] While we groan at this proposal, given the prevailing customs of the day, was it that far off the mark? ;-)

It might be that our dear Mr. Collins was about 50 years behind the times. In Emile, Rousseau has this to say:

"I have already noticed that affected and provocative refusals are common to almost all females, even among animals, even when they are most disposed to give themselves. One has to have never observed their wiles not to agree with this."

Maybe Mr. Collins was a bit of a plagarist! ;)