ShewritestoherfriendthatthesecontributorstothequarterlypressaregreatlyfearedinliteraryLondon，andthereisinherletterasenseoftremorandexhaustion。Andwhatnightsdidtheheadsofthecriticsundergoafterthemeeting？Lewes，whoseownromancesareallcondoned，allforgivenbytimeandoblivion，whogaveherlessons，whotoldhertostudyJaneAusten？Theothers，whosereviewsdoubtlessdidtheirproportionatepartinstillfurtherhuntingandharryingthetiredEnglishoftheirday？AndbeforeHarrietMartineausheboreherselfreverently。HarrietMartineau，albeitawomanofmasculineunderstanding（wemayimaginewehearhercontemporariesgiveherthetitle），couldnotthreadherwaysafelyinandoutoftwoorthreenegatives，butwrote——aboutthisveryCharlotteBronte：\"Ididnotconsiderthebookacoarseone，thoughIcouldnotanswerforitthattherewerenotraitswhich，onasecondleisurelyreading，Imightnotdislike。\"Mrs。
Gaskellquotesthepassagewithnoconsciousnessofanythingamiss。
AsforLewes’svanishedlessonuponthemethodsofJaneAusten，itservedoneonlysufficientpurpose。Itselfisnotquotedbyanyonealive，butCharlotteBronte’srejoinderaddsonetoourlittletreasuryofherincomparablepages。Iftheyweretwenty，theyaretwenty-onebytheadditionofthis，writteninalong-neglectedletterandsavedforusbyMr。Shorter’sresearch，forIbelievehisistheonlyrecord：\"Whatseeskeenly，speaksaptly，movesflexibly，itsuitshertostudy；butwhatthrobsfastandfull，thoughhidden，whatbloodrushesthrough，whatistheunseenseatoflifeandthesentienttargetofdeath——thatMissAustenignores。\"
WhentheauthorofJaneEyrefalteredbeforesixauthors，moreorless，atdinnerinLondon，wasitthewriterofhersecond-classEnglishwhowasshy？orwasittheauthorofthepassagesheretofollow？——andthereforeoneforwhomthenationaltonguewasmuchthebetter？Therecanbelittledoubt。TheCharlotteBrontewhousedtheEnglishofaworldlongcorruptedby\"onegoodcustom\"——thegoodcustomofGibbon’sLatinitygrownfatallypopular——couldatanytimeholdupherheadamongstherreviewers；forhertherewasnosensitiveinteriorsolitudeinthatsociety。ShewhocoweredwastheCharlottewhomadeRochesterrecall\"thesimpleyetsagaciousgrace\"ofJane’sfirstsmile；shewhowrote：\"Ilookedatmylove；
itshiveredinmyheartlikeasufferingchildinacoldcradle\"；