Okay, this must be asked because I'm completely baffled. I cannot see how John Thorpe could take what he said to Catherine as a proposal, and her responses as encouragement. I know JT is a first rate dunce, but even he can't be that blockheaded! Perhaps it's merely a half-witted scheme that either he and Isabella cooked up, to try and ploy Catherine into liking him. Does anyone else have a better idea?