Chapter 1 Summary Universal Truth #1 in nineteenth-century England: A rich, single man must want a wife.

. When a single gentleman with a large fortune by the name of Bingley moves into a mansion called Netherfield Park, the news quickly spreads through the neighborhood via gossipy women. Mrs. Bennet badgers her husband about Mr. Bingley. She says: He's so rich! He's so single! He'd make a great husband for one of our five daughters! Quick, go become best friends with him. Mr. Bennet lets his wife do most of the talking, occasionally interjecting with some sarcastic wit such as: Well, gosh, you're so beautiful maybe Mr. Bingley will want you instead of our daughters. Mrs. Bennet fails to realize the sarcasm. We learn that Mrs. Bennet's only occupation in life is to get her daughters married. We also get the impression that Mrs. Bennet is (how do we put this delicately?) really annoying. Chapter 2 Summary Mr. Bennet is one of the first men in the area to visit Mr. Bingley, but he does it behind his wife's back. He teases his wife and daughters before letting the cat out of the bag. The news sends all the women into a tizzy. When will Mr. Bingley return the visit? Should they ask him to dinner? What would they serve at dinner? Chapter 3 Summary Although the women of the house question Mr. Bennet repeatedly to give them more information regarding Mr. Bingley, Mr. Bennet refuses to satisfy their curiosity. The women must resort to hearing the details from their neighbor, Lady Lucas, who reports that Mr. Bingley is handsome, agreeable, and loves dancing. Jackpot. In accord with the societal norms of the day, Mr. Bingley returns Mr. Bennet's visit. The two men sit in the library for about ten minutes, and we learn that, although Mr. Bingley had hoped to see the young ladies (the grapevine has informed him that they're beautiful), he has to make do with their father. The Bennet girls manage to catch a sight of Mr. Bingley. Following his visit, the Bennets send Mr. Bingley an invitation to dinner. Mr. Bingley sends his regrets, saying that he has to go into town. This sends Mrs. Bennet into a flurry of: Why is he going into town? Will he always be traveling? Why doesn't he want to stay at Netherfield? Lady Lucas tells Mrs. Bennet that Mr. Bingley's reason for going into town is to bring back lots of guests for the upcoming public ball. It turns out that Mr. Bingley brought only four people back from town: his two sisters (one of whom is married), his brother-in-law, and a young man. Ooh, a young man. First, though, we have to get a description of Mr. Bingley and company. Mr. Bingley is good looking and easygoing. His sisters are fashionable, elitist snobs. The brother-in-law is named Mr. Hurst, and he's a gentleman. Moving on to the young man: His name is Mr. Darcy. More importantly, he has an income of ten thousand a year (which is a ton of money). Ooh, what a good-looking, nice, wonderful man, everyone says. A little while later, everyone's all, "Ooh, what a jerk!" So what happened? Well, it turns out that Mr. Darcy is very proud. It's clear that he considers himself better than everyone else at the ball. In all fairness, he's out in the boonies of England, which makes him the equivalent of a Manhattan socialite at a square dance. Although Mr. Bingley is also, figuratively speaking, a Manhattan socialite at a rural square dance, he delves right into the party. He talks to everyone, dances all night, and expresses disappointment that the ball ends early. Solution: He'll throw his own ball!

Meanwhile, the locals can't stand Mr. Darcy. He dances only twice (once with each of Mr. Bingley's sisters), doesn't talk to anyone, and stalks around the drawing room, disapproving of everything. Due to an unequal male/female ratio, Elizabeth has to sit out two of the dances. As she's sitting down and minding her own business, she overhears a conversation between Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. The conversation goes something like this: Mr. Bingley: Hey, Darcy, there are some really gorgeous girls here. Why don't you go dance with some of them? Mr. Darcy: Bingley, you're dancing the only good looking girl here. (Side note: Mr. Bingley is dancing with Jane, the eldest Bennet girl.) Mr. Bingley points out that Jane's sister (Elizabeth) is available and also good-looking. (Yes, and sitting so close that she can <em>hear every word the men are saying</em>.) Mr. Darcy looks at Elizabeth and gives her the old once-over; he then turns to Mr. Bingley and delivers one of literature's most famous put-downs: "She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt <em>me</em>." Elizabeth laughs it off and tells the story to all her friends. The entire Bennet family has a great time at the ball, and it's clear that Mr. Bingley is interested in Jane. When Mrs. Bennet and her daughters return home, they find Mr. Bennet still awake. Mrs. Bennet immediately launches into a play-by-play of Mr. Bingley's movements and all his dance partners, until Mr. Bennet finally begs her to be quiet. (He does this in a rather roundabout fashion, i.e., expressing his wish that Mr. Bennet hadn't danced so much.) After trying to talk about the ladies' fashions at the ball and being rebuffed again, Mrs. Bennet finally settles on the topic of Mr. Darcy's rudeness. Chapter 4 Summary Elizabeth and Jane are alone, and we learn that, although Jane has not been outwardly very expressive about her feelings towards Mr. Bingley, she really does like him a lot. We learn a major difference between the sisters: Jane does not think highly of herself but thinks very highly of other people, whereas Elizabeth is more realistic in her views of others. Jane claims to have liked Mr. Bingley's sisters, and while Elizabeth does not reply, we learn that she thinks the sisters to be proud and conceited. Basically, the Bingley sisters are snobs. We then transition to descriptions of Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. We learn from the narrator that both are good men and very good friends, but that Mr. Bingley tends to like people and be liked in return, while Mr. Darcy tends to be very haughty. (No wonder most people dislike him.) Mr. Darcy, however, usually has much better judgment. Their opinion of the crowd they met at the ball reflects these differences in their characters. Mr. Bingley claims to have never met a more agreeable, good-looking crowd of women (Jane in particular), while Mr. Darcy argues that he saw little beauty or fashion at the ball. He admits that Jane is very pretty, but that she smiles too much. Chapter 5 Summary We are introduced to the Lucas family, who live close by and are close to the Bennet family. Elizabeth in particular is very close to Charlotte Lucas, who is described as sensible, intelligent, and in her late twenties. The day after the ball, the two families get together to gossip. Mrs. Bennet fishes for compliments about her daughters. Charlotte had overheard that Mr. Bingley thought Jane the prettiest young woman at the ball. The conversation turns to Mr. Darcy and to his disagreeable behavior, especially the fact that he slighted Elizabeth. Jane informs the gossipers that Miss Bingley, Mr. Bingley's sister, told her that Mr. Darcy is very agreeable among his close friends. Mrs. Bennet refuses to hear a good word said about Mr. Darcy.

