Earnestness of sincerity

EARNESTNESS

She (Fanny Price) told him that she did not love him (Henry Crawford), could not love him, was sure she never should love him; that such a change was quite impossible; that the subject was most painful to her; that she must entreat him never to mention it again, to allow her to leave him at once, and let it be considered as concluded for ever… All this she had said, and with the earnestness of sincerity; yet this was not enough, for he immediately denied there being anything uncongenial in their characters, or anything unfriendly in their situations; and positively declared, that he would still love, and still hope! Fanny Price, Mansfield Park, Chapter 33

Please sir, how politely, and in how many ways can one young lady say no?

Open letter to Mr. Henry Crawford

Sir, this is a dear John letter. You may not know what that is since it will not become a cultural idiom for another 150 years. We shall endeavour to enlighten you.

Your attentions are unwelcome sir. The lady does not know why you are interested in her, let alone why you have proposed marriage. She has tried to explain it to you with all the earnestness and sincerity that she can muster, but you do not seem to know what the word NO means. The subject is painful to her and she does not wish to discuss it further.

We know why you will not acknowledge Miss Price’s declination. You are an unprincipled cad sir, who trifles with the affections of young women for your own amusement. We entreat you to pack up your sorry arse, along with that spidery thing you call a sister and remove yourselves immediately to that nether-place that welcomes such wretched souls.

Yours & C

The Propriety Police

*Illustration by Joan Hassall, “She told him, that she did not love him,” page 262, Mansfield Park, The Folio Society, London (1961)