lady, my wife Mrs Parker.—We are on our road home from London;—My name perhaps—tho’ I am by no means the first of my Family, holding Landed Property in the Parish of Sanditon, may be unknown at this distance from the Coast—but Sanditon itself—everybody has heard of Sanditon,—the favourite—for a young & rising Bathing-place, certainly the favourite spot of all that are to be found along the coast of Sussex;—the most favoured by Nature, & promising to be the most chosen by Man.”—“Yes—I have heard of Sanditon. replied Mr H.—Every five years, one hears of some new place or other starting up by the Sea, & growing the fashion.—How they can half of them be filled, is the wonder! Where People can be found with Money or Time to go to them!—Bad things for a Country;—sure to raise the price of Provisions & make the Poor good for nothing—as I dare say you find, Sir.” “Not at all Sir, not at all—cried Mr Parker eagerly. Quite the contrary I assure you.—A common idea—but a mistaken one. It may apply to your large, overgrown Places, like Brighton, or Worthing, or East Bourne—but not to a small village like Sanditon, precluded by its size from experiencing any of the evils of Civilization, while the growth of the place, the Buildings, the Nursery Grounds, the demand for every thing, & the sure resort of the very best Company, those regular, steady, private Families of thorough Gentility & Character, who are a blessing everywhere, excite the industry of the Poor and diffuse comfort & improvement among them of every sort.—No Sir, I assure you, Sanditon is not a place——” “I do not mean to take exceptions to any place in particular Sir, answered Mr H.—I only think our Coast is too full of them altogether—But had we not better try to get you”——“Our Coast too full”—repeated Mr P.—On that point perhaps we may not totally disagree;—at least there are enough. Our Coast is abundant enough; it demands no more.—Every body’s Taste & every body’s finances may be suited—And those good people who are trying to add to the number, are in my opinion excessively absurd, & must soon find themselves the Dupes of their own fallacious Calculations.—Such a place as Sanditon Sir, I may say was wanted, was called for.—Nature had marked it out—had spoken in most intelligible Characters—The finest, purest Sea Breeze on the Coast—acknowledged to be so—Excellent Bathing—fine hard sand—Deep Water 10 yards from the Shore—no Mud—no Weeds—no shiney rocks—Never was there a place more palpably designed by Nature for the resort of the Invalid—the very Spot which Thousands seemed in need of.—The most desirable distance from London! One complete, measured mile nearer than East Bourne. Only conceive Sir, the advantage of saving a whole Mile, in a long Journey. But Brinshore Sir, which I dare say you have in your eye—the attempts of two or three speculating People about Brinshore, this last Year, to raise that paltry Hamlet, lying, as it does between a stagnant marsh, a bleak Moor & the constant effluvia of a ridge of putrifying sea weed, can end in nothing but their own Disappointment. What in the name of Common Sense is to recommend Brinshore?—A most insalubrious Air—Roads proverbially detestable—Water Brackish beyond example, impossible to get a good dish of Tea within 3 miles of the place—& as for the Soil—it is so cold & ungrateful that it can hardly be made to yeild a Cabbage.—Depend upon it Sir, that this is a faithful Description of Brinshore—not in the smallest degree exaggerated—& if you have heard it differently spoken of——” “Sir, I never heard it spoken of in my Life before, said Mr Heywood. I did not know there was such a place in the World.”—“You did not!—There my Dear—(turning with exultation to his Wife)—you see how it is. So much for the Celebrity of Brinshore!—This Gentleman did not know there was such a place in the World.—Why, in truth Sir, I fancy we may apply to Brinshore, that line of the Poet Cowper in his description of the religious Cottager, as opposed to Voltaire—“She, never heard of half a mile from home.”—“With all my Heart Sir—Apply any Verses you like to it—But I want to see something applied to your Leg—& I am sure by your Lady’s countenance that she is quite of my opinion & thinks it a pity to lose any more time—And here come my Girls to speak for themselves & their Mother. (two or three genteel looking young Women followed by as many Maid servants, were now seen issueing from the House)—I began to wonder the Bustle should not have reached them.—A thing of this kind soon makes a Stir in a lonely place like ours.—Now Sir, let us see how you can be best conveyed into the House.”—The young Ladies approached & said every thing that was proper to recommend their Father’s offers; & in an unaffected manner calculated to make the Strangers easy—and as Mrs P— was exceedingly anxious for relief—and her Husband by this time, not much less disposed for it—a very few civil scruples were enough—especially as the Carriage being now set up, was discovered to have received such Injury on the fallen side as to be unfit for present use.—Mr Parker was therefore carried into the House, and his Carriage wheeled off to a vacant Barn.—

CHAPTER 2.

The acquaintance, thus oddly begun, was neither short nor unimportant. For a whole fortnight the Travellors were fixed at Willingden; Mr. P.’s sprain proving too serious for him to move sooner.—He had fallen into very good hands. The Heywoods were a thoroughly respectable family, & every possible attention was paid in the kindest & most unpretending manner, to both Husband & wife. He was waited on & nursed, & she cheered & comforted with unremitting kindness—and as every office of Hospitality & friendliness was received as it ought—as there was not more good will on one side than Gratitude on the other—nor any deficiency of generally pleasant manners on either, they grew to like each other in the course of that fortnight, exceedingly well.—Mr Parker’s Character & History were soon unfolded. All that he understood of himself, he readily told, for he was very openhearted;—& where he might be himself in the dark, his conversation was still giving information, to such of the Heywoods as could observe.—By such he was perceived to be an Enthusiast;—on the subject of Sanditon, a complete Enthusiast.—Sanditon,—the success of Sanditon as a small, fashionable Bathing Place was the object, for which he seemed to live. A very few years ago, & it had been a quiet Village of no pretensions; but some natural advantages in its position & some accidental circumstances having suggested to himself, & the other principal Land Holder, the probability of it’s becoming a profitable Speculation, they had engaged in it, & planned & built, & praised & puffed, & raised it to a something of young Renown—and Mr. Parker could now think of very little besides.—The Facts, which in more direct communication, he laid before them were that he was about 5 & 30—had been married,—very happily married 7 years—& had 4 sweet Children at home;—that he was of a respectable Family, & easy though not large fortune;—no Profession—succeeding as eldest son to the Property which 2 or 3 Generations had been holding & accumulating before him;—that he had 2 Brothers & 2 Sisters—all single & all independant—the eldest of the two former indeed, by collateral Inheritance, quite as well provided for as himself.—His object in quitting the high road, to hunt for an advertising Surgeon, was also plainly stated;—it had not proceeded from any intention of spraining his ancle or doing himself any other Injury for the good of such Surgeon—nor (as Mr H. had been apt to suppose) from any design of entering into Partnership with him—; it was merely in consequence of a wish to establish some medical Man at Sanditon, which the nature of the Advertisement induced him to expect to accomplish in Willingden.—He was convinced that the advantage of a medical Man at hand wd very materially promote the rise & prosperity of the Place—wd in fact tend to bring a prodigious influx;—nothing else was wanting. He had strong reason to beleive that one family had been deterred last year from trying Sanditon on that account—& probably very many more—and his own Sisters who were sad Invalids, & whom he was very anxious to get to Sanditon this Summer, could hardly be expected to hazard themselves in a place where they could not have immediate medical advice.—Upon the whole, Mr P. was evidently an amiable, family-man, fond of Wife, Childn, Brothers & Sisters—& generally kind-hearted;—Liberal, gentlemanlike, easy to please;—of a sanguine turn of mind, with more Imagination than Judgement. And Mrs P. was as evidently a gentle, amiable, sweet tempered Woman, the properest wife in the World for a Man of strong Understanding, but not of capacity to supply the cooler reflection which her own Husband sometimes needed, & so entirely waiting to be guided on every occasion, that whether he were risking his Fortune or spraining his Ancle, she remained equally useless.—Sanditon was a second Wife & 4 Children to him—hardly less Dear—& certainly more engrossing.—He could talk of it for ever.—It had indeed the highest claims;—not only those of Birthplace, Property, and Home,—it was his Mine, his Lottery, his Speculation & his Hobby Horse; his Occupation his Hope & his Futurity.—He was extremely desirous of drawing his good friends at Willingden thither; and his endeavours in the cause, were as grateful & disinterested, as they were warm.—He wanted to secure the promise of a visit—to get as many of the Family as his own house wd contain, to follow him to Sanditon as soon as possible—and healthy as they all undeniably were—foresaw that every one of them wd be benefited by the sea.—He held it indeed as certain, that no person cd be really well, no person, (however upheld for the present by fortuitous aids of exercise & spirits in a semblance of Health) could be really in a state of secure & permanent Health without spending at least 6 weeks by the Sea every year.—The Sea air & Sea Bathing together were nearly infallible, one or the other of them being a match for every Disorder, of the Stomach, the Lungs or the Blood; They were anti-spasmodic, anti-pulmonary, anti-sceptic, anti-bilious & anti-rheumatic. Nobody could catch cold by the Sea, Nobody wanted appetite by the Sea, Nobody wanted Spirits, Nobody wanted Strength.—They were healing, softing, relaxing—fortifying & bracing—seemingly just as was wanted—sometimes one, sometimes the other.—If the Sea breeze failed, the Sea-Bath was the certain corrective;—& where Bathing disagreed, the Sea Breeze alone was evidently designed by Nature for the cure.—His eloquence however could not prevail. Mr & Mrs H— never left home. Marrying early & having a very numerous Family, their movements had been long limitted to one small circle; & they were older in Habits than in Age.—Excepting two Journeys to London in the year, to receive his Dividends, Mr H. went no farther than his feet or his well-tried old Horse could carry him, and Mrs Heywood’s Adventurings were only now & then to visit her Neighbours, in the old Coach which had been new when they married & fresh lined on their eldest son’s coming of age 10 years ago.—They had very pretty Property—enough, had their family been of reasonable Limits to have allowed them a very gentlemanlike share of Luxuries & Change—enough for them to have indulged in a new Carriage & better roads, an occasional month at Tunbridge Wells, & symptoms of the Gout and a Winter at Bath;—but the maintenance, Education & fitting out of 14 Children demanded a very quiet, settled, careful course of Life—& obliged them to be stationary & healthy at Willingden. What Prudence had at first enjoined, was now rendered pleasant by Habit. They never left home, & they had a gratification in saying so.—But very far from wishing their Children to do the same, they were glad to promote their getting out into the World, as much as possible. They staid at home, that their Children might get out;—and while making that home extremely comfortable, welcomed every change from it which could give useful connections or respectable acquaintance to Sons or Daughters. When Mr & Mrs Parker therefore ceased from soliciting a family-visit, and bounded their veiws to carrying back one Daughter with them, no difficulties were started. It was general pleasure & consent.—Their invitation was to Miss Charlotte Heywood, a very pleasing young woman of two and twenty, the eldest of the Daughters at home, & the one, who under her Mother’s directions had been particularly useful & obliging to them; who had attended them most, & knew them best.—Charlotte was to go,—with excellent health, to bathe & be better if she could—to receive every possible pleasure which Sanditon could be made to supply by the gratitude of those she went with—& to buy new Parasols, new Gloves, & new Broches, for her sisters & herself at the Library, which Mr P. was anxiously wishing to support.—All that Mr Heywood himself could be persuaded to promise was, that he would send everyone to Sanditon, who asked his advice, & that nothing should ever induce him (as far [as] the future could be answered for) to spend even 5 shillings at Brinshore.—

CHAPTER 3.

Every Neighbourhood should have a great Lady.—The great Lady of Sanditon, was Lady Denham; & in their Journey from Willingden to the Coast, Mr Parker gave Charlotte a more detailed account of her, than had been called for before.—She had been necessarily often mentioned at Willingden,—for being his Colleague in Speculation, Sanditon itself could not be talked of long, without the introduction of Lady Denham & that she was a very rich old Lady, who had buried two Husbands, who knew the value of Money, was very much looked up to & had a poor Cousin living with her, were facts already well known, but some further particulars of her history & her Character served to lighten the tediousness of a long Hill, or a heavy bit of road, and to give the visiting Young Lady a suitable Knowledge of the Person with whom she might now expect to be daily associating.—Lady D. had been a rich Miss Brereton, born to Wealth but not to Education. Her first Husband had been a Mr Hollis, a man of considerable Property in the Country, of which a large share of the Parish of Sanditon, with Manor & Mansion House made a part. He had been an elderly Man when she married him;—her own age about 30.—Her motives for such a Match could be little understood at the distance of 40 years, but she had so well nursed & pleased Mr Hollis, that at his death he left her everything—all his Estates, & all at her Disposal. After a widowhood of some years, she had been induced to marry again. The late Sir Harry Denham, of Denham Park in the Neighbourhood of Sanditon had succeeded in removing her & her large Income to his own Domains, but he cd not succeed in the veiws of permanently enriching his family, which were attributed to him. She had been too wary to put anything out of her own Power—and when on Sir Harry’s Decease she returned again to her own House at Sanditon, she was said to have made this boast to a friend “that though she had got nothing but her Title from the Family, still she had given nothing for it.”—For the Title, it was to be supposed that she had married—& Mr P. acknowledged there being just such a degree of value for it apparent now, as to give her conduct that natural explanation. “There is at times said he—a little self-importance—but it is not offensive;—& there are moments, there are points, when her Love of Money is carried greatly too far. But she is a goodnatured Woman, a very goodnatured Woman,—a very obliging, friendly Neighbour; a chearful, independant, valuable character.—and her faults may be entirely imputed to her want of Education. She has good natural Sense, but quite uncultivated.—She has a fine active mind, as well as a fine healthy frame for a Woman of 70, & enters into the improvement of Sanditon with a spirit truly admirable—though now & then, a Littleness will appear. She cannot look forward quite as I would have her—& takes alarm at a trifling present expence, without considering what returns it will make her in a year or two. That is—we think differently, we now & then, see things differently, Miss H.—Those who tell their own Story you know must be listened to with Caution.—When you see us in contact, you will judge for yourself.”—Lady D. was indeed a great Lady beyond the common wants of Society—for she had many Thousands a year to bequeath, & three distinct sets of People to be courted by; her own relations, who might very reasonably wish for her Original Thirty Thousand Pounds among them, the legal Heirs of Mr Hollis, who must hope to be more endebted to her sense of Justice than he had allowed them to be to his, and those Members of the Denham Family, whom her 2d Husband had hoped to make a good Bargain for.—By all of these, or by Branches of them, she had no doubt been long, & still continued to be, well attacked;—and of these three divisions, Mr P. did not hesitate to say that Mr Hollis’ Kindred were the least in favour & Sir Harry Denham’s the most.—The former he beleived, had done themselves irremediable harm by expressions of very unwise & unjustifiable resentment at the time of Mr. Hollis’s death;—the Latter, to the advantage of being the remnant of a Connection which she certainly valued, joined those of having been known to her from their Childhood, & of being always at hand to preserve their interest by reasonable attention. Sir Edward, the present Baronet, nephew to Sir Harry, resided constantly at Denham Park; & Mr P— had little doubt, that he & his Sister Miss D— who lived with him, wd be principally remembered in her Will. He sincerely hoped it.—Miss Denham had a very small provision—& her Brother was a poor Man for his rank in Society. “He is a warm friend to Sanditon—said Mr Parker—& his hand wd be as liberal as his heart, had he the Power.—He would be a noble Coadjutor!—As it is, he does what he can—& is running up a tasteful little Cottage Ornèe, on a strip of Waste Ground Lady D. has granted him, which I have no doubt we shall have many a Candidate for, before the end even of this Season.” Till within the last twelvemonth, Mr P. had considered Sir Edw: as standing without a rival, as having the fairest chance of succeeding to the greater part of all that she had to give—but there was now another person’s claims to be taken into the account, those of the young female relation, whom Lady D. had been induced to receive into her Family. After having always protested against any such Addition, and long & often enjoyed the repeated defeats she had given to every attempt of her relations to introduce this young Lady, or that young Lady as a Companion at Sanditon House, she had brought back with her from London last Michaelmas a Miss Brereton, who bid fair by her Merits to vie in favour with Sir Edward, and to secure for herself & her family that share of the accumulated Property which they had certainly the best right to inherit.—Mr Parker spoke warmly of Clara Brereton, & the interest of his story increased very much with the introduction of such a Character. Charlotte listened with more than amusement now;—it was solicitude & Enjoyment, as she heard her described to be lovely, amiable, gentle, unassuming, conducting herself uniformly with great good sense, & evidently gaining by her innate worth, on the affections of her Patroness.—Beauty, Sweetness, Poverty & Dependance, do not want the imagination of a Man to operate upon. With due exceptions—Woman feels for Woman very promptly & compassionately. He gave the particulars which had led to Clara’s admission at Sanditon, as no bad exemplification of that mixture of Character, that union of Littleness with Kindness with Good Sence with even Liberality which he saw in Lady D.— After having avoided London for many years, principally on account of these very Cousins, who were continually writing, inviting & tormenting her, & whom she was determined to keep at a distance, she had been obliged to go there last Michaelmas with the certainty of being detained at least a fortnight.—She had gone to an Hotel—living by her own account as prudently as possible, to defy the reputed expensiveness of such a home, & at the end of three Days calling for her Bill, that she might judge of her state.—It’s amount was such as determined her on staying not another hour in the House, & she was preparing in all the anger & perturbation which a beleif of very gross imposition there, & an ignorance of where to go for better usage, to leave the Hotel at all hazards, when the Cousins, the politic & lucky Cousins, who seemed always to have a spy on her, introduced themselves at this important moment, & learning her situation, persuaded her to accept such a home for the rest of her stay as their humbler house in a very inferior part of London, cd offer.—She went; was delighted with her welcome & the hospitality & attention she received from every body—found her good Cousins the B—— beyond her expectation worthy people—& finally was impelled by a personal knowledge of their narrow Income & pecuniary difficulties, to invite one of the girls of the family to pass the Winter with her. The invitation was to one, for six months—with the probability of another being then to take her place;—but in selecting the one, Lady D. had shewn the good part of her Character—for passing by the actual daughters of the House, she had chosen Clara, a Neice—, more helpless & more pitiable of course than any—a dependant on Poverty—an additional Burthen on an encumbered Circle—& one, who had been so low in every worldly veiw, as with all her natural endowments & powers, to have been preparing for a situation little better than a Nursery Maid.—Clara had returned with her—& by her good sence & merit had now, to all appearance secured a very strong hold in Lady D.’s regard. The six months had long been over—& not a syllable was breathed of any change, or exchange.—She was a general favourite;—the influence of her steady conduct & mild, gentle Temper was felt by everybody. The prejudices which had met her at first in some quarters, were all dissipated. She was felt to be worthy of Trust—to be the very companion who wd guide & soften Lady D— who wd enlarge her mind & open her hand.—She was as thoroughly amiable as she was lovely—& since having had the advantage of their Sanditon Breezes, that Loveliness was complete.