They discuss the difference between pride and vanity, concluding that pride is acceptable, as it is only your opinion about yourself, whereas vanity is your concern about how others think about you. Chapter 6 Summary The ladies of Longbourn and Netherfield continue to exchange visits. Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley, Mr. Bingley's sisters, despise Mrs. Bennet and the younger daughters, preferring instead to spend time with Jane and Elizabeth. Jane is flattered, but Elizabeth sees the sisters as simply being incredibly snooty. Elizabeth suspects that the sisters' kindness stems from Bingley's admiration for Jane. Elizabeth sees that Jane is falling for Bingley, but also sees that the general public is unlikely to see her affection for the man, since Jane is always perfectly composed. Elizabeth tells her friend Charlotte about this, and Charlotte replies that Jane had better show some interest in Bingley in order to keep him interested. Elizabeth argues that Jane needs to get to know Bingley better, but Charlotte thinks that there's plenty of time after the wedding to get acquainted. Charlotte also thinks Jane needs to make it abundantly clear that she's interested in Bingley, or risk losing him. Elizabeth is so occupied watching Jane and Mr. Bingley that she doesn't notice when Mr. Darcy has begun to admire her. She does, however, notice him eavesdropping on her conversations. She doesn't like it he has a "satirical eye," as she tells Charlotte. Charlotte's father, Sir Lucas, entreats Elizabeth to dance with Mr. Darcy, but she refuses. Her resistance entices Mr. Darcy. While Mr. Darcy is contemplating Elizabeth, he is interrupted by Miss Bingley, who hopes he will join her in criticizing everyone. Instead, Mr. Darcy says he has been enjoying himself very well simply by looking at Elizabeth Bennet's face. Jealous, Miss Bingley flirts with him and teases him about what a great mother-in-law Mrs. Bennet would make. He doesn't seem bothered by her mockery. Chapter 7 Summary A militia unit arrives at Meryton for the winter. Meryton is a mile from Longbourn, where the Bennets reside. The two youngest Bennet girls, Catherine and Lydia, amuse themselves with the soldiers. Their father claims that their infatuation makes them the silliest girls in all of England. Let's put it this way: If the military was a rock band, Catherine and Lydia would be the groupies plotting ways to sneak into the band's trailer. Jane is invited to Netherfield to have lunch with Mr. Bingley's sisters, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. Mrs. Bennet schemes for Jane to go on horseback, rather than in the carriage, so that if it rains, she will have to stay all night. Jane gets so sick from getting wet in the rain that the Bingleys urge her to stay until she is better. Elizabeth is determined to help her sister. She walks three miles in the rain to Netherfield to take care of Jane. Everybody at Netherfield is surprised by Elizabeth's sudden arrival, and Mr. Darcy thinks to himself how pretty she looks after exercise. Jane is glad to see her, and Elizabeth begins to like Mr. Bingley's sisters when she sees how affectionate they are towards Jane. The Bingleys encourage Elizabeth to stay overnight so she can take care of her sister. Chapter 8 Summary Elizabeth's dislike for the Bingley sisters returns when she realizes that the only time they care about Jane is when she's present. They forget all about her while she's upstairs in bed, sick. Miss Bingley is preoccupied with capturing Mr. Darcy's attention. As soon as Elizabeth leaves the room to attend to her sister, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst begin abusing her. They declare it is absurd that she would walk three miles to help her sister. On top of that horror of horrors her petticoat was dirty when she arrived because she walked all that way through the mud.

Mr. Bingley defends Elizabeth, saying she shows pluck, independence, and an admirable regard for her sister. Mr. Darcy says the exercise brought out the brightness in her eyes. Mrs. Hurst and Miss Bingley laugh at the fact that the Bennets have relatives who live in Cheapside, an unfashionable neighborhood in London. It makes them less than desirable spouses, the women say. Because of their relatives, the Bennet girls are doomed to marry men with little money. When Elizabeth returns, they resume other conversation. Mr. Darcy's little sister is mentioned, especially her many accomplishments. The conversation then moves to what it means for a woman to be "accomplished." Mr. Darcy suggests that very few women are truly accomplished he himself knows of only about half a dozen that fit the definition. Miss Bingley defines such a woman as able to sing, draw, and dance, while Mr. Darcy adds that, on top of all of that, an accomplished woman should have a mind developed through reading. Elizabeth states that he must not know any accomplished women then, for she does not know any women who combine capacity, taste, application, and elegance all together. Chapter 9 Summary Mrs. Bennet and Mr. Jones, the doctor, examine Jane in the morning. Although she is not in real danger, both agree it is best if she remain at Netherfield for the time being. Mrs. Bennet is delighted that her daughter has to stay there for a while longer. Everyone congregates in the breakfast parlour, and Mr. Bingley discovers that Elizabeth studies people to discern their characters. They talk about how complex people are the most interesting to study. Mr. Darcy remarks that complex people must be difficult to find in the country and Mrs. Bennet takes offense. Elizabeth tries to save her mother from her own foolish talk, but Mrs. Bennet inevitably reveals her social climbing tendencies at the same time that she tries to ingratiate herself with the Bingleys. Next, Mrs. Bennet makes a fool of herself by going on and on about Jane's beauty. When the Bennets leave to go to Jane's room, the Bingley women start to gossip about them, but Mr. Darcy refuses to disparage Elizabeth. Chapter 10 Summary The next evening, Elizabeth is amused at the conversation between Mr. Darcy and Miss Bingley. Miss Bingley throws a steady stream of compliments and requests at Mr. Darcy, who replies with his own dry sense of humor or ignores her. Elizabeth observes that the banter between Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy proves that Mr. Darcy notices the reasons why people behave the way they do. Mr. Bingley, Mr. Darcy, and Elizabeth discuss the merits of changing your mind because a friend persuades you to. Mr. Darcy says that you're a fool if the only reason you yield to a friend's opinion is because they have that opinion. In other words, don't act just to please somebody else. Elizabeth, alternatively, argues that a trusted friend's opinion should be enough to sway you. Not to hit you over the head with it, but this discussion is foreshadowing later parts of the plot, like when Mr. Bingley will be persuaded by Mr. Darcy that Jane doesn't care about him, even though his own heart says otherwise. Elizabeth notices how frequently Mr. Darcy looks at her and she wonders why. She assumes he can't possibly be interested in her and decides that the only reason he keeps looking at her is to find things that are wrong about her. When he looks, she thinks, he looks to judge. The group listens to Mr. Bingley's sisters play the piano and Mr. Darcy asks Elizabeth if she would like to dance. She ignores him and he repeats his request. She responds that she would rather not give him the pleasure of mocking her, so no, she will not dance with him. Miss Bingley gets jealous, realizing that Mr. Darcy is beginning to get really interested in Elizabeth. As for Mr. Darcy, he is "bewitched" but thankful that Elizabeth's social status is so beneath him that he can't possibly be tempted into any kind of serious relationship. Chapter 11 Summary

