A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.
Darcy’s tease pokes fun at romantic escalation. The exaggeration shines a light on quick judgments—the very engine of the plot. It’s also a sly glance at how society pushes women to convert feeling into marriage quickly. Elizabeth’s wit answers back, keeping the power dynamic agile. The line shows Darcy warming into playful conversation. Under the joke is a question: what pace does real affection need?