CHAPTER 4.

“And whose very snug-looking Place is this?”—said Charlotte, as in a sheltered Dip within 2 miles of the Sea, they passed close by a moderate-sized house, well fenced & planted, & rich in the Garden, Orchard & Meadows which are the best embellishments of such a Dwelling. “It seems to have as many comforts about it as Willingden.”—“Ah!—said Mr P.—This is my old House—the house of my Forefathers—the house where I & all my Brothers & Sisters were born & bred—& where my own 3 eldest Children were born—where Mrs P. & I lived till within the last 2 years—till our new House was finished.—I am glad you are pleased with it.—It is an honest old Place—and Hillier keeps it in very good order. I have given it up you know to the Man who occupies the cheif of my Land. He gets a better House by it—& I, a rather better situation!—one other Hill brings us to Sanditon—modern Sanditon—a beautiful Spot.—Our Ancestors, you know always built in a hole.—Here were we, pent down in this little contracted Nook, without Air or Veiw, only one mile & 3 qrs from the noblest expanse of Ocean between the South foreland & the Land’s end, & without the smallest advantage from it. You will not think I have made a bad exchange, when we reach Trafalgar House—which by the bye, I almost wish I had not named Trafalgar—for Waterloo is more the thing now. However, Waterloo is in reserve—& if we have encouragement enough this year for a little Crescent to be ventured on—(as I trust we shall) then, we shall be able to call it Waterloo Crescent—& the name joined to the form of the Building, which always takes, will give us the command of Lodgers—. In a good Season we shd have more applications than we could attend to.”—“It was always a very comfortable House—said Mrs Parker—looking at it through the back window with something like the fondness of regret.—And such a nice Garden—such an excellent Garden.” “Yes, my Love, but that we may be said to carry with us.—It supplies us, as before, with all the fruit & vegetables we want; & we have in fact all the comfort of an excellent Kitchen Garden, without the constant Eyesore of its formalities; or the yearly nuisance of its decaying vegetation.—Who can endure a Cabbage Bed in October”? “Oh! dear—yes.—We are quite as well off for Gardenstuff as ever we were—for if it is forgot to be brought at any time, we can always buy what we want at Sanditon-House.—The Gardiner there, is glad enough to supply us—. But it was a nice place for the Children to run about in. So shady in Summer!” “My dear, we shall have shade enough on the Hill & more than enough in the course of a very few years;—The Growth of my Plantations is a general astonishment. In the mean while we have the Canvas Awning, which gives us the most complete comfort within doors—& you can get a Parasol at Whitby’s for little Mary at any time, or a large Bonnet at Jebb’s—and as for the Boys, I must say I wd rather them run about in the Sunshine than not. I am sure we agree my dear, in wishing our Boys to be as hardy as possible.”—“Yes indeed, I am sure we do—& I will get Mary a little Parasol, which will make her as proud as can be. How Grave she will walk about with it, and fancy herself quite a little Woman.—Oh! I have not the smallest doubt of our being a great deal better off where we are now. If we any of us want to bathe, we have not a qr of a mile to go.—But you know, (still looking back) one loves to look at an old friend, at a place where one has been happy.—The Hilliers did not seem to feel the Storms last Winter at all.—I remember seeing Mrs Hillier after one of those dreadful Nights, when we had been literally rocked in our bed, and she did not seem at all aware of the Wind being anything more than common.” “Yes, yes—that’s likely enough. We have all the Grandeur of the Storm, with less real danger, because the Wind meeting with nothing to oppose or confine it around our House, simply rages & passes on—while down in this Gutter—nothing is known of the state of the Air, below the Tops of the Trees—and the Inhabitants may be taken totally unawares, by one of those dreadful Currents which do more mischief in a Valley, when they do arise than an open Country ever experiences in the heaviest Gale.—But my dear Love—as to Gardenstuff;—you were saying that any accidental omission is supplied in a moment by Ly D.’s Gardiner—but it occurs to me that we ought to go elsewhere upon such occasions—& that old Stringer & his son have a higher claim. I encouraged him to set up—& am afraid he does not do very well—that is, there has not been time enough yet.—He will do very well beyond a doubt—but at first it is Uphill work; and therefore we must give him what Help we can—& when any Vegetables or fruit happen to be wanted—& it will not be amiss to have them often wanted, to have something or other forgotten most days;—Just to have a nominal supply you know, that poor old Andrew may not lose his daily Job—but in fact to buy the cheif of our consumption of the Stringers.—” “Very well my Love, that can be easily done—& Cook will be satisfied—which will be a great comfort, for she is always complaining of old Andrew now, & says he never brings her what she wants.—There—now the old House is quite left behind.—What is it, your Brother Sidney says about it’s being a Hospital?” “Oh! my dear Mary, merely a Joke of his. He pretends to advise me to make a Hospital of it. He pretends to laugh at my Improvements. Sidney says any thing you know. He has always said what he chose of & to us, all. Most Families have such a member among them I beleive Miss Heywood.—There is a someone in most families privileged by superior abilities or spirits to say anything.—In ours, it is Sidney; who is a very clever Young Man,—and with great powers of pleasing.—He lives too much in the World to be settled; that is his only fault.—He is here & there & every where. I wish we may get him to Sanditon. I should like to have you acquainted with him.—And it would be a fine thing for the Place!—Such a young Man as Sidney, with his neat equipage & fashionable air,—You & I Mary, know what effect it might have: Many a respectable Family, many a careful Mother, many a pretty Daughter, might it secure us, to the prejudice of E. Bourne & Hastings.”—They were now approaching the Church & neat village of Sanditon, which stood at the foot of the Hill they were afterwards to ascend—a Hill, whose side was covered with the Woods & enclosures of Sanditon House and whose Height ended in an open Down where the new Buildgs might soon be looked for. A branch only, of the Valley, winding more obliquely towards the Sea, gave a passage to an inconsiderable Stream, & formed at its mouth, a 3d Habitable Division, in a small cluster of Fisherman’s Houses.—The Village contained little more than Cottages, but the Spirit of the day had been caught, as Mr P. observed with delight to Charlotte, & two or three of the best of them were smartened up with a white Curtain & “Lodgings to let”—, and farther on, in the little Green Court of an old Farm House, two Females in elegant white were actually to be seen with their books & camp stools—and in turning the corner of the Baker’s shop, the sound of a Harp might be heard through the upper Casement.—Such sights & sounds were highly Blissful to Mr P.—Not that he had any personal concern in the success of the Village itself; for considering it as too remote from the Beach, he had done nothing there—but it was a most valuable proof of the increasing fashion of the place altogether. If the Village could attract, the Hill might be nearly full.—He anticipated an amazing Season.—At the same time last year, (late in July) there had not been a single Lodger in the Village!—nor did he remember any during the whole Summer, excepting one family of children who came from London for sea air after the hooping Cough, and whose Mother would not let them be nearer the shore for fear of their tumbling in.—“Civilization, Civilization indeed!—cried Mr P—, delighted—. Look my dear Mary—Look at William Heeley’s windows.—Blue Shoes, & nankin Boots!—Who wd have expected such a sight at a Shoemaker’s in old Sanditon!—This is new within the Month. There was no blue Shoe when we passed this way a month ago.—Glorious indeed!—Well, I think I have done something in my Day.—Now, for our Hill, our health-breathing Hill.—” In ascending, they passed the Lodge-Gates of Sanditon House, & saw the top of the House itself among its Groves. It was the last Building of former Days in that line of the Parish. A little higher up, the Modern began; & in crossing the Down, a Prospect House, a Bellevue Cottage, & a Denham Place were to be looked at by Charlotte with the calmness of amused Curiosity, & by Mr P. with the eager eye which hoped to see scarcely any empty houses.—More Bills at the Window than he had calculated on;—and a smaller shew of company on the Hill—Fewer Carriages, fewer Walkers. He had fancied it just the time of day for them to be all returning from their Airings to dinner—But the Sands & the Terrace always attracted some—. and the Tide must be flowing—about half-Tide now.—He longed to be on the Sands, the Cliffs, at his own House, & everywhere out of his House at once. His Spirits rose with the very sight of the Sea & he cd almost feel his Ancle getting stronger already.—Trafalgar House, on the most elevated spot on the Down was a light elegant Building, standing in a small Lawn with a very young plantation round it, about an hundred yards from the brow of a steep, but not very lofty Cliff—and the nearest to it, of every Building, excepting one short row of smart-looking Houses, called the Terrace, with a broad walk in front, aspiring to be the Mall of the Place. In this row were the best Milliner’s shop & the Library—a little detached from it, the Hotel & Billiard Room—Here began the Descent to the Beach, & to the Bathing Machines—& this was therefore the favourite spot for Beauty & Fashion.—At Trafalgar House, rising at a little distance behind the Terrace, the Travellers were safely set down, & all was happiness & Joy between Papa & Mama & their Children; while Charlotte having received possession of her apartment, found amusement enough in standing at her ample, Venetian window, & looking over the miscellaneous foreground of unfinished Buildings, waving Linen, & tops of Houses, to the Sea, dancing & sparkling in Sunshine & Freshness.—

CHAPTER 5.

When they met before dinner, Mr P. was looking over Letters.—“Not a Line from Sidney!—said he.—He is an idle fellow.—I sent him an account of my accident from Willingden, & thought he would have vouchsafed me an Answer.—But perhaps it implies that he is coming himself.—I trust it may.—But here is a Letter from one of my Sisters. They never fail me.—Women are the only Correspondents to be depended on.—Now Mary, (smiling at his Wife)—before I open it, what shall we guess as to the state of health of those it comes from—or rather what wd Sidney say if he were here?—Sidney is a saucy fellow, Miss H.—And you must know, he will have it there is a good deal of Imagination in my two Sisters’ complaints—but it really is not so—or very little—They have wretched health, as you have heard us say frequently, & are subject to a variety of very serious Disorders.—Indeed, I do not beleive they know what a day’s health is;—& at the same time, they are such excellent useful Women & have so much energy of Character that, where any Good is to be done, they force themselves on exertions which to those who do not thoroughly know them, have an extraordinary appearance.—But there is really no affectation about them. They have only weaker constitutions & stronger minds than are often met with, either separate or together.—And our Youngest Br—who lives with them, & who is not much above 20, I am sorry to say, is almost as great an Invalid as themselves.—He is so delicate that he can engage in no Profession.—Sidney laughs at him—but it really is no Joke—tho’ Sidney often makes me laugh at them all in spite of myself.—Now, if he were here, I know he wd be offering odds that either Susan Diana or Arthur wd appear by this letter to have been at the point of death within the last month.”—Having run his eye over the Letter, he shook his head & began—“No chance of seeing them at Sanditon I am sorry to say.—A very indifferent account of them indeed. Seriously, a very indifferent account.—Mary, you will be quite sorry to hear how ill they have been & are.—Miss H., if you will give me leave, I will read Diana’s Letter aloud.—I like to have my friends acquainted with each other—& I am afraid this is the only sort of acquaintance I shall have the means of accomplishing between you.—And I can have no scruple on Diana’s account—for her Letters shew her exactly as she is, the most active, friendly, warm hearted Being in existence, & therefore must give a good impression.” He read.—“My dear Tom, We were all much greived at your accident, & if you had not described yourself as fallen into such very good hands, I shd have been with you at all hazards the day after the recpt of your Letter, though it found me suffering under a more severe attack than usual of my old greivance, Spasmodic Bile & hardly able to crawl from my Bed to the Sofa.—But how were you treated?—Send me more Particulars in your next.—If indeed a simple Sprain, as you denominate it, nothing wd have been so judicious as Friction, Friction by the hand alone, supposing it could be applied instantly.—Two years ago I happened to be calling on Mrs Sheldon when her Coachman sprained his foot as he was cleaning the Carriage & cd hardly limp into the House—but by the immediate use of Friction alone, steadily persevered in, (& I rubbed his Ancle with my own hand for six Hours without Intermission)—he was well in three days.—Many Thanks my dear Tom for the kindness with respect to us, which had so large a share in bringing on your accident—But pray never run into Peril again, in looking for an Apothecary on our account, for had you the most experienced Man in his Line settled at Sanditon, it wd be no recommendation to us. We have entirely done with the whole Medical Tribe. We have consulted Physician after Phyn in vain, till we are quite convinced that they can do nothing for us & that we must trust to our own knowledge of our own wretched Constitutions for any releif.—But if you think it advisable for the interest of the Place, to get a Medical Man there, I will undertake the commission with pleasure, & have no doubt of succeeding.—I could soon put the necessary Irons in the fire.—As for getting to Sanditon myself, it is quite an Impossibility. I greive to say that I dare not attempt it, but my feelings tell me too plainly that in my present state, the Sea air wd probably be the death of me.—And neither of my dear Companions will leave me, or I wd promote their going down to you for a fortnight. But in truth, I doubt whether Susan’s nerves wd be equal to the effort. She has been suffering much from the Headache and Six Leaches a day for 10 days together releived her so little that we thought it right to change our measures—and being convinced on examination that much of the Evil lay in her Gum, I persuaded her to attack the disorder there. She has accordingly had 3 Teeth drawn, & is decidedly better, but her Nerves are a good deal deranged. She can only speak in a whisper—and fainted away twice this morning on poor Arthur’s trying to suppress a cough. He, I am happy to say is tolerably well—tho’ more languid than I like—& I fear for his Liver.—I have heard nothing of Sidney since your being together in Town, but conclude his scheme to the I. of Wight has not taken place, or we should have seen him in his way.—Most sincerely do we wish you a good Season at Sanditon, & though we cannot contribute to your Beau Monde in person, we are doing our utmost to send you Company worth having; & think we may safely reckon on securing you two large Families, one a rich West Indian from Surry, the other, a most respectable Girls Boarding School, or Academy, from Camberwell.—I will not tell you how many People I have employed in the business—Wheel within wheel.—But Success more than repays.—Yours most affecly—&c” “Well—said Mr P.—as he finished. Though I dare say Sidney might find something extremely entertaining in this Letter & make us laugh for half an hour together I declare I by myself, can see nothing in it but what is either very pitiable or very creditable.—With all their sufferings, you perceive how much they are occupied in promoting the Good of others!—So anxious for Sanditon! Two large Families—One, for Prospect House probably, the other, for No 2. Denham Place—or the end house of the Terrace,—& extra Beds at the Hotel.—I told you my Sisters were excellent Women, Miss H——.” “And I am sure they must be very extraordinary ones.—said Charlotte. I am astonished at the chearful style of the Letter, considering the state in which both Sisters appear to be.—Three Teeth drawn at once!—frightful!—Your Sister Diana seems almost as ill as possible, but those 3 Teeth of your Sister Susan’s, are more distressing than all the rest.—” “Oh!—they are so used to the operation—to every operation—& have such Fortitude!—” “Your Sisters know what they are about, I dare say, but their Measures seem to touch on Extremes.—I feel that in any illness, I should be so anxious for Professional advice, so very little venturesome for myself, or any body I loved!—But then, we have been so healthy a family, that I can be no Judge of what the habit of self-doctoring may do.—” “Why to own the truth, said Mrs P.—I do think the Miss Parkers carry it too far sometimes—& so do you my Love, you know.—You often think they wd be better, if they wd leave themselves more alone—& especially Arthur. I know you think it a great pity they shd give him such a turn for being ill.—” “Well, well—my dear Mary—I grant you, it is unfortunate for poor Arthur, that, at his time of Life he shd be encouraged to give way to Indisposition. It is bad;—it is bad that he should be fancying himself too sickly for any Profession—& sit down at 1 & 20, on the interest of his own little Fortune, without any idea of attempting to improve it, or of engaging in any occupation that may be of use to himself or others.—But let us talk of pleasanter things.—These two large Families are just what we wanted—But—here is something at hand, pleasanter still—Morgan, with his “Dinner on Table.”—

CHAPTER 6.