That night after dinner, Jane is well enough to come down for a few hours. Mr. Bingley is so glad to see her, he hardly pays attention to anybody else. Miss Bingley tries to keep Mr. Darcy's attention and fails. She pouts about Mr. Bingley's plan to give a ball at Netherfield balls are so boring when the people who attend are <em>so</em> beneath you but she fails to dissuade him from the idea. Miss Bingley asks Elizabeth to parade up and down the room with her. She wants to show off her fine figure to Mr. Darcy. When Miss Bingley asks Mr. Darcy to join them in walking up and down the room, he refuses, saying that it would ruin her reason for walking back and forth. In other words, she is either sharing gossipy secrets with Elizabeth, or they realize that their figures look best when they are walking about and are trying to get attention. How could he possibly notice their fine figures if he joined them? Much to Miss Bingley's disgust, the conversation soon grows into banter between Darcy and Elizabeth. She tells him his main fault is his inclination to hate everybody; her defect, he tells her, is to intentionally misunderstand them. Chapter 12 Summary Elizabeth is anxious to get back home; she is afraid they are overstaying their welcome. Yet her mother is anxious for them to remain, hoping that, the longer Jane is at Netherfield, the greater the chances are of a proposal from Mr. Bingley. To this end, she refuses to send a carriage to bring her daughters home. Elizabeth and Jane ask if the Bingleys will send them home in their carriage. They are induced to stay for one more day, for the sake of Jane's health, and then they will be allowed to go home. We learn that Miss Bingley likes Jane, but she is jealous of Elizabeth. Knowing that he only has to control his passion for one more day, Darcy avoids Elizabeth like she has cooties or the plague. When they're left alone for a half-hour in the study, he pretends to be absorbed in his book. The next day, Mr. Darcy is glad to see them go. He is too attracted to Elizabeth and Miss Bingley teases him too much about the young lady for his comfort, especially since there is some real truth in her teasing. Chapter 13 Summary Mr. Bennet's cousin, Mr. Collins, comes to stay for a week. Mr. Collins has the inheritance rights to the Bennets' house, and Mrs. Bennet fears that he will kick everybody out of it as soon as Mr. Bennet dies. Mr. Collins expresses his hope that he will be on better terms with Mr. Bennet than his father had been. A Lady Catherine de Bourgh has become his patron, and he will be re-locating to that nearby parish. At dinner, he compliments Mrs. Bennet on having such beautiful daughters. He is certain that she will soon be saying good-bye to all of them as they get married. Mrs. Bennet replies that she hopes the girls will soon be married, or else they will be destitute. Mr. Collins responds that she must be alluding to the entailment of the estate (meaning how he will inherit the house); he says that, though he must be discreet, he is prepared to admire the girls and will say more when they are better acquainted. Mr. Collins thinks he's being vague, but everybody knows he's decided he will marry one of the Bennet girls. Which one will it be, hmm? Mr. Collins praises everything the girls, the house, the cooking. When he wonders which one of the girls was responsible for the delicious dinner, Mrs. Bennet corrects him, slightly offended, for she has a cook. Then he apologizes for a quarter of an hour that he gave offense. Mrs. Bennet's negative opinion on Mr. Collins is rapidly reversed. Chapter 14 Summary Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, and Mr. Collins discuss his luck at having Lady Catherine as his patroness. He lives on her property, separated from her residence by a small path. She is a widow with extensive property and only one daughter. Mr. Bennet judges his cousin, Mr. Collins, as completely absurd, which pleases him because he enjoys listening to the man prattle on and make a fool of himself. After dinner Mr. Collins reads to the girls from a book of serious sermons (Fordyce's Sermons) and Lydia, the youngest of the Bennet girls, offends him by not paying sufficient attention to it.

