...the fact that she was arranging three chairs in a row while her mother used the couch is pretty surprising. I wondered why Mom couldn't have used an upstairs bed for her afternoon rest since JA was the sick one. Her niece, Carolyn, remembered it this way.

"...I often asked her how she could like the chairs best-and I suppose I worried her into telling me the reason of her choice-which was, that if she ever used the sofa, Grandmama would be leaving it for her, and would not lie down, as she did now whenever she felt inclined-."

Pretty noble of our Jane and pretty selfish of Mrs. Austen is what I'm tempted to say. But selfishness aside, usurping her mother's place may very well have made Jane feel worse.