The Party were very soon moving after Dinner. Mr P. could not be satisfied without an early visit to the Library, & the Library Subscription book, & Charlotte was glad to see as much, & as quickly as possible, where all was new. They were out in the very quietest part of a Watering-place Day, when the important Business of Dinner or of sitting after Dinner was going on in almost every inhabited Lodging;—here & there a solitary Elderly Man might be seen, who was forced to move early & walk for health—but in general, it was a thorough pause of Company, it was Emptiness & Tranquillity on the Terrace, the Cliffs, & the Sands.—The Shops were deserted—the Straw Hats & pendant Lace seemed left to their fate both within the House & without, and Mrs Whitby at the Library was sitting in her inner room, reading one of her own Novels, for want of Employment.—The List of Subscribers was but commonplace. The Lady Denham, Miss Brereton, Mr & Mrs P—— Sir Edw: Denham & Miss Denham, whose names might be said to lead off the Season, were followed by nothing better than—Mrs Mathews—Miss Mathews, Miss E. Mathews, Miss H. Mathews.—Dr & Mrs Brown—Mr Richard Pratt.—Lieut: Smith R.N. Capt: Little,—Limehouse.—Mrs Jane Fisher. Miss Fisher. Miss Scroggs.—Rev: Mr Hanking. Mr Beard—Solicitor, Grays Inn.—Mrs Davis. & Miss Merryweather.—Mr P. could not but feel that the List was not only without Distinction, but less numerous than he had hoped. It was but July however, & August & September were the Months;—And besides, the promised large Families from Surry & Camberwell, were an ever-ready consolation.—Mrs Whitby came forward without delay from her Literary recess, delighted to see Mr Parker again, whose manners recommended him to every body, & they were fully occupied in their various Civilities & Communications, while Charlotte having added her name to the List as the first offering to the success of the Season, was busy in some immediate purchases for the further good of Every body, as soon as Miss Whitby could be hurried down from her Toilette, with all her glossy curls & smart Trinkets to wait on her.—The Library of course, afforded every thing; all the useless things in the World that cd not be done without, & among so many pretty Temptations, & with so much good will for Mr P. to encourage Expenditure, Charlotte began to feel that she must check herself—or rather she reflected that at two & Twenty there cd be no excuse for her doing otherwise—& that it wd not do for her to be spending all her Money the very first Evening. She took up a Book; it happened to be a vol: of Camilla. She had not Camilla’s Youth, & had no intention of having her Distress,—so, she turned from the Drawers of rings & Broches repressed farther solicitation & paid for what she bought.—For her particular gratification, they were then to take a Turn on the Cliff—but as they quitted the Library they were met by two Ladies whose arrival made an alteration necessary, Lady Denham & Miss Brereton.—They had been to Trafalgar House, & been directed thence to the Library, & though Lady D. was a great deal too active to regard the walk of a mile as any thing requiring rest, & talked of going home again directly, the Parkers knew that to be pressed into their House, & obliged to take her Tea with them, would suit her best,—& therefore the stroll on the Cliff gave way to an immediate return home.—“No, no, said her Ladyship—I will not have you hurry your Tea on my account.—I know you like your Tea late.—My early hours are not to put my Neighbours to inconvenience. No, no, Miss Clara & I will get back to our own Tea.—We came out with no other Thought.—We wanted just to see you & make sure of your being really come—, but we get back to our own Tea.”—She went on however towards Trafalgar House & took possession of the Drawing room very quietly—without seeming to hear a word of Mrs P.’s orders to the Servant as they entered, to bring Tea directly. Charlotte was fully consoled for the loss of her walk, by finding herself in company with those, whom the conversation of the morng had given her a great curiosity to see. She observed them well.—Lady D. was of middle height, stout, upright & alert in her motions, with a shrewd eye, & self-satisfied air—but not an unagreable Countenance—& tho’ her manner was rather downright & abrupt, as of a person who valued herself on being free-spoken, there was a good humour & cordiality about her—a civility & readiness to be acquainted with Charlotte herself, & a heartiness of welcome towards her old friends, which was inspiring the Good will, she seemed to feel;—And as for Miss Brereton, her appearance so completely justified Mr P.’s praise that Charlotte thought she had never beheld a more lovely, or more Interesting young Woman.—Elegantly tall, regularly handsome, with great delicacy of complexion & soft Blue eyes, a sweetly modest & yet naturally graceful Address, Charlotte could see in her only the most perfect representation of whatever Heroine might be most beautiful & bewitching, in all the numerous vol:s they had left behind them on Mrs Whitby’s shelves.—Perhaps it might be partly oweing to her having just issued from a Circulating Library—but she cd not separate the idea of a complete Heroine from Clara Brereton. Her situation with Lady Denham so very much in favour of it!—She seemed placed with her on purpose to be ill-used. Such Poverty & Dependance joined to such Beauty & Merit, seemed to leave no choice in the business.—These feelings were not the result of any spirit of Romance in Charlotte herself. No, she was a very sober-minded young Lady, sufficiently well-read in Novels to supply her Imagination with amusement, but not at all unreasonably influenced by them; & while she pleased herself the first 5 minutes with fancying the Persecutions which ought to be the Lot of the interesting Clara, especially in the form of the most barbarous conduct on Lady Denham’s side, she found no reluctance to admit from subsequent observation, that they appeared to be on very comfortable Terms.—She cd see nothing worse in Lady Denham, than the sort of oldfashioned formality of always calling her Miss Clara—nor anything objectionable in the degree of observance & attention which Clara paid.—On one side it seemed protecting kindness, on the other grateful & affectionate respect.—The Conversation turned entirely upon Sanditon, its present number of Visitants & the Chances of a good Season. It was evident that Lady D. had more anxiety, more fears of loss, than her Coadjutor. She wanted to have the Place fill faster, & seemed to have many harassing apprehensions of the Lodgings being in some instances underlet.—Miss Diana Parker’s two large Families were not forgotten. “Very good, very good, said her Ladyship.—A West Indy Family & a school. That sounds well. That will bring Money.”—“No people spend more freely, I beleive, than W. Indians.” observed Mr Parker.—“Aye—so I have heard—and because they have full Purses, fancy themselves equal, may be, to your old Country Families. But then, they who scatter their Money so freely, never think of whether they may not be doing mischeif by raising the price of Things—And I have heard that’s very much the case with your West-injines—and if they come among us to raise the price of our necessaries of Life, we shall not much thank them Mr Parker.”—“My dear Madam, They can only raise the price of consumeable Articles, by such an extraordinary Demand for them & such a diffusion of Money among us, as must do us more Good than harm.—Our Butchers & Bakers & Traders in general cannot get rich without bringing Prosperity to us.—If they do not gain, our rents must be insecure—& in proportion to their profit must be ours eventually in the increased value of our Houses.” “Oh!—well.—But I should not like to have Butcher’s meat raised, though—& I shall keep it down as long as I can.—Aye—that young Lady smiles I see;—I dare say she thinks me an odd sort of a Creature,—but she will come to care about such matters herself in time. Yes, Yes, my Dear, depend upon it, you will be thinking of the price of Butcher’s meat in time—tho’ you may not happen to have quite such a Servants Hall full to feed, as I have.—And I do beleive those are best off, that have fewest Servants.—I am not a Woman of Parade, as all the World knows, & if it was not for what I owe to poor Mr Hollis’s memory, I should never keep up Sanditon House as I do;—it is not for my own pleasure.—Well Mr Parker—and the other is a Boarding school, a French Boarding School, is it?—No harm in that.—They’ll stay their six weeks.—And out of such a number, who knows but some may be consumptive & want Asses milk—& I have two Milch asses at this present time.—But perhaps the little Misses may hurt the Furniture.—I hope they will have a good sharp Governess to look after them.—” Poor Mr Parker got no more credit from Lady D. than he had from his Sisters, for the Object which had taken him to Willingden. “Lord! my dear Sir, she cried, how could you think of such a thing? I am very sorry you met with your accident, but upon my word you deserved it.—Going after a Doctor!—Why, what shd we do with a Doctor here? It wd be only encouraging our Servants & the Poor to fancy themselves ill, if there was a Dr at hand.—Oh! pray, let us have none of the Tribe at Sanditon. We go on very well as we are. There is the Sea & the Downs & my Milch-asses—& I have told Mrs Whitby that if any body enquires for a Chamber-House, they may be supplied at a fair rate—(poor Mr Hollis’s Chamber-House, as good as new)—and what can People want for more?—Here have I lived 70 good years in the world & never took Physic above twice—and never saw the face of a Doctor in all my Life, on my own account.—And I verily beleive if my poor dear Sir Harry had never seen one neither, he wd have been alive now.—Ten fees, one after another, did the Man take who sent him out of the World.—I beseech you Mr Parker, no Doctors here.”—The Tea things were brought in.—“Oh! my dear Mrs Parker—you should not indeed—why would you do so? I was just upon the point of wishing you good Evening. But since you are so very neighbourly, I beleive Miss Clara & I must stay.”——

CHAPTER 7.

The popularity of the Parkers brought them some visitors the very next morning;—amongst them, Sir Edwd Denham & his Sister, who having been at Sanditon H— drove on to pay their Compliments; & the duty of Letter-writing being accomplished, Charlotte was settled with Mrs P.— in the Drawing room in time to see them all.—The Denhams were the only ones to excite particular attention. Charlotte was glad to complete her knowledge of the family by an introduction to them, & found them, the better half at least—(for while single, the Gentleman may sometimes be thought the better half, of the pair)—not unworthy notice.—Miss D. was a fine young woman, but cold & reserved, giving the idea of one who felt her consequence with Pride & her Poverty with Discontent, & who was immediately gnawed by the want of an handsomer Equipage than the simple Gig in which they travelled, & which their Groom was leading about still in her sight.—Sir Edwd was much her superior in air & manner;—certainly handsome, but yet more to be remarked for his very good address & wish of paying attention & giving pleasure.—He came into the room remarkably well, talked much—& very much to Charlotte, by whom he chanced to be placed—& she soon perceived that he had a fine Countenance, a most pleasing gentleness of Voice, & a great deal of Conversation. She liked him.—Sober-minded as she was, she thought him agreable, & did not quarrel with the suspicion of his finding her equally so, which would arise from his evidently disregarding his Sister’s motion to go, & persisting in his station & his discourse.—I make no apologies for my Heroine’s vanity.—If there are young Ladies in the World at her time of Life, more dull of Fancy & more careless of pleasing, I know them not, & never wish to know them.—At last, from the low French windows of the Drawing room which commanded the road & all the Paths across the Down, Charlotte & Sir Edw: as they sat, could not but observe Lady D. & Miss B. walking by—& there was instantly a slight change in Sir Edw:’s countenance—with an anxious glance after them as they proceeded—followed by an early proposal to his Sister—not merely for moving, but for walking on together to the Terrace—which altogether gave an hasty turn to Charlotte’s fancy, cured her of her halfhour’s fever, & placed her in a more capable state of judging, when Sir Edw: was gone, of how agreable he had actually been.—“Perhaps there was a good deal in his Air & Address; And his Title did him no harm.” She was very soon in his company again. The first object of the Parkers, when their House was cleared of morng visitors was to get out themselves;—the Terrace was the attraction to all;—Every body who walked, must begin with the Terrace, & there, seated on one of the two Green Benches by the Gravel walk, they found the united Denham Party;—but though united in the Gross, very distinctly divided again—the two superior Ladies being at one end of the bench, & Sir Edw: & Miss B. at the other.—Charlotte’s first glance told her that Sir Edw:’s air was that of a Lover.—There could be no doubt of his Devotion to Clara.—How Clara received it, was less obvious—but she was inclined to think not very favourably; for tho’ sitting thus apart with him (which probably she might not have been able to prevent) her air was calm & grave.—That the young Lady at the other end of the Bench was doing Penance, was indubitable. The difference in Miss Denham’s countenance, the change from Miss Denham sitting in cold Grandeur in Mrs Parker’s Drawg-room to be kept from silence by the efforts of others, to Miss D. at Lady D.’s Elbow, listening & talking with smiling attention or solicitous eagerness, was very striking—and very amusing—or very melancholy, just as Satire or Morality might prevail.—Miss Denham’s Character was pretty well decided with Charlotte. Sir Edward’s required longer Observation. He surprised her by quitting Clara immediately on their all joining & agreeing to walk, & by addressing his attentions entirely to herself.—Stationing himself close by her, he seemed to mean to detach her as much as possible from the rest of the Party & to give her the whole of his Conversation. He began, in a tone of great Taste & Feeling, to talk of the Sea & the Sea shore—& ran with Energy through all the usual Phrases employed in praise of their Sublimity, & descriptive of the undescribable Emotions they excite in the Mind of Sensibility.—The terrific Grandeur of the Ocean in a Storm, its glassy surface in a calm, it’s Gulls & its Samphire, & the deep fathoms of it’s Abysses, it’s quick vicissitudes, it’s direful Deceptions, it’s Mariners tempting it in Sunshine & overwhelmed by the sudden Tempest, All were eagerly & fluently touched;—rather commonplace perhaps—but doing very well from the Lips of a handsome Sir Edward,—and she cd not but think him a Man of Feeling—till he began to stagger her by the number of his Quotations, & the bewilderment of some of his sentences.—“Do you remember, said he, Scott’s beautiful Lines on the Sea?—Oh! what a description they convey!—They are never out of my Thoughts when I walk here.—That Man who can read them unmoved must have the nerves of an Assassin!—Heaven defend me from meeting such a Man un-armed.”—“What description do you mean?—said Charlotte. I remember none at this moment, of the Sea, in either of Scott’s Poems.”—“Do not you indeed?—Nor can I exactly recall the beginning at this moment—But—you cannot have forgotten his description of Woman.—

“Oh! Woman in our Hours of Ease—”

Delicious! Delicious!—Had he written nothing more, he wd have been Immortal. And then again, that unequalled, unrivalled address to Parental affection—

“Some feelings are to Mortals given

With less of Earth in them than Heaven” &c

But while we are on the subject of Poetry, what think you Miss H. of Burns Lines to his Mary?”—