Chapter 15 Summary Now that Mr. Collins has a good house and a good income, he intends to marry. His plan is to choose one of the Bennet daughters; this is his method of "atoning" for inheriting their father's estate. He is interested in Jane, but Mrs. Bennet lets him know that Jane is likely to soon be engaged, so he quickly switches his affections to Elizabeth. Mr. Collins accompanies all the girls, minus Mary, on a walk to Meryton. While in Meryton, the girls get excited about a young soldier walking across the other side of the street with another soldier they know, Mr. Denny. The stranger is handsome, charming, and self-possessed. The girls are soon introduced. His name is Mr. Wickham and he has accepted a commission in the corps stationed there in town. As the girls are talking to him, Darcy and Bingley approach them on horseback. The two gentlemen begin talking to the ladies. Mr. Bingley is on his way to Longbourn to inquire after Jane. Mr. Darcy is trying to avoid looking at Elizabeth when he notices Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth observes the two men exchange glances both of them changing color (one picks white and the other one picks red). They barely acknowledge each other with a tip of the hat. The girls proceed to their aunt's house. Mr. Wickham and Mr. Denny continue on their way. The girls gossip with their aunt, named Mrs. Phillips, about Mr. Wickham. Elizabeth tells Jane about Darcy and Wickham's behavior, but Jane can't explain it either. Chapter 16 Summary The next evening, Mr. Collins and the girls go to the Phillips' house for a dinner party. Mr. Wickham is also there. Mr. Wickham sits beside Elizabeth at dinner and they get along very well. Elizabeth finds him extremely interesting, and ignores the dull Mr. Collins. After dinner, Mr. Collins and Mrs. Phillips play whist, while Lydia and Elizabeth entertain Mr. Wickham. Lydia is clearly entranced with the soldier, but she is also interested in the game, so Elizabeth and Mr. Wickham have a chance to talk. Mr. Wickham explains his connection to Mr. Darcy. He says he has been connected with the family since his infancy. Elizabeth expresses her surprise, and Wickham says she might well be surprised given Darcy's cold reception of him the other day. Elizabeth explains that she finds Darcy very disagreeable, which encourages Mr. Wickham to tell his story, after Elizabeth agrees to keep his confidence. Wickham says he had not been brought up to be in the military or to have employment, but circumstances now dictate that he must. He was supposed to have made the church his profession, since the elder Mr. Darcy bequeathed money (informally, not legally) so that Mr. Wickham could become a clergyman. However, the younger Mr. Darcy did not honor the request. When Mr. Wickham reached the age when he should have received the living, it was given to another man. According to Wickham, Darcy hates him. Elizabeth expresses her horror and suggests that somebody should expose Mr. Darcy for the awful man that he is. Mr. Wickham says he will not do it, as he has too much respect for the senior Mr. Darcy's memory. Elizabeth wonders why Mr. Darcy would do this and Mr. Wickham replies that it was jealousy because the elder Mr. Darcy was attached to Wickham. After maligning Mr. Darcy, Wickham moves on to Darcy's sister. She is, he says, very much like her brother proud, very proud. Elizabeth inquires why Mr. Bingley would be so fond of Mr. Darcy if he is such a bad man; Mr. Wickham suggests that Bingley may not know the truth because Mr. Darcy can please people if he tries. When Mr. Collins mentions Lady Catherine, his benefactress, Mr. Wickham informs Elizabeth that Lady Catherine is Mr. Darcy's aunt. It is widespread knowledge that Mr. Darcy will marry Lady Catherine's daughter, so that they can merge the two estates. As nice as Elizabeth is, she can't help but being a little bit catty, smiling when she thinks how much Miss Bingley would like to marry Mr. Darcy.

Elizabeth goes away with her head full of Mr. Wickham this and Mr. Wickham that. She's developing quite the crush on him. Chapter 17 Summary Jane and Elizabeth discuss the Darcy-Wickham affair the next day. Jane refuses to think badly of either man and decides it must have been a misunderstanding between the two. Elizabeth thinks that Mr. Bingley must be deceived about his friend's true nature; she can't believe that Mr. Wickham would lie to her. The Bingleys stop by to invite the ladies to a ball at Netherfield. Everybody is excited, including Elizabeth, who thinks that Mr. Darcy will confirm Mr. Wickham's story in some way through his behavior. Elizabeth is also looking forward to spending the evening with Mr. Wickham and is so excited that she asks Mr. Collins if he intends to come and participate in the dancing. He does intend to dance. Not only that, but he asks Elizabeth for the first two dances, and Elizabeth feels tricked. She had hoped to dance with Wickham for those first two dances, but now she's obligated to dance with her dreary and pompous cousin instead. Elizabeth begins to notice Mr. Collins increasing attention, while Mrs. Bennet lets Elizabeth know that she would approve of her marrying Mr. Collins. Chapter 18 Summary Wickham does not attend the dance, to Elizabeth's disappointment, but Mr. Denny lets her know that it is because he wishes to avoid a "certain gentleman." Elizabeth is so disappointed that she has trouble being polite to Mr. Darcy when he approaches her. However, when Darcy asks her to dance, she is so taken aback that she says yes. By the time they hit the dance floor, however, she has recovered her confidence enough to make snide little remarks. Darcy barely talks, so Elizabeth suggests that the two of them are similar both of them love being unsociable and only talk if everyone will be amazed by their comment. Darcy recognizes her sarcasm and tells her that it's a very inaccurate picture of her character. He's not sure it describes him either, although she undoubtedly thinks it does. Elizabeth can't help but mention her new acquaintance, Mr. Wickham. She's gratified that it seems to embarrass Mr. Darcy, who says that Mr. Wickham has qualities that enable him to make friends but not to retain them. Elizabeth refers to the fact that Wickham has lost Mr. Darcy's friendship, and isn't that just so sad? After the dance, Miss Bingley lets Elizabeth know that she should not trust everything Mr. Wickham says and that Mr. Darcy did not mistreat Mr. Wickham the reverse is in fact true. Right like Elizabeth is going to believe Miss Bingley. Jane asks Mr. Bingley about it. He vouches for his friend's character, although he doesn't know anything about the Wickham story. Mr. Collins discovers that Lady Catherine's nephew is at the ball. Although Elizabeth discourages him from approaching Mr. Darcy to introduce himself, he does so anyway. From Elizabeth's perspective, Mr. Darcy is civil but disdainful to the man; Mr. Collins, however, is perfectly satisfied with the reception he receives. Mrs. Bennet boasts loudly about her daughter's prospects of marrying Mr. Bingley in range of Mr. Darcy's hearing. Elizabeth tries to hush her mother up, but she won't listen. Elizabeth is ashamed, observing that her mother's conversation and gossip disgusts Mr. Darcy. Then, to make matters worse, her sister Mary sings not one but two songs and she's mediocre, at best. To top things off, Mr. Collins makes a loud speech about the duties of a clergyman and how it is always in good form to testify his respect towards anybody connected with his benefactress's (Lady Catherine's) family. Elizabeth wonders if her family could have embarrassed her any more. She is glad Jane and Mr. Bingley haven't noticed, but she realizes that Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley's sisters have, which is bad enough. As they leave, Mrs. Bennet invites the Bingleys to visit them at Longbourn, especially Mr. Bingley, who says he will come as soon as possible. Mrs. Bennet leaves with the comfortable assurance that Jane will be married to Mr. Bingley within a few months and that Elizabeth will soon be married to Mr. Collins.

