nd we have had
it cleared. We had reason to rejoice in the
child's absence at the time of the thaw, for the
nursery was not habitable. We hear of similar
disasters from almost everybody.

Yours very affectionately,
J. AUSTEN.
Miss Austen, Edward Austen's, Esq.
Godmersham Park, Faversham, Kent.

This letter brings the Southampton series to an end. The party were not
to take up their residence at Chawton till the beginning of September;
but they left Southampton in April, and we may presume that they carried
out the programme mentioned in Jane's letter of January 10, and went by
way of Alton to Bookham, and on to Godmersham.

In the whole series of letters written from Southampton, there is not a
single allusion to Jane's being engaged upon any novel; and it has been
inferred--probably correctly--that her pen was idle during these years.
The fact that she had already written three novels, but had not
succeeded in publishing a single one, can hardly have encouraged her to
write more. But it seems almost certain that, a few days before she
left Southampton, she made an effort to secure the publication of the
novel which we know as _Northanger Abbey_, by the publisher to whom she
had sold it as far back as 1803.

The circumstances are somewhat involved, but appear to be as follows:
Among the letters preserved by Cassandra, is one said not to be in
Jane's hand, addressed to Messrs. Crosbie [_sic_] & Co.,[202] of which
these are the contents:--

GENTLEMEN,--In the spring of the year 1803 a MS.
novel in two vols., entitled _Susan_, was sold to
you by a gentleman of the name of Seymour, and the
purchase money L10 rec^{d.} at the same time. Six
years have since passed, and this work, of which I
am myself the Authoress, has never to the best of
my knowledge appeared in print, tho' an early
publication was stipulated for at the time of
sale. I can only account for such an extraordinary
circumstance by supposing the MS. by some
carelessness to have been lost, and if that was
the case am willing to supply you with another
copy, if you are disposed to avail yourselves of
it, and will engage for no farther delay when it
comes into your h