“Oh! there is Pathos to madden one!—If ever there was a Man who felt, it was Burns.—Montgomery has all the Fire of Poetry, Wordsworth has the true soul of it—Campbell in his pleasures of Hope has touched the extreme of our Sensations—“Like Angel’s visits, few & far between.” Can you conceive any thing more subduing, more melting, more fraught with the deep Sublime than that Line?—But Burns—I confess my sence of his Pre-eminence Miss H.—If Scott has a fault, it is the want of Passion.—Tender, Elegant, Descriptive—but Tame.—The Man who cannot do justice to the attributes of Woman is my contempt.—Sometimes indeed a flash of feeling seems to irradiate him—as in the Lines we were speaking of—“Oh! Woman in our hours of Ease”—. But Burns is always on fire.—His Soul was the Altar in which lovely Woman sat enshrined, his Spirit truly breathed the immortal Incence which is her Due.—” “I have read several of Burn’s Poems with great delight, said Charlotte as soon as she had time to speak, but I am not poetic enough to separate a Man’s Poetry entirely from his Character;—& poor Burns’s known Irregularities, greatly interrupt my enjoyment of his Lines.—I have difficulty, in depending on the Truth of his Feelings as a Lover. I have not faith in the sincerity of the affections of a Man of his Description. He felt & he wrote & he forgot.” “Oh! no no—exclaimed Sir Edw: in an extasy. He was all ardour & Truth!—His Genius & his Susceptibilities might lead him into some Aberrations—But who is perfect?—It were Hyper-criticism, it were Pseudo-philosophy to expect from the soul of high toned Genius, the grovellings of a common mind.—The Coruscations of Talent, elicited by impassioned feeling in the breast of Man, are perhaps incompatible with some of the prosaic Decencies of Life;—nor can you, loveliest Miss Heywood—(speaking with an air of deep sentiment)—nor can any Woman be a fair Judge of what a Man may be propelled to say, write or do, by the sovereign impulses of illimitable Ardour.” This was very fine;—but if Charlotte understood it at all, not very moral—& being moreover by no means pleased with his extraordinary stile of compliment, she gravely answered “I really know nothing of the matter.—This is a charming day. The Wind I fancy must be Southerly.” “Happy, happy Wind, to engage Miss Heywood’s Thoughts!—” She began to think him downright silly.—His chusing to walk with her, she had learnt to understand. It was done to pique Miss Brereton. She had read it, in an anxious glance or two on his side—but why he shd talk so much Nonsense, unless he could do no better, was unintelligible.—He seemed very sentimental, very full of some Feelings or other, & very much addicted to all the newest-fashioned hard words—had not a very clear Brain she presumed, & talked a good deal by rote.—The Future might explain him further—but when there was a proposition for going into the Library she felt that she had had quite enough of Sir Edw: for one morng, & very gladly accepted Lady D.’s invitation of remaining on the Terrace with her.—The others all left them, Sir Edw: with looks of very gallant despair in tearing himself away, & they united their agreableness—that is, Lady Denham like a true great Lady, talked & talked only of her own concerns, & Charlotte listened—amused in considering the contrast between her two companions.—Certainly, there was no strain of doubtful Sentiment, nor any phrase of difficult interpretation in Lady D’s discourse. Taking hold of Charlotte’s arm with the ease of one who felt that any notice from her was an Honour, & communicative, from the influence of the same conscious Importance or a natural love of talking, she immediately said in a tone of great satisfaction—& with a look of arch sagacity—“Miss Esther wants me to invite her & her Brother to spend a week with me at Sanditon House, as I did last Summer—But I shan’t.—She has been trying to get round me every way, with her praise of this, & her praise of that; but I saw what she was about.—I saw through it all.—I am not very easily taken-in my Dear.” Charlotte cd think of nothing more harmless to be said, than the simple enquiry of—“Sir Edward & Miss Denham?”—“Yes, my Dear. My young Folks, as I call them sometimes, for I take them very much by the hand. I had them with me last Summer about this time, for a week; from Monday to Monday; and very delighted & thankful they were.—For they are very good young People my Dear. I wd not have you think that I only notice them, for poor dear Sir Harry’s sake. No, no; they are very deserving themselves, or trust me, they wd not be so much in my Company.—I am not the Woman to help any body blindfold.—I always take care to know what I am about & who I have to deal with, before I stir a finger.—I do not think I was ever over-reached in my Life; & That is a good deal for a Woman to say that has been married twice.—Poor dear Sir Harry (between ourselves) thought at first to have got more.—But (with a bit of a sigh) He is gone, & we must not find fault with the Dead. Nobody could live happier together than us—& he was a very honourable Man, quite the Gentleman of ancient Family.—And when he died, I gave Sir Edwd his Gold Watch.—” She said this with a look at her Companion which implied it’s right to produce a great Impression—& seeing no rapturous astonishment in Charlottes countenance, added quickly—“He did not bequeath it to his Nephew, my dear—It was no bequest. It was not in the Will. He only told me, & that but once, that he shd wish his Nephew to have his Watch; but it need not have been binding, if I had not chose it.—” “Very kind indeed! very Handsome!”—said Charlotte, absolutely forced to affect admiration.—“Yes, my dear—& it is not the only kind thing I have done by him.—I have been a very liberal friend to Sir Edwd. And poor young Man, he needs it bad enough;—For though I am only the Dowager my Dear, & he is the Heir, things do not stand between us in the way they commonly do between those two parties.—Not a shilling do I receive from the Denham Estate. Sir Edw: has no Payments to make me. He don’t stand uppermost, beleive me.—It is I that help him.” “Indeed!—He is a very fine young Man;—particularly Elegant in his Address.”—This was said cheifly for the sake of saying something—but Charlotte directly saw that it was laying her open to suspicion by Lady D’s giving a shrewd glance at her & replying—“Yes, yes, he is very well to look at—& it is to be hoped some Lady of large fortune will think so—for Sir Edwd must marry for Money.—He & I often talk that matter over.—A handsome young fellow like him, will go smirking & smiling about & paying girls compliments, but he knows he must marry for Money.—And Sir Edw: is a very steady young Man in the main, & has got very good notions.” “Sir Edw: Denham, said Charlotte, with such personal Advantages may be almost sure of getting a Woman of fortune, if he chuses it.”—This glorious sentiment seemed quite to remove suspicion. “Aye my Dear—That’s very sensibly said cried Lady D— And if we cd but get a young Heiress to S! But Heiresses are monstrous scarce! I do not think we have had an Heiress here, or even a Co—since Sanditon has been a public place. Families come after Families, but as far as I can learn, it is not one in an hundred of them that have any real Property, Landed or Funded.—An Income perhaps, but no Property. Clergymen may be, or Lawyers from Town, or Half pay officers, or Widows with only a Jointure. And what good can such people do anybody?—except just as they take our empty Houses—and (between ourselves) I think they are great fools for not staying at home. Now, if we could get a young Heiress to be sent here for her health—(and if she was ordered to drink asses milk I could supply her)—and as soon as she got well, have her fall in love with Sir Edward!”—“That would be very fortunate indeed.” “And Miss Esther must marry somebody of fortune too—She must get a rich Husband. Ah! young Ladies that have no Money are very much to be pitied!—But—after a short pause—if Miss Esther thinks to talk me into inviting them to come & stay at Sanditon House, she will find herself mistaken.—Matters are altered with me since last Summer you know—. I have Miss Clara with me now, which makes a great difference.” She spoke this so seriously that Charlotte instantly saw in it the evidence of real penetration & prepared for some fuller remarks—but it was followed only by—“I have no fancy for having my House as full as an Hotel. I should not chuse to have my 2 Housemaids Time taken up all the morng, in dusting out Bed rooms.—They have Miss Clara’s room to put to rights as well as my own every day.—If they had hard Places, they would want Higher Wages.—” For objections of this Nature, Charlotte was not prepared, & she found it so impossible even to affect simpathy, that she cd say nothing.—Lady D. soon added, with great glee—“And besides all this my Dear, am I to be filling my House to the prejudice of Sanditon?—If People want to be by the Sea, why dont they take Lodgings?—Here are a great many empty Houses—3 on this very Terrace; no fewer than three Lodging Papers staring me in the face at this very moment, Numbers 3, 4 & 8. 8, the Corner House may be too large for them, but either of the two others are nice little snug Houses, very fit for a young Gentleman & his sister—And so, my dear, the next time Miss Esther begins talking about the Dampness of Denham Park, & the Good Bathing always does her, I shall advise them to come & take one of these Lodgings for a fortnight.—Don’t you think that will be very fair?—Charity begins at home you know.”—Charlotte’s feelings were divided between amusement & indignation—but indignation had the larger & the increasing share.—She kept her Countenance & she kept a civil Silence. She could not carry her forbearance farther; but without attempting to listen longer, & only conscious that Lady D. was still talking on in the same way, allowed her Thoughts to form themselves into such a Meditation as this.—“She is thoroughly mean. I had not expected any thing so bad.—Mr. P. spoke too mildly of her.—His Judgement is evidently not to be trusted.—His own Goodnature misleads him. He is too kind hearted to see clearly.—I must judge for myself.—And their very connection prejudices him.—He has persuaded her to engage in the same Speculation—& because their object in that Line is the same, he fancies she feels like him in others.—But she is very, very mean.—I can see no Good in her.—Poor Miss Brereton!—And she makes every body mean about her.—This poor Sir Edward & his Sister,—how far Nature meant them to be respectable I cannot tell,—but they are obliged to be Mean in their Servility to her.—And I am Mean too, in giving her my attention, with the appearance of coinciding with her.—Thus it is, when Rich People are Sordid.”—

CHAPTER 8.

The two Ladies continued walking together till rejoined by the others, who as they issued from the Library were followed by a young Whitby running off with 5 vols. under his arm to Sir Edward’s Gig—and Sir Edw: approaching Charlotte, said “You may perceive what has been our Occupation. My Sister wanted my Counsel in the selection of some books.—We have many leisure hours, & read a great deal.—I am no indiscriminate Novel-Reader. The mere Trash of the common Circulating Library, I hold in the highest contempt. You will never hear me advocating those puerile Emanations which detail nothing but discordant Principles incapable of Amalgamation, or those vapid tissues of ordinary Occurrences from which no useful Deductions can be drawn.—In vain may we put them into a literary Alembic;—we distil nothing which can add to Science.—You understand me I am sure?” “I am not quite certain that I do.—But if you will describe the sort of Novels which you do approve, I dare say it will give me a clearer idea.” “Most willingly, Fair Questioner.—The Novels which I approve are such as display Human Nature with Grandeur—such as shew her in the Sublimities of intense Feeling—such as exhibit the progress of strong Passion from the first Germ of incipient Susceptibility to the utmost Energies of Reason half-dethroned,—where we see the strong spark of Woman’s Captivations elicit such Fire in the Soul of Man as leads him—(though at the risk of some Aberration from the strict line of Primitive Obligations)—to hazard all, dare all, atcheive all, to obtain her.—Such are the Works which I peruse with delight, & I hope I may say, with amelioration. They hold forth the most splendid Portraitures of high Conceptions, Unbounded Veiws, illimitable Ardour, indomptible Decision—and even when the Event is mainly anti-prosperous to the high-toned Machinations of the prime Character, the potent, pervading Hero of the Story, it leaves us full of Generous Emotions for him;—our Hearts are paralized—. T’were Pseudo-Philosophy to assert that we do not feel more enwraped by the brilliancy of his Career, than by the tranquil & morbid Virtues of any opposing Character. Our approbation of the Latter is but Eleemosynary.—These are the Novels which enlarge the primitive Capabilities of the Heart, & which it cannot impugn the Sense or be any Dereliction of the character, of the most anti-puerile Man, to be conversant with.”—“If I understand you aright—said Charlotte—our taste in Novels is not at all the same.” And here they were obliged to part—Miss D. being too much tired of them all, to stay any longer.—The truth was that Sir Edw: whom circumstances had confined very much to one spot had read more sentimental Novels than agreed with him. His fancy had been early caught by all the impassioned, & most exceptionable parts of Richardsons; & such Authors as have since appeared to tread in Richardson’s steps, so far as Man’s determined pursuit of Woman in defiance of every opposition of feeling & convenience is concerned, had since occupied the greater part of his literary hours, & formed his Character.—With a perversity of Judgement, which must be attributed to his not having by Nature a very strong head, the Graces, the Spirit, the Sagacity, & the Perseverance, of the Villain of the Story outweighed all his absurdities & all his Atrocities with Sir Edward. With him, such Conduct was Genius, Fire & Feeling.—It interested & inflamed him; & he was always more anxious for its Success & mourned over its Discomfitures with more Tenderness than cd ever have been contemplated by the Authors.—Though he owed many of his ideas to this sort of reading, it were unjust to say that he read nothing else, or that his Language were not formed on a more general Knowledge of modern Literature.—He read all the Essays, Letters, Tours & Criticisms of the day—& with the same ill-luck which made him derive only false Principles from Lessons of Morality, & incentives to Vice from the History of it’s Overthrow, he gathered only hard words & involved sentences from the style of our most approved Writers.—

Sir Edw:’s great object in life was to be seductive.—With such personal advantages as he knew himself to possess, & such Talents as he did also give himself credit for, he regarded it as his Duty.—He felt that he was formed to be a dangerous Man—quite in the line of the Lovelaces.—The very name of Sir Edward he thought, carried some degree of fascination with it.—To be generally gallant & assiduous about the fair, to make fine speeches to every pretty Girl, was but the inferior part of the Character he had to play.—Miss Heywood, or any other young Woman with any pretensions to Beauty, he was entitled (according to his own veiws of Society) to approach with high Compliment & Rhapsody on the slightest acquaintance; but it was Clara alone on whom he had serious designs; it was Clara whom he meant to seduce.—Her seduction was quite determined on. Her Situation in every way called for it. She was his rival in Lady D.’s favour, she was young, lovely & dependant.—He had very early seen the necessity of the case, & had now been long trying with cautious assiduity to make an impression on her heart, and to undermine her Principles.—Clara saw through him, & had not the least intention of being seduced—but she bore with him patiently enough to confirm the sort of attachment which her personal Charms had raised.—A greater degree of discouragement indeed would not have affected Sir Edw:—. He was armed against the highest pitch of Disdain or Aversion.—If she could not be won by affection, he must carry her off. He knew his Business.—Already had he had many Musings on the Subject. If he were constrained so to act, he must naturally wish to strike out something new, to exceed those who had gone before him—and he felt a strong curiosity to ascertain whether the Neighbourhood of Tombuctoo might not afford some solitary House adapted for Clara’s reception;—but the Expence alas! of Measures in that masterly style was ill-suited to his Purse, & Prudence obliged him to prefer the quietest sort of ruin & disgrace for the object of his Affections, to the more renowned.—

CHAPTER 9.