Chapter 19 Summary After breakfast, Mr. Collins goes over to Longbourn and asks to "speak to Elizabeth alone." That's code for "I'm going to propose to your daughter now." So, Mrs. Bennet clears her other daughters out of the room. Fast. Mr. Collins gets down to business, proposing in a, well, <em>businesslike </em>manner. He points out his extreme thoughtfulness in proposing to a Bennet girl because he's going to inherit their house one day. He also points out that Elizabeth is poor and that he is generous. Elizabeth tells him, Thanks, but no thanks. Mr. Collins says, I get it! You really mean "ask me again later." Elizabeth responds, No, I really mean "no." Before she can sprint out of the room, Mr. Collins tells her that he understands feminine behavior he'll propose again soon. Mr. Collins details his qualifications as a husband (there aren't many) and concludes by telling Elizabeth that he, again, doesn't believe her refusal is genuine. He thinks she's being an "elegant female." In polite nineteenth-century British terms, Elizabeth tells him to get lost. Mr. Collins calls her charming and says that she'll accept him after her parents pressure her. Chapter 20 Summary Mrs. Bennet accosts the couple as soon as they leave the room and starts congratulating them. Mr. Collins is all, Thanks! She said no, but I'm sure she's just trying to be a proper female! Mrs. Bennet, being about an iota more perceptive than Mr. Collins, realizes that Elizabeth doesn't intend to marry Mr. Collins. She freaks out and yells for her husband. In the study, Mrs. Bennet threatens to never see Elizabeth again if she continues to refuse Mr. Collins, at which point Mr. Bennet threatens to never see Elizabeth again if she <em>accepts </em>Mr. Collins. Meanwhile, Charlotte Lucas arrives and Mr. Collins asks how her family is. Mr. Collins, completely confused about the reasons for his rejection, finally saves a little face and withdraws his proposal. Chapter 21 Summary The next day, after breakfast, the girls walk to Meryton. There Elizabeth visits with Wickham, who admits that he could not bear to be in the same room as Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth approves and, after he walks her home, she introduces him to her parents. Shortly after their return, Jane receives a letter from Miss Bingley. At first, Jane tells Elizabeth that the letter says only that they (Mr. Bingley, Miss Bingley, and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst) have left Netherfield for London and do not intend to return soon. It soon transpires, however, that they are also going to London to renew their acquaintance with Georgiana Darcy (Mr. Darcy's sister), who Miss Bingley has a <em>sisterly</em> affection for. Jane says, "Wow, what a good friend for telling me all this." Elizabeth says, "Wow, what a backstabber." Elizabeth argues that Miss Bingley knows her brother is falling in love with Jane and wants to prevent him from marrying into the socially inferior Bennet family. Elizabeth is convinced that Mr. Bingley will return and ask Jane to marry him. Jane is not as sure. To avoid the stress of an unhappy mother, they inform Mrs. Bennet only that the Bingley family has departed and don't mention that the Bingleys do not plan to return. Chapter 22 Summary Charlotte Lucas spends time talking to Mr. Collins. Elizabeth thinks Charlotte is simply being a good wingwoman, never dreaming that her friend is hoping for a marriage proposal. Mr. Collins proposes to Charlotte on the Saturday morning before he leaves for Hunsford, and she accepts. Her acceptance is on purely practical grounds. He's a good man, with a good career, and she knows she is unlikely to receive other, better offers. She is simply worried about how Elizabeth will respond. The whole Lucas family is overjoyed.

Mr. Collins informs the Bennet family that night that he will accept their invitation for a speedy return visit, surprising all of them. They think he means that he has turned his attentions towards one of the younger Bennet girls and they know that Mary would be willing to accept. (She is plain and bookish and unlikely to get any other marriage proposals.) The next morning, though, Charlotte arrives and confides in Elizabeth that she is engaged to Mr. Collins. Elizabeth is surprised but she wishes Charlotte happiness. Charlotte explains that it is a practical decision. She is not romantic, but she does want a comfortable home. Mr. Collins can provide that. When Charlotte goes away, Elizabeth reflects on the conversation. She had always known that Charlotte's understanding of marriage was different than her own, but she finds it hard to believe that Charlotte would throw away every possibility of emotional satisfaction just to be married. Chapter 23 Summary Sir William Lucas announces Charlotte's engagement. Mrs. Bennet is incensed. It takes her many months to forgive and cease being rude to the Lucases. Lady Lucas finds it irresistible to gloat, however, and she starts calling on the Bennets more frequently to talk about how happy she is to have her daughter settled. Day after day passes without hearing from Mr. Bingley. The girls, especially Jane, grow more uncomfortable about it. The only news they hear is that he will not be returning to Netherfield that winter. Mrs. Bennet resents Charlotte, imagining that she plans to kick Mrs. Bennet and the girls out of the house as soon as Mr. Bennet dies. She claims she would not mind the match at all if it weren't for the "entail," by which she means the fact that the house will go to Mr. Collins and his wife upon Mr. Bennet's death. Chapter 24 Summary A letter from Miss Bingley arrives at long last, and it is clear that the Bingleys will not return for the winter. Jane's matrimonial hopes are dashed. Elizabeth spends a lot of time wondering what happened. Was Bingley waylaid by his sister? Did his friend Mr. Darcy convince him not to pay any more attention to Jane? Jane expresses her sorrow, but says that she has nobody to reproach but herself. Elizabeth declares that the world doesn't make sense and by this, she means Bingley's loss of interest in Jane, Darcy's treatment of Wickham, and Charlotte's marriage to Mr. Collins. She also lets Jane know that she believes Mr. Bingley was negatively influenced by his sisters and Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bennet jokes to Elizabeth that Jane has been crossed in love which, next to matrimony, is what girls want most. Will Elizabeth be next to get a broken heart? Mr. Bennet asks. He suggests that Mr. Wickham is just the right man to jilt her. The Bennets spend a lot of time with Wickham. The story of Mr. Darcy's treatment of him becomes widely known in town. Everybody congratulates themselves that they already disliked Mr. Darcy before even knowing the story. Jane is the only one who refuses to condemn Mr. Darcy, suggesting that there might be more to the story. Chapter 25 Summary Mrs. Bennet's brother and his wife, the Gardiners, arrive at Longbourn for a visit. Mrs. Bennet complains to her sister-in-law, Mrs. Gardiner, about how she almost had two daughters married and now has nothing. Mrs. Gardiner speaks to Elizabeth about her concern for Jane, who isn't the type of girl to recover easily from the Mr. Bingley letdown. Elizabeth also asserts that Mr. Bingley's regard for Jane did appear to be genuine and deep. Mrs. Gardiner suggests a change of scene. Would Jane like to come and stay with them in London for a while? The likelihood that she will run into Bingley is small. Mrs. Gardiner notices the attraction between Elizabeth and Wickham and it makes her uneasy. She resolves to speak to Elizabeth about it.

