joke casting of Colin Firth (qv) as Mark Darcy, there are  several other allusions to Jane Austen (I) (qv)s story: Mark  disparages Bridget to his mother within earshot of Bridget. In Pride  and Prejudice, Mr. Darcy disparages Elizabeth to his friend Mr.  Bingley within earshot of Elizabeth. Daniel Cleaver lies to Bridget  about a dispute between him and Mark, claiming Mark stole his  fiancée; in fact, it was the other way around. In Pride and  Prejudice, its a dispute between Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy, and  Wickham lies about whos at fault. The Darcy in both stories fails  to disabuse the heroines misinformed notion until its almost too  late. Bridget works at Pemberley Press; Mr. Darcy lives at Pemberley  estate. Crispin Bonham