“Oh! to be sure,” cried Emma, “it is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage. A man always imagines a woman to be ready for anybody who asks her.”
Emma discussing with Mr. Knightley the face that Harriet Smith has refused Robert Martin
Emma, volume 1, chapter 8
The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman (May, 2012)
A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith
It reminds me the fact that in P and P Mr Darcy was sure that Lizzie was going to accept him in his first proposal, like he says when they are talking about themselves at the end of the book.