One day, soon after Charlotte’s arrival at Sanditon, she had the pleasure of seeing just as she ascended from the Sands to the Terrace, a Gentleman’s Carriage with Post Horses standing at the door of the Hotel, as very lately arrived, & by the quantity of Luggage taking off, bringing it might be hoped, some respectable family determined on a long residence.—Delighted to have such good news for Mr & Mrs P., who had both gone home some time before, she proceeded for Trafalgar House with as much alacrity as could remain, after having been contending for the last 2 hours with a very fine wind blowing directly on shore; but she had not reached the little Lawn, when she saw a Lady walking nimbly behind her at no great distance; and convinced that it could be no acquaintance of her own, she resolved to hurry on & get into the House if possible before her. But the Stranger’s pace did not allow this to be accomplished;—Charlotte was on the steps & had rung, but the door was not opened, when the other crossed the Lawn;—and when the Servant appeared, they were just equally ready for entering the House.—The ease of the Lady, her “How do you do Morgan?—” & Morgan’s Looks on seeing her, were a moment’s astonishment—but another moment brought Mr P. into the Hall to welcome the Sister he had seen from the Drawg room, and she was soon introduced to Miss Diana Parker. There was a great deal of surprise but still more pleasure in seeing her.—Nothing cd be kinder than her reception from both Husband and Wife. “How did she come? & with whom?—And they were so glad to find her equal to the Journey!—And that she was to belong to them, was a thing of course.” Miss Diana P. was about 4 & 30, of middling height & slender;—delicate looking rather than sickly; with an agreable face, & a very animated eye;—her manners resembling her Brother’s in their ease & frankness, though with more decision & less mildness in her Tone. She began an account of herself without delay.—Thanking them for their Invitation, but “that was quite out of the question, for they were all three come, & meant to get into Lodgings & make some stay.”—“All three come!—What!—Susan & Arthur!—Susan able to come too!—This was better & better.” “Yes—we are actually all come. Quite unavoidable.—Nothing else to be done.—You shall hear all about it.—But my dear Mary, send for the Children;—I long to see them.”—“And how has Susan born the Journey?—& how is Arthur?—& why do not we see him here with you?”—“Susan has born it wonderfully. She had not a wink of sleep either the night before we set out, or last night at Chichester, and as this is not so common with her as with me, I have had a thousand fears for her—but she has kept up wonderfully.—had no Hysterics of consequence till we came within sight of poor old Sanditon—and the attack was not very violent—nearly over by the time we reached your Hotel—so that we got her out of the Carriage extremely well, with only Mr Woodcock’s assistance—& when I left her she was directing the Disposal of the Luggage, & helping old Sam uncord the Trunks.—She desired her best Love, with a thousand regrets at being so poor a Creature that she cd not come with me. And as for poor Arthur, he wd not have been unwilling himself, but there is so much Wind that I did not think he cd safely venture,—for I am sure there is Lumbago hanging about him—and so I helped him on with his great Coat & sent him off to the Terrace, to take us Lodgings.—Miss Heywood must have seen our Carriage standing at the Hotel.—I knew Miss Heywood the moment I saw her before me on the Down.—My dear Tom I am glad to see you walk so well. Let me feel your Ancle.—That’s right; all right & clean. The play of your Sinews a very little affected:—barely perceptible.—Well—now for the explanation of my being here.—I told you in my Letter, of the two considerable Families, I was hoping to secure for you—the West Indians, & the Seminary.—” Here Mr P. drew his Chair still nearer to his Sister, & took her hand again most affectionately as he answered “Yes, Yes;—How active & how kind you have been!”—“The Westindians, she continued, whom I look upon as the most desirable of the two—as the Best of the Good—prove to be a Mrs Griffiths & her family. I know them only through others.—You must have heard me mention Miss Capper, the particular friend of my very particular friend Fanny Noyce;—now, Miss Capper is extremely intimate with a Mrs Darling, who is on terms of constant correspondence with Mrs Griffiths herself.—Only a short chain, you see, between us, & not a Link wanting. Mrs G. meant to go to the Sea, for her Young People’s benefit—had fixed on the coast of Sussex, but was undecided as to the where, wanted something Private, & wrote to ask the opinion of her friend Mrs Darling.—Miss Capper happened to be staying with Mrs D. when Mrs G.’s Letter arrived, & was consulted on the question; she wrote the same day to Fanny Noyce and mentioned it to her—& Fanny all alive for us, instantly took up her pen & forwarded the circumstance to me—except as to Names—which have but lately transpired.—There was but one thing for me to do.—I answered Fanny’s Letter by the same Post & pressed for the recommendation of Sanditon. Fanny had feared your having no house large enough to receive such a Family.—But I seem to be spinning out my story to an endless length.—You see how it was all managed. I had the pleasure of hearing soon afterwards by the same simple link of connection that Sanditon had been recommended by Mrs Darling, & that the Westindians were very much disposed to go thither.—This was the state of the case when I wrote to you;—but two days ago;—yes, the day before yesterday—I heard again from Fanny Noyce, saying that she had heard from Miss Capper, who by a Letter from Mrs Darling understood that Mrs G.— has expressed herself in a letter to Mrs D. more doubtingly on the subject of Sanditon.—Am I clear?—I would be anything rather than not clear.”—“Oh! perfectly, perfectly. Well?”—“The reason of this hesitation, was her having no connections in the place, & no means of ascertaining that she should have good accomodations on arriving there;—and she was particularly careful & scrupulous on all those matters more on account of a certain Miss Lambe a young Lady (probably a Neice) under her care, than on her own account or her Daughters.—Miss Lambe has an immense fortune—richer than all the rest—& very delicate health.—One sees clearly enough by all this, the sort of Woman Mrs G. must be—as helpless & indolent, as Wealth & a Hot Climate are apt to make us. But we are not all born to equal Energy.—What was to be done?—I had a few moments indecision;—Whether to offer to write to you,—or to Mrs Whitby to secure them a House?—but neither pleased me.—I hate to employ others, when I am equal to act myself—and my conscience told me that this was an occasion which called for me. Here was a family of helpless Invalides whom I might essentially serve.—I sounded Susan—the same Thought had occurred to her.—Arthur made no difficulties—our plan was arranged immediately, we were off yesterday morng at 6—, left Chichester at the same hour today—& here we are.—” “Excellent!—Excellent!—cried Mr Parker.—Diana, you are unequal’d in serving your friends & doing Good to all the World.—I know nobody like you.—Mary, my Love, is not she a wonderful Creature?—Well—and now, what House do you design to engage for them?—What is the size of their family?—” “I do not at all know—replied his Sister—have not the least idea;—never heard any particulars;—but I am very sure that the largest house at Sanditon cannot be too large. They are more likely to want a second.—I shall take only one however, & that, but for a week certain.—Miss Heywood, I astonish you.—You hardly know what to make of me.—I see by your Looks, that you are not used to such quick measures.”—The words “Unaccountable Officiousness!—Activity run mad!”—had just passed through Charlotte’s mind—but a civil answer was easy. “I dare say I do look surprised, said she—because these are very great exertions, & I know what Invalides both you & your Sister are.” “Invalides indeed.—I trust there are not three People in England who have so sad a right to that appellation!—But my dear Miss Heywood, we are sent into this World to be as extensively useful as possible, & where some degree of Strength of Mind is given, it is not a feeble body which will excuse us—or incline us to excuse ourselves.—The World is pretty much divided between the Weak of Mind & the Strong—between those who can act & those who can not, & it is the bounden Duty of the Capable to let no opportunity of being useful escape them.—My Sister’s Complaints & mine are happily not often of a Nature, to threaten Existence immediately—& as long as we can exert ourselves to be of use of others, I am convinced that the Body is the better, for the refreshment the Mind receives in doing it’s Duty.—While I have been travelling, with this object in veiw, I have been perfectly well.”—The entrance of the Children ended this little panegyric on her own Disposition—& after having noticed & caressed them all,—she prepared to go.—“Cannot you dine with us?—Is not it possible to prevail on you to dine with us?” was then the cry; and that being absolutely negatived, it was “And when shall we see you again? and how can we be of use to you?”—and Mr P. warmly offered his assistance in taking the house for Mrs G.—“I will come to you the moment I have dined, said he, & we will go about together.”—But this was immediately declined.—“No, my dear Tom, upon no account in the World, shall you stir a step on any business of mine.—Your Ancle wants rest. I see by the position of your foot, that you have used it too much already.—No, I shall go about my House-taking directly. Our Dinner is not ordered till six—& by that time I hope to have completed it. It is now only ½ past 4.—As to seeing me again today—I cannot answer for it; the others will be at the Hotel all the Eveng, & delighted to see you at any time, but as soon as I get back I shall hear what Arthur has done about our own Lodgings, & probably the moment Dinner is over, shall be out again on business relative to them, for we hope to get into some Lodgings or other & be settled after breakfast tomorrow.—I have not much confidence in poor Arthur’s skill for Lodging-taking, but he seemed to like the commission.—” “I think you are doing too much, said Mr P. You will knock yourself up. You shd not move again after Dinner.” “No, indeed you should not. cried his wife, for Dinner is such a mere name with you all, that it can do you no good.—I know what your appetites are.—” “My appetite is very much mended I assure you lately. I have been taking some Bitters of my own decocting, which have done wonders. Susan never eats I grant you—& just at present I shall want nothing; I never eat for about a week after a Journey—but as for Arthur, he is only too much disposed for Food. We are often obliged to check him.”—“But you have not told me any thing of the other Family coming to Sanditon, said Mr P. as he walked with her to the door of the House—the Camberwell Seminary; have we a good chance of them?” “Oh! Certain—quite certain.—I had forgotten them for the moment, but I had a letter 3 days ago from my friend Mrs Charles Dupuis which assured me of Camberwell. Camberwell will be here to a certainty, & very soon.—That good Woman (I do not know her name) not being so wealthy & independant as Mrs G.— can travel & chuse for herself.—I will tell you how I got at her. Mrs Charles Dupuis lives almost next door to a Lady, who has a relation lately settled at Clapham, who actually attends the Seminary and gives lessons on Eloquence and Belles Lettres to some of the Girls.—I got that Man a Hare from one of Sidney’s friends—and he recommended Sanditon;—Without my appearing however—Mrs Charles Dupuis managed it all.—”

CHAPTER 10.

It was not a week, since Miss Diana Parker had been told by her feelings, that the Sea Air wd probably in her present state, be the death of her, and now she was at Sanditon, intending to make some Stay, & without appearing to have the slightest recollection of having written or felt any such thing.—It was impossible for Charlotte not to suspect a good deal of fancy in such an extraordinary state of health.—Disorders & Recoveries so very much out of the common way, seemed more like the amusement of eager Minds in want of employment than of actual afflictions & releif. The Parkers, were no doubt a family of Imagination & quick feelings—and while the eldest Brother found vent for his superfluity of sensation as a Projector, the Sisters were perhaps driven to dissipate theirs in the invention of odd complaints.—The whole of their mental vivacity was evidently not so employed; Part was laid out in a Zeal for being useful.—It should seem that they must either be very busy for the Good of others, or else extremely ill themselves. Some natural delicacy of Constitution in fact, with an unfortunate turn for Medecine, especially quack Medecine, had given them an early tendency at various times, to various Disorders;—the rest of their sufferings was from Fancy, the love of Distinction & the love of the Wonderful.—They had Charitable hearts & many amiable feelings—but a spirit of restless activity, & the glory of doing more than anybody else, had their share in every exertion of Benevolence—and there was Vanity in all they did, as well as in all they endured.—Mr & Mrs P. spent a great part of the Eveng at the Hotel; but Charlotte had only two or three veiws of Miss Diana posting over the Down after a House for this Lady whom she had never seen, & who had never employed her. She was not made acquainted with the others till the following day, when, being removed into Lodgings & all the party continuing quite well, their Brother & Sister & herself were entreated to drink tea with them.—They were in one of the Terrace Houses—& she found them arranged for the Eveng in a small neat Drawing room, with a beautiful veiw of the Sea if they had chosen it,—but though it had been a very fair English Summer-day,—not only was there no open window, but the Sopha & the Table, & the Establishment in general was all at the other end of the room by a brisk fire.—Miss P— whom, remembering the three Teeth drawn in one day, Charlotte approached with a peculiar degree of respectful Compassion, was not very unlike her Sister in person or manner—tho’ more thin & worn by Illness & Medecine, more relaxed in air, & more subdued in voice. She talked however, the whole Evening as incessantly as Diana—& excepting that she sat with salts in her hand, took Drops two or three times from one, out of the several Phials already at home on the Mantlepeice,—& made a great many odd faces & contortions, Charlotte could perceive no symptoms of illness which she, in the boldness of her own good health, wd not have undertaken to cure, by putting out the fire, opening the Window, & disposing of the Drops & the salts by means of one or the other. She had had considerable curiosity to see Mr Arthur Parker; & having fancied him a very puny, delicate-looking young Man, the smallest very materially of not a robust Family, was astonished to find him quite as tall as his Brother & a great deal Stouter—Broad made & Lusty—and with no other look of an Invalide, than a sodden complexion.—Diana was evidently the cheif of the family; principal Mover & Actor;—she had been on her Feet the whole Morning, on Mrs G.’s business or their own, & was still the most alert of the three.—Susan had only superintended their final removal from the Hotel, bringing two heavy Boxes herself, & Arthur had found the air so cold that he had merely walked from one House to the other as nimbly as he could,—& boasted much of sitting by the fire till he had cooked up a very good one.—Diana, whose exercise had been too domestic to admit of calculation, but who, by her own account, had not once sat down during the space of seven hours, confessed herself a little tired. She had been too successful however for much fatigue; for not only had she by walking & talking down a thousand difficulties at last secured a proper House at 8g pr week for Mrs G.—; she had also opened so many Treaties with Cooks, Housemaids, Washerwomen & Bathing Women, that Mrs G. would have little more to do on her arrival, than to wave her hand & collect them around her for choice.—Her concluding effort in the cause, had been a few polite lines of Information to Mrs G. herself—time not allowing for the circuitous train of intelligence which had been hitherto kept up,—and she was now regaling in the delight of opening the first Trenches of an acquaintance with such a powerful discharge of unexpected Obligation. Mr & Mrs P.— & Charlotte had seen two Post chaises crossing the Down to the Hotel as they were setting off,—a joyful sight—& full of speculation.—The Miss Ps— & Arthur had also seen something;—they could distinguish from their window that there was an arrival at the Hotel, but not its amount. Their Visitors answered for two Hack-Chaises.—Could it be the Camberwell Seminary?—No—No.—Had there been a 3d carriage, perhaps it might; but it was very generally agreed that two Hack chaises could never contain a Seminary.—Mr P. was confident of another new Family.—When they were all finally seated, after some removals to look at the Sea & the Hotel, Charlotte’s place was by Arthur, who was sitting next to the Fire with a degree of Enjoyment which gave a good deal of merit to his civility in wishing her to take his Chair.—There was nothing dubious in her manner of declining it, and he sat down again with much satisfaction. She drew back her Chair to have all the advantage of his Person as a screen, & was very thankful for every inch of Back & Shoulders beyond her pre-conceived idea. Arthur was heavy in Eye as well as figure, but by no means indisposed to talk;—and while the other 4 were cheifly engaged together, he evidently felt it no penance to have a fine young Woman next to him, requiring in common Politeness some attention—as his Br, who felt the decided want of some motive for action, some Powerful object of animation for him, observed with considerable pleasure.—Such was the influence of Youth & Bloom that he began even to make a sort of apology for having a Fire. “We shd not have one at home, said he, but the Sea air is always damp. I am not afraid of any thing so much as Damp.—” “I am so fortunate, said C. as never to know whether the air is damp or dry. It has always some property that is wholesome & invigorating to me.—” “I like the Air too, as well as any body can; replied Arthur, I am very fond of standing at an open Window when there is no Wind—but unluckily a Damp air does not like me.—It gives me the Rheumatism.—You are not rheumatic I suppose?—” “Not at all.” “That’s a great blessing.—But perhaps you are nervous.” “No—I beleive not. I have no idea that I am.”—“I am very nervous.—To say the truth Nerves are the worst part of my Complaints in my opinion.—My Sisters think me Bilious, but I doubt it.—” “You are quite in the right, to doubt it as long as you possibly can, I am sure.—” “If I were Bilious, he continued, you know Wine wd disagree with me, but it always does me good.—The more Wine I drink (in Moderation) the better I am.—I am always best of an Eveng.—If you had seen me today before Dinner, you wd have thought me a very poor Creature.—” Charlotte could beleive it—. She kept her countenance however, & said—“As far as I can understand what nervous complaints are, I have a great idea of the efficacy of air & exercise for them:—daily, regular Exercise;—and I should recommend rather more of it to you than I suspect you are in the habit of taking.”—“Oh! I am very fond of exercise myself—he replied—& mean to walk a great deal while I am here, if the Weather is temperate. I shall be out every morning before breakfast—& take several turns upon the Terrace, & you will often see me at Trafalgar House.”—“But you do not call a walk to Traf: H. much exercise?—” “Not, as to mere distance, but the Hill is so steep!—Walking up that Hill, in the middle of the day, would throw me into such a Perspiration!—You would see me all in a Bath by the time I got there!—I am very subject to Perspiration, and there cannot be a surer sign of Nervousness.—” They were now advancing so deep in Physics, that Charlotte veiwed the entrance of the Servant with the Tea things, as a very fortunate Interruption.—It produced a great & immediate change. The young Man’s attentions were instantly lost. He took his own Cocoa from the Tray,—which seemed provided with almost as many Teapots &c as there were persons in company, Miss P. drinking one sort of Herb-Tea & Miss Diana another, & turning completely to the Fire, sat coddling & cooking it to his own satisfaction & toasting some Slices of Bread, brought up ready-prepared in the Toast rack—and till it was all done, she heard nothing of his voice but the murmuring of a few broken sentences of self-approbation & success.—When his Toils were over however, he moved back his Chair into as gallant a Line as ever, & proved that he had not been working only for himself, by his earnest invitation to her to take both Cocoa & Toast.—She was already helped to Tea—which surprised him—so totally self-engrossed had he been.—“I thought I should have been in time, said he, but cocoa takes a great deal of Boiling.”—“I am much obliged to you, replied Charlotte—but I prefer Tea.” “Then I will help myself, said he.—A large Dish of rather weak Cocoa every evening, agrees with me better than any thing.”—It struck her however, as he poured out this rather weak Cocoa, that it came forth in a very fine, dark coloured stream—and at the same moment, his Sisters both crying out—“Oh! Arthur, you get your Cocoa stronger & stronger every Eveng”—, with Arthur’s somewhat conscious reply of “Tis rather stronger than it should be tonight”—convinced her that Arthur was by no means so fond of being starved as they could desire, or as he felt proper himself.—He was certainly very happy to turn the conversation on dry Toast, & hear no more of his sisters.—“I hope you will eat some of this Toast, said he, I reckon myself a very good Toaster; I never burn my Toasts—I never put them too near the Fire at first—& yet, you see, there is not a Corner but what is well browned.—I hope you like dry Toast.”—“With a reasonable quantity of Butter spread over it, very much—said Charlotte—but not otherwise.—” “No more do I—said he exceedingly pleased—We think quite alike there.—So far from dry Toast being wholesome, I think it a very bad thing for the Stomach. Without a little butter to soften it, it hurts the Coats of the Stomach. I am sure it does.—I will have the pleasure of spreading some for you directly—& afterwards I will spread some for myself.—Very bad indeed for the Coats of the Stomach—but there is no convincing some people.—It irritates & acts like a nutmeg grater.—” He could not get the command of the Butter however, without a struggle; His Sisters accusing him of eating a great deal too much, & declaring he was not to be trusted;—and he maintaining that he only eat enough to secure the Coats of his Stomach;—& besides, he only wanted it now for Miss Heywood.—Such a plea must prevail, he got the butter & spread away for her with an accuracy of Judgement which at least delighted himself; but when her Toast was done, & he took his own in hand, Charlotte cd hardly contain herself as she saw him watching his sisters, while he scrupulously scraped off almost as much butter as he put on, & then seize an odd moment for adding a great dab just before it went into his Mouth.—Certainly, Mr Arthur P.’s enjoyments in Invalidism were very different from his sisters—by no means so spiritualized.—A good deal of Earthy Dross hung about him. Charlotte could not but suspect him of adopting that line of Life, principally for the indulgence of an indolent Temper—& to be determined on having no Disorders but such as called for warm rooms & good Nourishment.—In one particular however, she soon found that he had caught something from them.—“What! said he—Do you venture upon two dishes of strong Green Tea in one Eveng?—What Nerves you must have!—How I envy you.—Now, if I were to swallow only one such dish—what do you think it’s effect would be upon me?—” “Keep you awake perhaps all night”—replied Charlotte, meaning to overthrow his attempts at Surprise, by the Grandeur of her own Conceptions.—“Oh! if that were all!—he exclaimed.—No—it acts on me like Poison and wd entirely take away the use of my right side, before I had swallowed it 5 minutes.—It sounds almost incredible—but it has happened to me so often that I cannot doubt it.—The use of my right Side is entirely taken away for several hours!” “It sounds rather odd to be sure—answered Charlotte coolly—but I dare say it would be proved to be the simplest thing in the World, by those who have studied right sides & Green Tea scientifically & thoroughly understand all the possibilities of their action on each other.”—Soon after Tea, a Letter was brought to Miss D. P— from the Hotel.—“From Mrs Charles Dupuis—said she.—some private hand.”—And having read a few lines, exclaimed aloud “Well, this is very extraordinary! very extraordinary indeed!—That both should have the same name.—Two Mrs Griffiths!—This is a Letter of recommendation & introduction to me, of the Lady from Camberwell—& her name happens to be Griffiths too.—” A few lines more however, and the colour rushed into her Cheeks, & with much Perturbation she added—“The oddest thing that ever was!—a Miss Lambe too!—a young Westindian of large Fortune.—But it cannot be the same.—Impossible that it should be the same.”—She read the Letter aloud for comfort.—It was merely to “introduce the Bearer, Mrs G.— from Camberwell, & the three young Ladies under her care, to Miss D. P.’s notice.—Mrs G.— being a stranger at Sanditon, was anxious for a respectable Introduction—& Mrs C. Dupuis therefore, at the instance of the intermediate friend, provided her with this Letter, knowing that she cd not do her dear Diana a greater kindness than by giving her the means of being useful.—Mrs G.’s cheif solicitude wd be for the accomodation & comfort of one of the young Ladies under her care, a Miss Lambe, a young W. Indian of large Fortune, in delicate health.”—“It was very strange!—very remarkable!—very extraordinary” but they were all agreed in determ[in]ing it to be impossible that there should not be two Families; such a totally distinct set of people as were concerned in the reports of each made that matter quite certain. There must be two Families.—Impossible to be otherwise. “Impossible” & “Impossible”, was repeated over & over again with great fervour.—An accidental resemblance of Names & circumstances, however striking at first, involved nothing really incredible—and so it was settled.—Miss Diana herself derived an immediate advantage to counterbalance her Perplexity. She must put her shawl over her shoulders, & be running about again. Tired as she was, she must instantly repair to the Hotel, to investigate the truth & offer her services.—

CHAPTER 11.