Nevertheless, Mrs. Gardiner and Wickham have a lot in common because she grew up near Pemberley, the Darcy estate, and knew the senior Mr. Darcy. Chapter 26 Summary Mrs. Gardiner warns Elizabeth not to fall in love with Wickham. Elizabeth says she will not encourage him because, although he is the most agreeable man she has ever met, she sees that it wouldn't be a smart match because he has no fortune to speak of. However, her father likes Wickham, so, if it happens, it happens, she tells her aunt. The Gardiners and Jane leave for London. Charlotte and Mr. Collins are married and Charlotte asks Elizabeth to come visit her in Hunsford, on Lady Catherine's estate. Elizabeth agrees. Jane writes to say that she has visited Caroline Bingley and the visit went well; Miss Bingley said that her brother spends all his time with Mr. Darcy and she scarcely sees him herself. Jane hopes Miss Bingley would visit her soon. Jane writes again to say that Miss Bingley visited after two weeks; her visit was short and her manner wasn't very affectionate. Jane realizes that all hope is gone. She has lost Mr. Bingley forever. Wickham is now paying attention to another young lady who has a great deal more money than Elizabeth. Elizabeth realizes that she must not have been in love with Wickham, since she is not very hurt by his sudden swerve in attention. Chapter 27 Summary In March, Elizabeth leaves to visit Charlotte in Hunsford along with Charlotte's family. She says an affectionate good-bye to Wickham, even though he is now paying attention to another woman. Elizabeth reflects that Wickham will always be her model of perfect amiability in a man. Elizabeth and Charlotte's family stop to visit Jane in London on the way. Jane looks OK, but Mrs. Gardiner lets Elizabeth know that Jane is still suffering, even though she had thoroughly given up any expectations of a relationship with Mr. or Miss Bingley. Mrs. Gardiner also takes back her approval of Wickham, arguing that his switch in his affections from Elizabeth to a young woman who had recently inherited money makes him look bad. Elizabeth defends him as best she can and reveals that perhaps she is more hurt by Wickham than she cares to admit. Chapter 28 Summary Elizabeth and the Lucases arrive in Hunsford. Mr. Collins takes care to point out every lovely thing in his home, to give Elizabeth the chance to regret that it's not hers. Charlotte takes her around the house and Elizabeth can tell that her friend likes her life, especially when she can forget that Mr. Collins is part of it. At dinner, Elizabeth learns that she will be able to meet Lady Catherine during church on Sunday. The next day, Elizabeth has a chance to observe Miss de Bourgh, Lady Catherine's daughter. She looks "sickly and cross." This, Elizabeth reflects, is perfect. If Miss de Bourgh is to marry Mr. Darcy, she will be the perfect companion for him. Charlotte lets them know that Miss de Bourgh has invited them all to dine at Rosings Park, the de Bourgh estate, the next day. Chapter 29 Summary Mr. Collins is deeply gratified that the visitors will be able to see the splendor of his benefactress's estate. They talk of nothing else the rest of the day. Lady Catherine is authoritative but kind. Her daughter is extremely thin, small, and sickly. Lady Catherine is also a bit of a bore; there is little to do but listen to her, and she talks unceasingly. She asks Elizabeth an amazing number of questions how many sisters she has, whether one of them would soon get married, where they had been educated, what had been her mother's maiden name, etc. Elizabeth feels her questions are impertinent, but answers as best she can. Lady Catherine also chides Elizabeth for never having a governess, as if that was Elizabeth's fault. Chapter 30 Summary

Elizabeth discovers that Lady Catherine is concerned with the tiniest details of her parish. Charlotte and Mr. Collins spend a lot of time with Lady Catherine. They dine at Rosings twice a week. As Easter approaches, they learn that Mr. Darcy is expected at Rosings in a few weeks' time. When Mr. Darcy arrives, Mr. Collins visits Rosings to meet him. When he returns, Mr. Darcy accompanies him. Charlotte turns to Elizabeth to thank her, saying that Darcy never would have come to visit so soon if Elizabeth hadn't been there. Mr. Darcy inquires after Elizabeth's family's health. To jolt him, Elizabeth says her sister has been in London for three months. Has he never had opportunity to see her? He seems a little confused as he answers that he has not been fortunate enough to meet Miss Bennet while in London. Chapter 31 Summary A week later, they are invited to come to Rosings. Lady Catherine greets them, but it's clear that she prefers other people's company; she spends most of the time talking to her nephews, especially Darcy. Darcy's cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam seems very glad to see them, and Elizabeth catches his interest. He sits beside her and entertains her so well that Darcy's eyes are repeatedly drawn to them. Lady Catherine also notices. She wants to know what they are talking about. When Fitzwilliam replies that they are discussing music, she starts jabbering on and on about it. She says that Charlotte doesn't know how to play, but that Elizabeth is welcome to use the piano in the housekeeper's room. Fitzwilliam reminds Elizabeth that she promised to play for him and she does so. Mr. Darcy positions himself so he can see Elizabeth's entire face. She stops playing to let him know that he can't intimidate her; she is too stubborn to let somebody else alter her behavior. He replies that he will not tell her she's mistaken because he believes she already knows that and, furthermore, she often expresses opinions that are not really hers. She laughs at his witty reply. Then she says it is unwise of him to portray her thus, when she can reveal his own shocking behavior to his relatives. What shocking behavior would this be? Elizabeth is probably thinking of Wickham's story, but she chickens out and simply describes how, on the first night they met, he danced only four dances even though the male/female ratio left lots of women without partners. Darcy explains that he has difficulty talking to people he doesn't know. The man's just shy! Elizabeth doesn't buy his excuse, arguing that, although other women play the piano better than her, she can only blame herself because she does not take the time to practice. The lesson to Darcy is clear: He needs to practice talking to strangers and being nice. Lady Catherine comes over and begins commenting on Elizabeth's playing, pointing out her strengths and weaknesses and how much she would improve if she were to practice more. Chapter 32 Summary Mr. Darcy comes to the Collins' house and finds Elizabeth alone. They have an awkward conversation. When Charlotte returns, he stays for a few minutes, then makes his excuses and leaves. Charlotte declares that he must be in love with Elizabeth to come calling in such a familiar way. Elizabeth laughs at that idea, explaining that they barely talked to each other. The two women decide that Darcy probably didn't have anything better to do. Darcy and Fitzwilliam visit often. Fitzwilliam is pleasant and reminds Elizabeth of George Wickham. Darcy is still Darcy sullen and quiet. Charlotte examines and analyzes Darcy. She still thinks it is possible that he has a crush on Elizabeth. Chapter 33 Summary Elizabeth often meets Mr. Darcy while she's out walking.

