“I lay it down as a general rule, Harriet, that if a woman doubts as to whether she should accept a man or not, she certainly ought to refuse him. If she can hesitate as to ‘Yes,’ she ought to say ‘No’ directly. It is not a state to be safely entered into with doubtful feelings, with half a heart.”
– Jane Austen
Emma, Chapter 7. Emma offers this advice to Harriet, because she thinks that she can do better than farmer Robert Martin. Mind you, it is quite good advice, especially to a naive and impressionable young girl like Harriet. If she doesn’t know whether she should accept Mr. Martin’s marriage proposal without having to discuss it with Emma, then she probably isn’t ready for this level of commitment yet. Later, without having to consult Emma, she does realize that she does love Mr. Martin and is ready to share a life with him.