It would not do.—Not all that the whole Parker race could say among themselves, cd produce a happier catastrophe than that the Family from Surry & the Family from Camberwell were one & the same.—The rich Westindians, & the young Ladies Seminary had all entered Sanditon in those two Hack chaises. The Mrs G. who in her friend Mrs Darling’s hands, had wavered as to coming & been unequal to the Journey, was the very same Mrs G. whose plans were at the same period (under another representation) perfectly decided, & who was without fears or difficulties.—All that had the appearance of Incongruity in the reports of the two, might very fairly be placed to the account of the Vanity, the Ignorance, or the blunders of the many engaged in the cause by the vigilance & caution of Miss Diana P—. Her intimate friends must be officious like herself, & the subject had supplied Letters & Extracts & Messages enough to make everything appear what it was not. Miss D. probably felt a little awkward on being first obliged to admit her mistake. A long Journey from Hampshire taken for nothing—a Brother disappointed—an expensive House on her hands for a week, must have been some of her immediate reflections—& much worse than all the rest, must have been the sort of sensation of being less clear-sighted & infallible than she had beleived herself.—No part of it however seemed to trouble her long. There were so many to share in the shame & the blame, that probably when she had divided out their proper portions to Mrs Darling, Miss Capper, Fanny Noyce, Mrs C. Dupuis & Mrs C. D’s Neighbour, there might be a mere trifle of reproach remaining for herself.—At any rate, she was seen all the following morng walking about after Lodgings with Mrs G.— as alert as ever.—Mrs G. was a very well-behaved, genteel kind of Woman, who supported herself by receiving such great girls & young Ladies, as wanted either Masters for finishing their Education, or a home for beginning their Displays.—She had several more under her care than the three who were now come to Sanditon, but the others all happened to be absent.—Of these three, & indeed of all, Miss Lambe was beyond comparison the most important & precious, as she paid in proportion to her fortune.—She was about 17, half Mulatto, chilly & tender, had a maid of her own, was to have the best room in the Lodgings, & was always of the first consequence in every plan of Mrs G.—The other Girls, two Miss Beauforts were just such young Ladies as may be met with, in at least one family out of three, throughout the Kingdom; they had tolerable complexions, shewey figures, an upright decided carriage & an assured Look;—they were very accomplished & very Ignorant, their time being divided between such pursuits as might attract admiration, & those Labours & Expedients of dexterous Ingenuity, by which they could dress in a stile much beyond what they ought to have afforded; they were some of the first in every change of fashion—& the object of all, was to captivate some Man of much better fortune than their own.—Mrs G. had preferred a small, retired place, like Sanditon, on Miss Lambe’s account—and the Miss Bs—, though naturally preferring any thing to Smallness & Retirement, yet having in the course of the Spring been involved in the inevitable expence of six new Dresses each for a three days visit, were constrained to be satisfied with Sanditon also, till their circumstances were retreived. There, with the hire of a Harp for one, & the purchase of some Drawing paper for the other & all the finery they could already command, they meant to be very economical, very elegant & very secluded; with the hope on Miss Beaufort’s side, of praise & celebrity from all who walked within the sound of her Instrument, & on Miss Letitia’s, of curiosity & rapture in all who came near her while she sketched—and to Both, the consolation of meaning to be the most stylish Girls in the Place.—The particular introduction of Mrs G. to Miss Diana Parker, secured them immediately an acquaintance with the Trafalgar House-family, & with the Denhams;—and the Miss Beauforts were soon satisfied with “the Circle in which they moved in Sanditon” to use a proper phrase, for every body must now “move in a Circle”,—to the prevalence of which rototory Motion, is perhaps to be attributed the Giddiness & false steps of many.—Lady Denham had other motives for calling on Mrs G. besides attention to the Parkers.—In Miss Lambe, here was the very young Lady, sickly & rich, whom she had been asking for; & she made the acquaintance for Sir Edward’s sake, & the sake of her Milch asses. How it might answer with regard to the Baronet, remained to be proved, but as to the Animals, she soon found that all her calculations of Profit wd be vain. Mrs G. would not allow Miss L. to have the smallest symptom of a Decline, or any complaint which Asses milk cd possibly releive. “Miss L. was under the constant care of an experienced Physician;—and his Prescriptions must be their rule”—and except in favour of some Tonic Pills, which a Cousin of her own had a Property in, Mrs G. did never deviate from the strict Medecinal page.—The corner house of the Terrace was the one in which Miss D. P. had the pleasure of settling her new friends, & considering that it commanded in front the favourite Lounge of all the Visitors at Sanditon, & on one side, whatever might be going on at the Hotel, there cd not have been a more favourable spot for the seclusions of the Miss Beauforts. And accordingly, long before they had suited themselves with an Instrument, or with Drawing paper, they had, by the frequency of their appearance at the low Windows upstairs, in order to close the blinds, or open the Blinds, to arrange a flower pot on the Balcony, or look at nothing through a Telescope, attracted many an eye upwards, & made many a Gazer gaze again.—A little Novelty has a great effect in so small a place; the Miss Beauforts, who wd have been nothing at Brighton, could not move here without notice;—and even Mr Arthur Parker, though little disposed for supernumerary exertion, always quitted the Terrace, in his way to his Brothers by this corner House, for the sake of a glimpse of the Miss Bs—, though it was ½ a qr of a mile round about, & added two steps to the ascent of the Hill.

CHAPTER 12.

Charlotte had been 10 days at Sanditon without seeing Sanditon House, every attempt at calling on Lady D. having been defeated by meeting with her beforehand. But now it was to be more resolutely undertaken, at a more early hour, that nothing might be neglected of attention to Lady D. or amusement to Charlotte.—“And if you should find a favourable opening my Love, said Mr P. (who did not mean to go with them)—I think you had better mention the poor Mullins’s situation, & sound her Ladyship as to a Subscription for them. I am not fond of charitable subscriptions in a place of this kind—It is a sort of tax upon all that come—Yet as their distress is very great & I almost promised the poor Woman yesterday to get something done for her, I beleive we must set a subscription on foot—& therefore the sooner the better,—& Lady Denham’s name at the head of the List will be a very necessary beginning.—You will not dislike speaking to her about it, Mary?”—“I will do whatever you wish me, replied his Wife—but you would do it so much better yourself. I shall not know what to say.”—“My dear Mary, cried he, it is impossible you can be really at a loss. Nothing can be more simple. You have only to state the present afflicted situation of the family, their earnest application to me, & my being willing to promote a little subscription for their releif, provided it meet with her approbation.—” “The easiest thing in the World—cried Miss Diana Parker who happened to be calling on them at the moment—. All said & done, in less time than you have been talking of it now.—And while you are on the subject of subscriptions Mary, I will thank you to mention a very melancholy case to Lady D, which has been represented to me in the most affecting terms.—There is a poor Woman in Worcestershire, whom some friends of mine are exceedingly interested about, & I have undertaken to collect whatever I can for her. If you wd mention the circumstance to Lady Denham!—Lady Denham can give, if she is properly attacked—& I look upon her to be the sort of Person who, when once she is prevailed on to undraw her Purse, would as readily give 10Gs as 5.—And therefore, if you find her in a Giving mood, you might as well speak in favour of another Charity which I & a few more, have very much at heart—the establishment of a Charitable Repository at Burton on Trent.—And then,—there is the family of the poor Man who was hung last assizes at York, tho’ we really have raised the sum we wanted for putting them all out, yet if you can get a Guinea from her on their behalf, it may as well be done.—” “My dear Diana! exclaimed Mrs P.— I could no more mention these things to Lady D.— than I cd fly.”—“Where’s the difficulty?—I wish I could go with you myself—but in 5 minutes I must be at Mrs G.— to encourage Miss Lambe in taking her first Dip. She is so frightened, poor Thing, that I promised to come & keep up her Spirits, & go in the Machine with her if she wished it—and as soon as that is over, I must hurry home, for Susan is to have Leaches at one oclock—which will be a three hours business,—therefore I really have not a moment to spare—besides that (between ourselves) I ought to be in bed myself at this present time, for I am hardly able to stand—and when the Leaches have done, I dare say we shall both go to our rooms for the rest of the day.”—“I am sorry to hear it, indeed; but if this is the case I hope Arthur will come to us.”—“If Arthur takes my advice, he will go to bed too, for if he stays up by himself, he will certainly eat & drink more than he ought;—but you see Mary, how impossible it is for me to go with you to Lady Denham’s.”—“Upon second thoughts Mary, said her husband, I will not trouble you to speak about the Mullins’s.—I will take an opportunity of seeing Lady D. myself.—I know how little it suits you to be pressing matters upon a Mind at all unwilling.”—His application thus withdrawn, his sister could say no more in support of hers, which was his object, as he felt all their impropriety & all the certainty of their ill effect upon his own better claim.—Mrs P. was delighted at this release, & set off very happy with her friend & her little girl, on this walk to Sanditon House.—It was a close, misty morng, & when they reached the brow of the Hill, they could not for some time make out what sort of Carriage it was, which they saw coming up. It appeared at different moments to be everything from the Gig to the Pheaton,—from one horse to 4; & just as they were concluding in favour of a Tandem, little Mary’s young eyes distinguished the Coachman & she eagerly called out, “T’is Uncle Sidney Mama, it is indeed.” And so it proved.—Mr Sidney Parker driving his Servant in a very neat Carriage was soon opposite to them, & they all stopped for a few minutes. The manners of the Parkers were always pleasant among themselves—& it was a very friendly meeting between Sidney & his sister in law, who was most kindly taking it for granted that he was on his way to Trafalgar House. This he declined however. “He was just come from Eastbourne, proposing to spend two or three days, as it might happen, at Sanditon—but the Hotel must be his Quarters—He was expecting to be joined there by a friend or two.”—The rest was common enquiries & remarks, with kind notice of little Mary, & a very well-bred Bow & proper address to Miss Heywood on her being named to him—and they parted, to meet again within a few hours.—Sidney Parker was about 7 or 8 & 20, very good-looking, with a decided air of Ease & Fashion, and a lively countenance.—This adventure afforded agreable discussion for some time. Mrs P. entered into all her Husband’s joy on the occasion, & exulted in the credit which Sidney’s arrival wd give to the place. The road to Sanditon H. was a broad, handsome, planted approach, between fields, & conducting at the end of a qr of a mile through second Gates into the Grounds, which though not extensive had all the Beauty & Respectability which an abundance of very fine Timber could give.—These Entrance Gates were so much in a corner of the Grounds or Paddock, so near one of its Boundaries, that an outside fence was at first almost pressing on the road—till an angle here, & a curve there threw them to a better distance. The Fence was a proper Park paling in excellent condition; with clusters of fine Elms, or rows of old Thorns following its line almost every where.—Almost must be stipulated—for there were vacant spaces—& through one of these, Charlotte as soon as they entered the Enclosure, caught a glimpse over the pales of something White & Womanish in the field on the other side;—it was a something which immediately brought Miss B. into her head—& stepping to the pales, she saw indeed—& very decidedly, in spite of the Mist; Miss B— seated, not far before her, at the foot of the bank which sloped down from the outside of the Paling & which a narrow Path seemed to skirt along;—Miss Brereton seated, apparently very composedly—& Sir E. D. by her side.—They were sitting so near each other & appeared so closely engaged in gentle conversation, that Ch. instantly felt she had nothing to do but to step back again, & say not a word.—Privacy was certainly their object.—It could not but strike her rather unfavourably with regard to Clara;—but hers was a situation which must not be judged with severity.—She was glad to perceive that nothing had been discerned by Mrs Parker; If Charlotte had not been considerably the tallest of the two, Miss B.’s white ribbons might not have fallen within the ken of her more observant eyes.—Among other points of moralising reflection which the sight of this Tete a Tete produced, Charlotte cd not but think of the extreme difficulty which secret Lovers must have in finding a proper spot for their stolen Interveiws.—Here perhaps they had thought themselves so perfectly secure from observation!—the whole field open before them—a steep bank & Pales never crossed by the foot by Man at their back—and a great thickness of air, in aid.—Yet here, she had seen them. They were really ill-used.—The House was large & handsome; two Servants appeared, to admit them, & every thing had a suitable air of Property & Order.—Lady D. valued herself upon her liberal Establishment, & had great enjoyment in the order and the Importance of her style of living.—They were shewn into the usual sitting room, well-proportioned & well-furnished;—tho’ it saw Furniture rather originally good & extremely well kept, than new or shewey—and as Lady D. was not there, Charlotte had leisure to look about, & to be told by Mrs P. that the whole-length Portrait of a stately Gentleman, which placed over the Mantlepeice, caught the eye immediately, was the picture of Sir H. Denham—and that one among many Miniatures in another part of the room, little conspicuous, represented Mr Hollis.—Poor Mr Hollis!—It was impossible not to feel him hardly used; to be obliged to stand back in his own House & see the best place by the fire constantly occupied by Sir H. D.

NOTES

Page 1

4. being induced by Business to quit the high road, & (toil erased) attempt a very rough Lane, were overturned substituted for were on quitting the high road, & toiling up a very long steep hill through a rough Lane, overturned

8. half rock, half sand added above the line

10. a House for the House

11. first required to take that direction for required to turn that way

15. to pass by for to pass two minutes before

He had grumbled & shaken his shoulders so much indeed, and pitied & cut his Horses so sharply for grumbling so much indeed, & looking so black, & pitying & cutting his Horses so much

Page 2

6. not his Masters written above not the Gentleman’s own (but only not is erased)

7. had added above line

indisputably become considerably worse for indisputably & evidently become much worse

10. passed erased before left behind

expressing (saying erased) with a most intelligent (and seeming erased) portentous countenance written over as Bad as it had been before the Change seemed to say

13. could safely proceed for had ever thought of proceeding

16. Travellors beleived found themselves at first only shaken & bruised erased before Gentleman

18. at first added above line

21. soon added above line

22. in a few moments erased after of it and added above line after obliged

Page 3

2. self erased before congratulations and to his wife & himself added above line

13. the for a before neat-looking

14. appearing erased after Cottage

15. peeping out from among wood, and erased before romantically

among wood added above line

20. neither over & not erased

Page 4

1. from erased after coming

2. had for having

15. & very erased after salutation

19. assistance for service in any way

21. one or two of added above line

Page 5

5. best over better to erased

8. a favourable for the best possible

15. him for any

his Partner erased before if he

17. rather added above line

would prefer the attendance of his Partner for would have his Partner by preference (Miss Austen neglected to alter would to should)

20. can be with him for will be there

Page 6

1. for added above line before Excepting

12. though over either erased

14. stay added above line

20. whether you may know it or not added above line

Page 7

3. only yesterday morng in London added above line

8. a added above line before Partnership

15. with a good humoured smile added above line

20. this Parish erased before Willingden

for having (I have erased) over having erased

21. Sir added above line, and erased, after lived here

22. Sir erased after Man & Boy

I think I must have known of such a person, at least I may venture ] without ever hearing (and never heard before written above line and erased) of the existence of such a person before. I think I may venture (therefore added above line and erased) at least (at least added a second time, above line, and erased)—all cancelled

Page 8

3. To be sure for Though to be sure

9. Sir added above line

12. and that added above line before My Shepherd

14. peices for bits

Page 9

10. last added above line

12. when added above line

was (being erased) in the over in erased

14. One is never able to be complete anything (be inadvertently not erased) for Nothing able to be completed

16. you know added above line

17. and accordingly satisfying for I satisfied

20. I added above line

Page 10

1. Scrape for awkward Predicament

13. you know added above line

own added above line

17. air & added above line before immersion

Page 11

8. service to you & this Lady over use to service erased

15. it will be better for us for we had better accept this kind offer

16. he erased before turned

18. in order added above line

21. rise to added above line

Page 12

3. home added above line

5. my for the

9. itself added above line

11. the favourite spot for the most favourite

13. favourite erased before coast

14. promising to be the most chosen for consequently the most likely to be chosen

21. the wonder! for amazing to me!