She finds this an odd coincidence, especially since she had told him it was a favorite spot of hersso that he would avoid it. She's assuming that he doesn't like her and wouldn't want to run into her like that. Darcy makes some comments that make her believe he is alluding to Fitzwilliam, and she wonders if Fitzwilliam is interested in her. Elizabeth winces when Fitzwilliam comes to Charlotte's house one day and catches her alone. Their discussion meanders from marriage to Miss Darcy. Elizabeth comments that, if she is like her older brother, she must like to get her own way. Colonel Fitzwilliam looks at her closely and asks what she has heard to suppose that Miss Darcy is any trouble. Elizabeth says that she's heard nothing at all; she was teasing. Then Fitzwilliam reveals that Darcy convinced Bingley not to make an imprudent marriage. There were, he states, some very strong objections against the young lady. Fitzwilliam clearly doesn't realize the "young lady" is Elizabeth's sister. Elizabeth gets mad but tries not to show it. She guesses that the objections must be due to her family, that Jane does not come from the right social class. Elizabeth grows increasingly upset until she has such a headache that she can't go to tea at Rosings with the Collinses. Chapter 34 Summary Left alone after the Collinses leave for tea, Elizabeth continues to think about what she has just learned. The doorbell rings and it is Mr. Darcy, come to inquire after her health. To Elizabeth's complete astonishment, Mr. Darcy suddenly makes a declaration of love. Her shocked silence encourages him so he speaks about how he has long felt this way and how he tried to repress his interest in her because of her inferior position in life. The more he talks, the angrier Elizabeth gets. She tells herself she will refuse him patiently when he is finally done. When he is done, however, she lectures him about the manner of his proposal. She has no affectionate feelings for him, she announces, and she cannot imagine saying yes to a man who is the reason that her sister is so unhappy. Mr. Darcy tries to explain that he feels he did his friend (Mr. Bingley) a favor. Elizabeth also points out that his behavior toward Wickham has been despicable. Mr. Darcy responds that perhaps she might not have reacted so angrily to his proposal if he had concealed the difficulty he had in coming to terms with his love for her (because of her family and social position), but "disguise of every sort" is his "abhorrence." Elizabeth gets angrier and angrier and finally tells him, in short, that he is the last man in the world that she would marry. So he leaves. Chapter 35 Summary The next day, Elizabeth meets Mr. Darcy out on her walk. He has been looking for her and he hands her a letter that he has written. In the letter, he addresses first the charge that he considers least serious, that of his willful and deliberate acts to prevent Jane and Mr. Bingley's engagement. He had not felt that Jane really loved Mr. Bingley, though he now realizes he was mistaken. He was concerned by the behavior of all members of the Bennet family, with the exception of Jane and Elizabeth herself. He has no shame for playing a part in all this, but he feels that it was beneath him to have prevented Mr. Bingley from knowing that Jane was in London. He does regret that. As for Wickham, Darcy writes that he had indeed carried out his father's wishes and given Wickham an inheritance, but Wickham squandered the money and then asked for more. When Darcy refused, Wickham managed to worm his way into Darcy's little sister Georgiana's heart and tried to elope with her. She was only fifteen. Chapter 36 Summary We like to call this chapter: "Elizabeth Realizes Her Idiocy."

When Elizabeth first reads Darcy's letter, she is still angry, feeling that the letter is no apology for Darcy's behavior. She is, however, aghast to learn about Wickham. She doesn't want to believe it, so she puts the letter away, saying she will not read it or think about it again. Still, she can't help herself. Elizabeth goes for a long, long walk and reads the letter several times over, realizing that, if what Mr. Darcy says is true, it means he is completely blameless in the Wickham affair. At first, she tries to exculpate Wickham by remembering something he had done that would exonerate his character, but she can't remember anything. Then she realizes how inappropriate it was for Wickham to have said anything to her about Mr. Darcy at all on their first meeting. Thinking even harder, she remembers how Wickham waited until the Netherfield contingent had left before he spread his anti-Darcy story wide and far, and she begins to realize that Wickham is guilty of character assassination. She also realizes that, as odious as Mr. Darcy might be to her, she has never observed anything immoral or unscrupulous in his character. She is ashamed of herself. Her pride in her own powers of character analysis has blinded her. She has been prejudiced against Darcy. In light of her new understanding, she re-reads his account of his actions towards Jane and Bingley. Now she can't deny that he was speaking the truth. Jane didn't, after all, wear her heart on her sleeve. As for his unflattering words about her family, Elizabeth can't help but acknowledge their truth. When she returns to the house, Elizabeth discovers that Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam had dropped by to say good-bye (they're heading out of town), but they had needed to leave before she returned. Chapter 37 Summary Though Darcy and Fitzwilliam are gone, Lady Catherine sends an invitation for Elizabeth and the Collinses to come around, as she is bored and wants company. Lady Catherine tries to convince Elizabeth to stay at Charlotte's house for a longer visit. When she cannot persuade Elizabeth, she makes a big deal about how Elizabeth needs a servant to accompany her on her trip home. By now, Elizabeth has re-read Darcy's letter so often that she has it memorized. Her feelings are still muddled; sometimes she feels compassion for him, and other times she's angry with his general attitude. For her own behavior toward Darcy, though, Elizabeth feels nothing but regret. As to her family, she thinks it is impossible to ever get them to behave. Darcy letter did restore Bingley's reputation in her mind, and she feels sad that Jane has been deprived of marital happiness because of her family's foolish behavior. Chapter 38 Summary Mr. Collins wishes Elizabeth a good trip home, but not before going on and on about how happy he is in his marriage, how he and Charlotte think with one mind, how fortunate they are to have Lady Catherine's patronage, etc. Elizabeth arrives at the Gardiner house, where she will stay for a few days, then takes Jane home with her. Elizabeth doesn't know what she should tell Jane about Darcy's letter and what she should keep secret. She doesn't want to upset her sister further. Chapter 39 Summary The girls meet their youngest sisters, Kitty and Lydia, near the inn where they were to meet the Bennet carriage. They eat together, while Lydia tells the latest news about Wickham: Mary King, the girl he was courting, has gone to stay with her uncle in Liverpool. So, Lydia says, Wickham is safe and, Elizabeth thinks, Mary King is the safe one. Lydia entertains them all the way home with stories. Elizabeth notices how often the young girl mentions Wickham's name.

