I thought it was funny that the pursued individual was a man and not a woman; this story turns the whole courtship ritual backwards where the ladies are proposing, Collins-like even if they know that Charles has no feelings for them. Both Lucy and Alice know this, Lucy because Charles writes his refusal to her but she is so smitten she follows him to Pammydiddle and Alice because he has never shown her any extraordinary attention. Charles turning down two different marriage proposals and being incensed by both reminded me of Lizzy Bennet, although not quite as incensed as Charles, doing the same in P&P—LOL. :D