22. or Time for & Time

Page 13

1. a Country for any Country

2. sure to added above line

3. as I dare say you find for I dare say you find it so

12. experiencing for feeling

15. Nursery Grounds for laying out Gardens

17. those regular for the regular

19. who are a blessing everywhere, excite for excite not only

21. and diffuse for but diffuse

22. sort for kind

Page 14

3. one erased before place

9. totally added above line

16. must soon find themselves for I have no doubt will find themselves in the end

Page 15

10. One complete, measured for a measured

13. saving a whole Mile for that

19. lying, as it does for situated

20. a bleak Moor added above line

Page 16

10. (pro erased) yeild over grow erased

Page 17

1. Why, in truth Sir, I fancy for I fancy, Sir

3. that line for those lines

11. is quite of my opinion & thinks for quite agrees with me in thinking

15. (turning round towards erased before (two

16. (who erased) followed over attended erased

17. now seen added above line

Page 18

2. every thing that was proper for & did what was proper

3. recommend for enforce

10. the Carriage being now set up, was discovered to have received such Injury for it was now ascertained that the Carriage was so much injured

14. therefore added above line

Page 19

3. For a whole fortnight the Travellors were fixed at Willingden for The Parkers were the Guests of the Heywoods a fortnight

4. Mr P.’s sprain proving (being erased) too serious for him to move sooner for The sprain was too serious for Mr Parker to be sooner able to move sooner

13. equal goodwill erased before unremitting

14. act & erased before office

Page 20

3. on either for in either

6. unfolded for made known

8. for he was (being erased) over was he was erased

10. his conversation for he

11. unconsciously erased after information

14. on for in

20. quiet (simple erased) added above line

interesting only erased after Village
consideration inhabited by one Family of consequence, his own, of secondary erased before pretensions

22. some before accidental erased, and restored above line

Page 21

2. Land Holder for Proprietor of the Land

3. becoming for being

6. note erased before young

Renown for notoriety

13. of a respectable over no Profession erased

21. former indeed for Brothers in fact

Page 22

5. his ancle for an ancle

19. prodigious for great

22. last year added above line

Page 24

2. remained for was

7. not only those of added above line

8. and added above line before Home

9. also erased before his Mine

10. his Occupation added above line

14. and added above line before his endeavours

18. own added above line before House

Page 25

1. air erased after sea

4. bracket erased after spirits

9. nearly for almost

in every disorder erased after infallible

11. In cases erased after Disorder

12. they were equally sovereign erased after Blood

They were erased, and restored above line

14. anti-bilious added above line

17. Nobody wanted Spirits, Nobody wanted Strength for nor cd the most obstinate Cougher retain a cough there 4 & 20 hours

19. seemingly added above line

20. each (?) erased before was wanted

Page 26

3. evidently for palpably

7. they erased before their

8. long over very long erased

14. could carry for conveyed

17. old over ol erased

19. eldest added above line

Page 27

4. an occasional month for a Summer occasionally

5. a erased before symptoms

6. and over to make erased

10. forbidding erased before obliged

Page 28

1. give useful connections or over lead them into respectable Company erased

6. Daughter for young Lady

13. under her Mother’s directions for in acting for her Mother

15. & erased before who

20. gratitude for grateful feelings

Page 29

1. for her sisters & over & everything else that erased

there erased after Library

5. send for recommend

get try (?) added above line before Sanditon and erased

8. as omitted

9. 5 shillings for one night

Page 31

16. facts added above line

Page 32

2. her history & her Character for names & places, & some hints of Character

(though given with the light touch of a very friendly hand) erased after Character

3. were erased before served

4. Hill for Pull

6. who erased before with whom

15. quite erased before an elderly

Page 33

22. her conduct for it

Page 34

5. greatly for much

8. a chearful, independant, valuable character over to us erased

10. may be entirely for are to be cheifly

her want for the want

16. truly admirable for which one admires

Page 35

1. now & then, see things differently for see things differently now & then

3. you know added above line

7. wants of Society for Social order

16. he had allowed them to be for they cd be

Page 36

1. these for the

3. Cous erased before Kindred

13. at hand to preserve their over able by their vicinity, to erased

19. always erased before lived

20. very erased before principally

Page 37

4. had he for if he had

9. Lady D. has granted him for he holds under Lady D—

10. we shall over will erased

15. being erased before having

the fairest for a very fair

Page 38

1. and long & often enjoyed ] deprecating the idea of a Companion, defying & I enjoying erased

4. on that head, she had been erased after relations

6. House for Hall

10. secure for restore

17. Character for young Woman

20. described for delineated

(and not with erased after described

Page 39

7. promptly & added above line

15. being in erased before London

principally added above line

16. very added above line

there resident there erased after Cousins

18. & whom she was determined to keep at a distance, she had over she had erased

20. there erased and restored above line

Page 40

3. reputed for proverbial

5. calling for called

7. not added above line

9. all the over great erased

10. which is left ‘hanging’

15. a added above line before spy

17. persuaded for induced

18. for the rest of her stay added above line after home and erased after offer

20. a added above line before very

Page 41

3. beyond her expectation over were erased

22. a added above line before situation

Page 42

3. merit (sweetness erased) over unpretending manners erased

9. steady conduct for good Judgement

unassuming erased before gentle

18. having for she had

19. she was become erased before that Loveliness

Page 43

4. close by for in front of

6. Orchard & Meadows for Ground & Orchards

8. such a over such any erased

11. old added above line

Page 44

4. you know added above line

8. Hill for ascent

9. the heart of erased before Sanditon

modern Sanditon added above line
we shall soon catch the roof of my new house; my real home erased before a beautiful Spot

16. & added above line before without

Page 45

3. a little for the little

4. & a Crescent is a building that always takes erased after we shall

6. very erased before name

joined to the over will give us choice of Lodgers erased

8. In a good Season added above line before We

12. at it added above line

13. a great deal of erased before something

19. in fact added above line

21. having erased after without

the constant Eyesore of added above line, and as an Eyesore erased after formalities
formalities for formality

22. or the yearly nuisance of its for or its occasional

Page 46

4. and added above line before We and erased

now (or here) erased after well off

5. as ever we were for as we used to be

13. on the Hill added above line

about us erased before in the course

14. The Growth of my Plantations is a general astonishment for My Plantations astonish everybody by their Growth

Page 47

6. as proud as can be for so proud

7. How Grave she will walk about with it, and for It will be delightful to see her walking about with it, so gravely.—She will

12. now erased after bathe

18. at all for as we did

19. those for our

Page 48

5. with added above line

7. this Gutter for this Pit

11. by (any erased) one over if one erased

12. which do more mischief in a over should pour through the erased

13. when they do arise over which do more mischeif erased

14. experiences for knows

20. get (deal with erased) all our erased before go

21. Stringer for Salmon

Page 49

4. beyond a doubt added above line

6. Help for encouragement

9. often wanted for forgotten

15. old erased before the Stringers

16. be added above line before easily

17. I hope erased after satisfied

19. & says added above line

21. out of erased before left

Page 50

3. He pretends to advise ... Improvements added between lines

7. of & to us, all for of his eldest Br—& to his Eldest Br &

8. Most Families ... to say anything for A young Man of Abilities & Address, & general ease of manner Miss H.— who says anything

12. In ours, it is Sidney; who is a over Sidney is erased

14. and with great powers ... only fault for very lively, very pleasant—living very much in the World—& liked by every body

16. I wish we may (I should above line, erased) erased before He is here

20. fine thing for for credit to

Page 51

7. neat added above line

8. original erased before Sanditon

9. Hill for Down

12. and whose Height ended in for but whose Top was

13. overlooking the Sea erased after Down

where ... looked for added above line

15. winding more obliquely for wound

16. gave for giving

18. formed for forming

Page 52

1. delight for great pleasure

6. were actually erased before two Females

11. through the upper for from the open

12. Blissful for exhilarating

20. might for must

Page 53

3. during added above line

4. Summer for Season

6. and for but

7. would not let them be for cd not bear to have them

8. the shore added above line

11. William for old

14. at a Shoemaker’s added above line

15. This is new ... a month ago added between lines

Page 54

3. former Days for old erection

9. (to be watched above line) by Mr Parker their d erased before by Mr P.

12. calculated for reckoned

fewer erased before and a smaller

17. —but there were the Sands erased after dinner

But added above line

& the Terrace added above line

19. and the added above line before Tide

20. half-Tide now for half in

21. at added above line before his own

22. at once added above line

Page 55

2. he added above line before cd almost

5. on the Down for of any

was a light for was an

6. standing in a for separated from the Down only by a

7. a very young plantation round it for very young plantations over it

8. about for not

9. the Cliff—which was erased after brow of

very added above line before lofty

11. short added above line

16. a little for a small space

18. to added above line before the Bathing

Page 56

6. ample, Venetian added above line

11. in Sunshine & Freshness for under a Sunshiny Breeze

Page 57

7. But added above line before Perhaps

8. I trust it may for Not unlikely

16. say for guess

Page 58

3. two added above line

7. frequently added above line

subject to a variety of very serious for at times Martyrs to very dreadful

Page 59

1. much added above line

20 for 22

5. which is most unfortunate erased after Profession

10. wd appear by this letter to have been for had been

14. began for observed

Page 60

3. accomplishing between you for bringing about

5. shew for describe

10. at for by before your accident

16. hardly able to crawl from the (my erased) Bed to the Sofa erased after found me

suffering added above line

18. & hardly ... Sofa added above line

Page 61

9. use for application

steadily for well

11. six for 4

Page 62

6. to be obtained erased after releif

11. know where to apply erased before could soon

Page 63

2. and added before Six

3. 10 days together over the last week have erased

so little for a little

4. we for I

9. accordingly erased after drawn and added above line

14. trying to suppress (coughing erased) a cough for sneezing

Page 64

4. & for —

6. one for that of

8. Girls added above line

12. But added above line

14. as he (concluded erased) finished (it erased) for having finished & refolded his Letter

Though I dare say over I suppose if erased

15. wd erased after Sidney

16. extremely entertaining for very amusing (to laugh at above line erased)

17. & make us ... together added above line

18. by (possibly for) myself, can see nothing (either erased) in for can see nothing in

19. either added above line before very

22. in (advancing erased) promoting for for

Page 65

5. extra added above line

10. quite erased before astonished

13. It is really erased before frightful

16. more for most

17. to one’s imagination erased after distressing

Page 66

7. own for say

13. p (i.e. poor?) erased before Arthur

22. idle & indolent erased after 20

Page 67

3. any prospect and (above line) the slightest plan erased before of engaging

Page 69

6. & added above line before as quickly

9. Business added above line

12. Elderly added above line

Page 70

1. & added above line before the Sands

4. the House added above line

6. her inner room for the little inner parlour

7. Employment for something better to do

14. such as these erased after than

16. Brown for Henderson

17. M erased before Lieut:

Page 71

1. the List was not only for it was not only a List

7. were an ever-ready consolation for was an ever-present source of Joy

8. without delay for immediately

15. with all becoming alacrity erased after List

16. busy in for proceeding to

18. further added above line

21. smart Trinkets for ornamented Combs

Page 72

7. she reflected for began to feel

9. for her added above line

11. the very first Evening for the first Evening of her arrival

She took up a Book; it happened to be a vol: of Camilla for A vol: of Camilla happened to lie on the Counter

15. so, she turned from the Drawers of rings & Broches for The (Gl erased) Drawers of rings & Broches must be resisted

Page 73

3. & (had erased) been directed thence for whence they were directed

4. her having walked a good mile was erased before Lady D.

20. you & make sure of your for our good Neighbours, & be sure of their

Page 74

3. very quietly over without any other species of opposition erased

11. She observed them well added above line

14. & for a after eye

18. being free-spoken for free-speaking

19. about her for in it

22. of welcome for and interest

Page 75

1. was for was was

9. a sweetly modest & yet naturally graceful for a sweet modesty yet natural gracefulness of

11. in added above line after see

12. the for as (?) after only

13. whatever Heroine might be most beautiful & bewitching for all the most beautiful & bewitching Heroines

16. on for in before Mrs. Whitby’s

17. was from erased before might

Page 76

2, 3. Such added above line before Poverty and such before Beauty

12. in erased after herself

first added above line before 5

14. be the Lot of for await

21. Denham for Denham’s

Page 77

17. very erased after Very

21. spend over are said erased

Page 78

2. fancy for think

4. But for And

about erased after scatter

Page 79

6. at me erased after smiles

7. I dare say added above line

8. may be erased after Creature

17. as added above line before all

Page 80

11. credit for thanks

Page 81

6 & 8. There is no doubt that Miss Austen wrote Chamber-House though it was printed Chamber-Horse in the Memoir

14. my added above line before poor

Page 82

4. & I added above line

Page 83

3. them for others

8. settled with Mrs P.— in for in

9. when they came erased after Drawing room

Page 84

13. very good for pleasing

19. very erased before fine

21. She for Charlotte

Page 85

1. very erased before agreable

2. suspicion for notion

3. would arise for might be implied

9. (simple erased) dull of Fancy for Dull of Mind

ind erased before careless

20. and erased before followed

22. merely for only

Page 86

2. altogether added above line

9. did him no harm for did not hurt him

15. th erased before all

Page 88

6. devoting himself entirely erased after walk &

by added above line before addressing

8. Stationing himself added above line before Close

side erased after by her

11. to added above line before give

Page 90

18. there is added above line

to madden for that maddens

Page 91

14. him for Scott

19. truly added above line before breathed

Page 92

20. of erased before elicited

Page 93

19. had learnt to understand for could comprehend

21. had for could

22. or two on his side over of two of Sir Edwards erased

Page 94

10. for for of before going

16. some erased before looks

18. were to erased before united

21. amused in considering for deriving considerable amusement from

22. between for of

Page 95

2. strain of added above line

4. discourse for manner of talking

5. immediately erased after arm

6. felt (herself doing erased) that any notice from her was an Honour over had been long used to consider her honour (sic) by any Notice she bestowed erased

9. or a natural for & a

17. every way added above line

Page 96

5. with me added above line

Page 97

3. find fault with for rip up the faults of

4. Nobody could live happier together than us for We lived perfectly happy together

12. Charlottes for her

15. legal erased before bequest

16. had erased before only

18. it for that

Page 98

4. bad added above line

14. a added above line before very fine

15. in his added above line before Address

18. directly saw that for imagined

Page 99

14. to repeated inadvertently

quite added above line after seemed

Page 100

2. real and Landed or Funded added above line

7. And for Now

12. get written twice, one erased

Page 101

10. was erased before prepared

15. out for the before Bed rooms

Page 102

12. 3 or 4 erased before either

Page 103

7. but for & before without

8. & only conscious that Lady D. was still talking for while Lady D. still talked

12. thoroughly mean. I had not expected any thing so bad for much worse than I expected—meaner—a great deal meaner. She is very mean

14. His own kind Disposition makes him judge too well of others erased before His Judgement

15. always added above line before to be trusted and erased

in his opinion of others erased after trusted

16. in judging of others erased after misleads him

22. Line for respect

Page 104

7. not added above line before tell

Page 105

2. till for by

8. has been our Occupation for we have been doing

Page 106

9. But added above line before If

11. I dare say it will for it will probably

18. incipient added above line

Page 107

2. aberration for aberrations

4. atcheive for encounter

6. delight for ardour

10. indomptible for unconquerable

12. high-toned Machinations of the added above line

21. any opposing Character for his Rival

22. but added above line before Eleemosynary

Page 108

5. anti-puerile for sagacious

12. whom circumstances ... spot added above line

19. since added above line before appeared

22. opposition of feeling & convenience for thing

Page 109

8. of the erased and restored above line

which were the usual erased before Villain

13. was always more anxious for its for always wished it better

14. than it cd ever have erased after success

19. owed his erased before read nothing

20. were for was (an interesting change)

Page 110

8. our replaced by the and restored

14. He felt that added above line before He

16. The very name ... fascination with it added between lines

Page 111

2. any for some before pretensions

4. mistaken erased before veiws

7. alone added above line after Clara

Page 112

12. wd have erased before felt

a strong for some

13. ascertain for know

15. desola (?) erased before solitary

20. st (i.e. stile?) erased before sort

Page 113

15. having been for being

Page 114

5. could be for was

7. if possible before her for before her if possible

8. did not allow for was too brisk for

11. when for as

17. a moment’s astonishment for beginning to astonish Charlotte

22. a great deal of above line, great astonis (?) and much (word illegible) erased

Page 115

1. but still more for & great

2. Nothing cd be ... wife added between lines

4. How erased and restored (orig. How had?)

6. that added above line before she was

9. middling for middle

10. delicate looking rather than sickly for but rather delicate than absolutely sickly

11. in her erased before with an agreable

12. her manners resembling for and her manners resembled

14. with for there was before more decision

16. without delay for as soon as they were in the Drawing room

Page 116

1. better & better for a great increase of the Happiness!

