It had been settled that about the end of that month,
or the beginning of April, I should spend a few days at Chawton, in
the absence of my father and mother, who were just then engaged with
Mrs. Leigh Perrot in arranging her late husband's affairs; but Aunt
Jane became too ill to have me in the house, and so I went instead to
my sister Mrs. Lefroy at Wyards'. The next day we walked over to
Chawton to make enquiries after our aunt. She was then keeping her
room, but said she would see us, and we went up to her. She was in
her dressing gown, and was sitting quite like an invalid in an arm-
chair, but she got up and kindly greeted us, and then, pointing to
seats which had been arranged for us by the fire, she said, "There is
a chair for the married lady, and a little stool for you, Caroline."
{171} It is strange, but those trifling words were the last of hers
that I can remember, for I retain no recollection of what was said by
anyone in the conversation that ensued. I was struck by the
alteration in herself. She was very pale, her voice was weak and low,
and there was about her a general appearance of debility and
suffering; but I have been told that she never had much acute pain.
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