Backing out the dagger (ever so gently)
Posted by Bob S. on December 05, 1997 at 13:22:01:
In response to So were they all, all honourable men!, written by Mark on December 05, 1997 at 12:10:56
] Mark
] Elizabeth wasn't too upset about Wickham chasing Mary King. I also thinks she respects the Colonel for telling her fairly quickly that he's concerned about money. Compare his actions to Willoughby and Edward Ferrars.
Bob S.
I agree with you there.
Mark
] But getting back to my original premise, suppose the Colonel was the eldest and therefore could marry where he likes (like Darcy) or that she was an heiress (like that lady Willoughby dumps Marianne for), I would say that Elizabeth very likely would have married him if he had popped the question.
Bob S.
From Elizabeth's point of view, (whether she's an heiress or not) I don't think that it would have made any difference to her whether the Colonel was first or last born . If he proposed and she loved and respected him she would say "yes" whether or not he had money. I agree that if the Colonel had been the eldest son, he very likley would have proposed to Elizabeth.
Mark
] What if, instead of Darcy calling upon her at Hunsford, it had been Col. Fritzwilliam who walks in and proposes! Would she have accepted him? This assumes that he would have been more gentlemanly about it than "foot-in-mouth" Darcy.
] Interesting questions, no?
Bob S.
I did have a chance to go back to the source last night so I have to retreat a little bit.
She could not think of Darcy's leaving Kent, without remembering that his cousin was to go with him; but Colonel Fitzwilliam had made it clear that he had no intentions at all, and agreeable as he was, she did not mean to be unhappy about him.
While settling this point, she was suddenly roused by the sound of the door bell, and her spirits were a little fluttered by the idea of its being Colonel Fitzwilliam himself, who had once before called late in the evening, and might now come to enquire particularly after her.
I think that it is clear that had if it had, indeed, been Colonel Fitzwilliam who showed up and proposed instead of Darcy, she certainly would not have rejected him out of hand as she did Collins and Darcy. Her feelings for him were apparently stronger than I realized. Whether they were strong enough for her to agree to marry him at that time I don't know (I still like to think that she would try to put off answering until she developed a stronger attachment for him). However, I may, in fact, be prejudiced by the line in P&P2 that got this whole thing started. I'll have to reread the book this weekend with all this in mind, and see if I can come to any conclusions (which works out nicely :-), since my wife is leaving today for a week in Kansas :-( ).
Bob S.
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