2. come for here

3. Nothing else to be done for A case of Necessity

12. which we spent erased after night

and as for but

13. so added above line before common

that erased before as

15. wonderfully for charmingly

16. She erased (probably) before had no Hysterics

had for and

17. within sight of for to

18. the attack was not very violent—(quite over erased) nearly over for they were quite subsided

22. Mr Woodcock’s assistance for young Woodcock’s help

Page 117

1. the Disposal of the Luggage for where all the Luggage shd be carried

3. Sam for Hannah

unp (?) erased before uncord

5. her erased before being so poor

7. unwilling for afraid for

11. about for over

so I for therefore

13. the Terrace, to added above line

16. I am sure erased after Hotel

17. on the Down for in the field

22. affected for stiffened

Page 118

13. the Good for two Excellent

14. know them only for have only heard of them

15. You must over My friend Fanny Noyce I dare say you erased

22. Only for But

Page 119

5. where for Spot

10. on for as to before the question

15. th erased before Names

16. There over The erased

21. to receive for for

Page 120

4. simple link of connection for connecting link

9. case for question

10. but for But before two days

Page 121

2. there added above line after arriving

7. than erased after account

11. all added above line before this

14. us for the English after to make

17. By erased before Whether

or added above line before to Mrs

18. to over But erased

20. am equal for ought

Page 122

1. me for my Exertions

7. left Chichester added above line

11. & doing ... World added above line

Page 123

6. quick for hasty

The part of the story which was really (most above line) astonishing (to above line) Charlotte most, she could not (something above line, not legible) noticed, she had just given (?) it to herself erased after measures

7. The words for the words of

8. had just passed through Charlotte’s (brain erased) mind (and collecting her Thoughts, she replied—“I dare say I look surprised, for I feel so erased)—all written over but she could only give one explanation of the Amazement which she cd easily beleive to be painted in her face erased

10. that erased before a civil

11. do added above line before look

13. what Invalides ... are for that both you & your Sister are sad sufferers (Invalides above line) as to Health

16. appellation for name

22. which will erased before incline

Page 124

1. Howe (?) erased before The World

4. not for act

5. no opportunity of (doing erased) being useful (Good erased) escape them for none of their faculties be wasted

10. of use of sic

Page 125

4. warmly offered his assistance for particularly urged for

11. of mine added above line after business

19. today for this Eveng

Page 126

5. some (other erased) Lodgings or other for them

9. the commission for to undertake it

13. No, indeed ... mere name for Oh! as to your Sisters Dinner cried his wife, that’s never any thing more than a name

21. I grant you added above line

Page 127

3. is only too much disposed for Food. We are often over is much more likely to eat too much than too little we erased (eats enormously. We above line, erased)

18. so erased before independant

Page 128

1. who actually attends ... Eloquence and for & attends some of the girls of the Seminary, to give them lessons in Botany &

7. however added above line after appearing

Page 129

1. ago erased before since

Page 130

4. in erased after sensation

6. for themselves erased after complaints

9. a Zeal for for the love of

11. or written inadvertently for of before others

16. an early for a

at over to erased

18. their sufferings added above line

20. Charitable for benevolent

22. a spirit of restless activity for the disease of activity

Page 131

2. Benevolence for Health, as well as in every inaction of Sickness

10. who for whose before had never

18. she found them added above line

21. it had been added above line

Page 132

2. the added above line before Table

7. a peculiar degree over the sort erased

14. excepting for except

16. the several for many

17. at home for domesticated

20. symptoms for signs

Page 133

3. the added above line before salts

4. considerable for great

6. him added above line after fancied

12. excepting erased before with

Page 134

3. much for most

8. during for for

15. also added above line before opened

Page 135

3. been added above line before hitherto

5. what she had done erased before opening

12. seen something for distinguished something of the matter

13. from their window erased before they could and added above line after distinguish

15. its amount for the amount of it

Page 136

2. some removals to look for looking

5. next for close

7. civility in wishing her to take his over polite civil offer offering her his own erased

10. much for great

12. his Person as for him for

15. Arthur was ... no means for He had in every respect a heavy Look.—Yet was not

18. cheifly for very much

19. he added above line before evidently

20. a fine young Woman for a good-looking Girl (well (word illegible) agreable above line, erased)

22. observed with much (gr. above line, erased) pleasure erased after Br

Page 137

1. decided for great

2. of erased before some

Powerful object over thing source erased

3. him for Arthur

considerable for no inconsiderable

5. began even to make for made

13. & invigorating to for for

15. well for much before as anybody

Page 138

3. To say the truth for In my own opinion

5. in my (own erased) opinion added above line

15. thought replaced by found and restored above line

Page 139

5. walk for take

12. as to for in

13. the Hill is so steep for there is such a steep Hill to get up to it

18. which erased after Perspiration

21. th erased before veiwed

Page 140

5. Pot erased after Cocoa

13. brought up added above line

16. the murmuring of a few broken sentences of self-approbation & success for in a faint murmur, & a few broken sentences of approbation of his own Doings & prosperity

19. into as gallant a Line as ever for with quite as much Gallantry as before

Page 141

9. rather added above line after Dish of

13. very added above line before fine

21. by no means for not

Page 142

2. certainly for evidently

4. of for from before his sisters

15. exceedingly pleased for very much obliged

16. there for upon that subject

17. a very bad thing for is very bad

Page 143

5. It was rather amusing to see erased after nutmeg grater

6. Glass added above line after Butter and erased

8. accusing ... declaring ... maintaining for accused ... declared ... maintained

10. and added above line after trusted

18. her Toast for that

Toast erased after own

20. herself for himself

22. almost added above line after scraped off

Page 144

7. Earthy Dross for Earth

8. Charlotte could not but suspect him of adopting over He seemed of having (originally to have) chosen erased

9. principally for cheifly

Page 145

6. acts on me like Poison and added above line

9. sounds almost incredible for is a sort of thing hardly to be beleived

10. so often that I cannot doubt it for three (several (?) above line) times

21. Soon for Very soon

Page 146

11. and the colour rushed for brought the colour

13. much for a good deal of

Page 147

16. determing sic

18. totally seperate & distinct erased after Families

20. each for them

Page 148

8. advantage for Good

Page 149

2. race for family

4. that added above line before the Family

6. were for being

13. period for time

14. another representation for other representations

Page 150

4. blunders for mistakes

of some erased before of the many

10. make everything appear what it was not for throw everything into confusion

15. expensive added above line before House

21. beleived herself for supposed

Page 151

6. Mrs C. D’s for her

7. mere for very before trifle

8. of reproach added above line

9. all the following for the next

14. receiving such for giving a home to

15. as for who

Page 152

17. such pursuits as for the pursuit of what

18. general erased before admiration

Page 153

8. Smallness & added above line before Retirement

yet added above line before having

9. in the course of the Spring added above line

10. some erased before the inevitable

11. each added above line after Dresses

20. secluded for retired

21. from for with after celebrity

Page 154

12. in Sanditon added above line

14. to added above line before the prevalence

22. been asking for for wanted

Page 155

6. soon added above line before found

7. be vain for fail her

9. to have erased before any complaint

12. & if Mrs G ever (word illegible) (could therefore above line) erased after Physician

Page 156

5. accordingly for indeed

7. with added above line before Drawing paper

14. an added above line before eye

19. notice for being noticed

20. by habit erased after disposed

22. quitted over went out at this end of erased

way for walk
his Brothers for Trafalgar H.

Page 157

3. round added above line before about

Page 159

13. better added above line before mention

Page 160

7. for them erased after foot

17. be really at a loss for really be at any loss

18. more added above line before simple

20. earnest added above line

Page 161

6. that written inadvertently for than

20. the added above line before sort

21. is for can be

Page 162

7. as to erased before then

11. all added above line before out

Page 163

2. all erased before over

4. at one oclock for today

7. besides erased before between

13. to hear it for for this

14. if this is the case added above line

Page 164

9. their impropriety for the impropriety of them

17. not added above line after they could

19. it erased after up

Page 165

11. it was over in the p erased

13. most kindly added above line

Page 166

7. with a decided air of Ease & Fashion, and a over with a & very much the Man of fashion in his air erased

15. road for approach

at first only (by above line) erased before a broad

16. approach for road

17. (of about a qr of a mile’s length erased) & conducting at the end of a qr of a mile through second Gates over but ending in about a qr of a mile erased

19. into for in

not added above line before extensive

20. were erased before had

22. These Entrance Gates ... Boundaries for They were so narrow at the Entrance

Page 167

3. an outside for one outside

5. here, & a curve there threw for in one, & a curve in the other gave

6. to added above line after them

9. clusters (rows erased) of fine Elms, or rows of old Thorns for vigorous Elms, or old Thorns & Hollies

10. line for course

12. vacant spaces for intervals

16. over the pales erased after Womanish and added above line after glimpse

20. decidedly for distinctly

21. in spite of the Mist for though at some distance before her

Page 168

1. sloping erased before bank

2. at (?) erased after Paling &

3. Path for track

8. that erased after felt

12. her added above line after strike

14. must not for ought not to

16. of it erased after nothing

discerned for seen

17. If Charlotte had not been over she was erased

19. or erased after the two

Page 169

6. perfectly added above line before secure

10. by Man perhaps inadvertently for of Man

at their back for behind them

12. by her erased after ill-used

19. order & the (?) added above line before Importance

Page 170

6. stately for portly

12. represented for was

15. own House for room

PRINTED IN ENGLAND
AT THE OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

Transcriber's Note

In the Notes to Page 21, Line 21, "Brothers in faet" has been changed to "Brothers in fact".

No other changes have been made to spelling or punctuation.

*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FRAGMENT OF A NOVEL WRITTEN BY JANE AUSTEN, JANUARY-MARCH 1817 ***

Updated editions will replace the previous one—the old editions will be renamed.

Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to copying and distributing Project Gutenberg™ electronic works to protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG™ concept and trademark. Project Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you charge for an eBook, except by following the terms of the trademark license, including paying royalties for use of the Project Gutenberg trademark. If you do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the trademark license is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and research. Project Gutenberg eBooks may be modified and printed and given away—you may do practically ANYTHING in the United States with eBooks not protected by U.S. copyright law. Redistribution is subject to the trademark license, especially commercial redistribution.

START: FULL LICENSE

THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE

PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK

To protect the Project Gutenberg™ mission of promoting the free distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work (or any other work associated in any way with the phrase “Project Gutenberg”), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project Gutenberg License available with this file or online at www.gutenberg.org/license.

Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg electronic works

1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property (trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy all copies of Project Gutenberg electronic works in your possession. If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project Gutenberg electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.

1.B. “Project Gutenberg” is a registered trademark. It may only be used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg electronic works even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project Gutenberg electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg electronic works. See paragraph 1.E below.

1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation (“the Foundation” or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project Gutenberg electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an individual work is unprotected by copyright law in the United States and you are located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project Gutenberg mission of promoting free access to electronic works by freely sharing Project Gutenberg works in compliance with the terms of this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg name associated with the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project Gutenberg License when you share it without charge with others.

1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project Gutenberg work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning the copyright status of any work in any country other than the United States.

1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg:

1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate access to, the full Project Gutenberg License must appear prominently whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg work (any work on which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” appears, or with which the phrase “Project Gutenberg” is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, copied or distributed:

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg™ License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is derived from texts not protected by U.S. copyright law (does not contain a notice indicating that it is posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work with the phrase “Project Gutenberg” associated with or appearing on the work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the Project Gutenberg trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg electronic work is posted with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked to the Project Gutenberg License for all works posted with the permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work.

1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg.

1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project Gutenberg License.

1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg work in a format other than “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other format used in the official version posted on the official Project Gutenberg website (www.gutenberg.org), you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon request, of the work in its original “Plain Vanilla ASCII” or other form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.

1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg works unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.

1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing access to or distributing Project Gutenberg electronic works provided that:

- • You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from the use of Project Gutenberg works calculated using the method you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg trademark, but he has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the address specified in Section 4, “Information about donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation.”

- • You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg™ License. You must require such a user to return or destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of Project Gutenberg™ works.

- • You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days of receipt of the work.

- • You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free distribution of Project Gutenberg™ works.

1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the manager of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark. Contact the Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.

1.F.

1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread works not protected by U.S. copyright law in creating the Project Gutenberg™ collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain “Defects,” such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by your equipment.

1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the “Right of Replacement or Refund” described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project Gutenberg™ trademark, and any other party distributing a Project Gutenberg™ electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.

1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further opportunities to fix the problem.

1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you ‘AS-IS’, WITH NO OTHER WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.

1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions.

1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone providing copies of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works in accordance with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg™ electronic works, harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any Project Gutenberg work, and (c) any Defect you cause.

Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg

Project Gutenberg is synonymous with the free distribution of electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from people in all walks of life.

Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg’s goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg collection will remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure and permanent future for Project Gutenberg and future generations. To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org.

Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal Revenue Service. The Foundation’s EIN or federal tax identification number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state’s laws.

The Foundation’s business office is located at 41 Watchung Plaza #516, Montclair NJ 07042, USA, +1 (862) 621-9288. Email contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the Foundation’s website and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact

Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation

Project Gutenberg™ depends upon and cannot survive without widespread public support and donations to carry out its mission of increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be freely distributed in machine-readable form accessible by the widest array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations ($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt status with the IRS.

The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate.

While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who approach us with offers to donate.

International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff.

Please check the Project Gutenberg web pages for current donation methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate.

Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg electronic works

Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project Gutenberg eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support.

Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed editions, all of which are confirmed as not protected by copyright in the U.S. unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.

Most people start at our website which has the main PG search facility: www.gutenberg.org.

This website includes information about Project Gutenberg, including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.

Table of Contents

FRAGMENT OF A NOVEL

PREFACE

CHAPTER 1.

CHAPTER 2.

CHAPTER 3.

CHAPTER 4.

CHAPTER 5.

CHAPTER 6.

CHAPTER 7.

CHAPTER 8.

CHAPTER 9.

CHAPTER 10.

CHAPTER 11.

CHAPTER 12.

NOTES

Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
Page 45
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
Page 49
Page 50
Page 51
Page 52
Page 53
Page 54
Page 55
Page 56
Page 57
Page 58
Page 59
Page 60
Page 61
Page 62
Page 63
Page 64
Page 65
Page 66
Page 67
Page 69
Page 70
Page 71
Page 72
Page 73
Page 74
Page 75
Page 76
Page 77
Page 78
Page 79
Page 80
Page 81
Page 82
Page 83
Page 84
Page 85
Page 86
Page 88
Page 90
Page 91
Page 92
Page 93
Page 94
Page 95
Page 96
Page 97
Page 98
Page 99
Page 100
Page 101
Page 102
Page 103
Page 104
Page 105
Page 106
Page 107
Page 108
Page 109
Page 110
Page 111
Page 112
Page 113
Page 114
Page 115
Page 116
Page 117
Page 118
Page 119
Page 120
Page 121
Page 122
Page 123
Page 124
Page 125
Page 126
Page 127
Page 128
Page 129
Page 130
Page 131
Page 132
Page 133
Page 134
Page 135
Page 136
Page 137
Page 138
Page 139
Page 140
Page 141
Page 142
Page 143
Page 144
Page 145
Page 146
Page 147
Page 148
Page 149
Page 150
Page 151
Page 152
Page 153
Page 154
Page 155
Page 156
Page 157
Page 159
Page 160
Page 161
Page 162
Page 163
Page 164
Page 165
Page 166
Page 167
Page 168
Page 169
Page 170
Transcriber's Note
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG™ LICENSE