At home, Lydia wants to go to Meryton, but Elizabeth says no. She does not want the town to talk about how the Bennet girls are barely home before they're running off to see men; furthermore, she dreads seeing Wickham. Chapter 40 Summary When Elizabeth is finally able to tell Jane about Mr. Darcy's proposal, Jane feels sorry for Mr. Darcy's disappointment. When Elizabeth tells her Darcy's side of the Wickham story, she struggles. Jane has a hard time thinking poorly of either man. Ultimately, though, she is persuaded. Elizabeth wonders if she should expose Mr. Wickham's awful character, but she thinks not because she cannot expose him without telling all the details related to Miss Darcy, which Mr. Darcy specifically asked her not to do. Elizabeth is perfectly silent about her new information regarding Bingley, realizing that it would just wound Jane rather than bring her comfort. As for Jane, she is not happy and still regards Mr. Bingley with affection. Mrs. Bennet, for her part, is bitter over the idea of losing her house to Charlotte Collins at some point in the distant future. She tells Elizabeth that she bets the Collinses talk about it all the time. Elizabeth says that they never mentioned it in front of her. Chapter 41 Summary The younger girls are despondent because the military regiment (i.e., the attractive men) will be leaving soon. The wife of the regiment's colonel invites Lydia to go to Brighton with them, though. Elizabeth advises her father not to let Lydia go, pointing out the likelihood of Lydia's impropriety and imprudence. Mr. Bennet is inclined to let the youngest Bennet girl go, saying any follies Lydia might commit in Brighton will be less likely to embarrass them locally. Elizabeth says that Lydia's wildness already shames the entire family and hurts their reputation (she's thinking of how Darcy views the Bennet family). She speaks with passion and her father recognizes it, but he says that Jane and Elizabeth's reputations cannot possibly be hurt by their three very silly sisters. Lydia would have been furious if she had known that Elizabeth was trying to deny her the joy of flirting with untold numbers of men. Elizabeth can now finally say goodbye to Wickham. She has seen plenty of him and now abhors parts of his personality which before seemed delightful. When she has a chance, she informs Wickham that she spent three weeks in the company of Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam. She lets Wickham know that she liked the colonel immensely, and adds that Mr. Darcy's personality and manners improve as she gets to know him better. Wickham is alarmed and agitated. He tries to engage Elizabeth in abusing Mr. Darcy, as they used to do, but Elizabeth just smiles. When the party is over, Lydia goes with her friend to Meryton; in the morning, they will leave for Brighton. Chapter 42 Summary Elizabeth realizes that her parents' marriage is not a model marriage, and her father's amusement at his wife's foolishness has always made her feel badly. Elizabeth now sees how such an unfortunate marriage affects children, and she begins to judge her father. Although Mrs. Bennet might have been silly and vain, he could have protected his daughters and raised them as respectable young women. Lydia writes rarely and mostly about the new gowns she has bought or her latest flirtations. Mrs. Gardiner writes to say that she and her husband are going to Derbyshire. Elizabeth is invited to go with them. Derbyshire is Mr. Darcy's country and Elizabeth wonders if she will be able to enjoy it without constantly thinking about him. Soon Elizabeth is in Derbyshire and Mrs. Gardiner urges her to visit Pemberley, Darcy's estate. Elizabeth doesn't want to go, for obvious reasons. That evening, though, the chambermaid lets her know that the family is not down for the summer. That means there's no risk of running into Darcy.

The next morning, Elizabeth tells her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner that she would like to go see Pemberley after all. Chapter 43 Summary Elizabeth is nervous and excited as their carriage approaches Pemberley. Historical Context Lesson: Proper middle-class folk, like Elizabeth and her family, could visit grand estates belonging to people like Mr. Darcy. Think of it as their version of MTV Cribs, except they get to do it in person. The housekeeper shows them around the house. Elizabeth is delighted with every beautiful detail and she can't help thinking about how she might have been mistress of it all. Then she checks herself, realizing she would not have been able to invite her beloved aunt and uncle to visit if she had been (because Darcy would think her relatives beneath him). When asked, the housekeeper informs them that the master is away but is expected tomorrow with friends. Mrs. Gardiner calls Elizabeth over to see a painting of Mr. Wickham. The housekeeper explains that Wickham was a son of late master's steward. He has gone in the army, she says, and has become very wild. Though Mrs. Gardiner smiles knowingly at Elizabeth, Elizabeth can't return the smile. The housekeeper states positively that Mr. Darcy is the best landlord and the best master ever. She shows the rooms Mr. Darcy set up specifically to make his sister happy. Elizabeth begins to think maybe Mr. Darcy is a good man after all, and that she has really misjudged him. As they leave the house to go look at the gardens, Elizabeth and the Gardiners turn to look back. At that moment, Mr. Darcy arrives, and they see each other. Both Elizabeth and Darcy blush. He comes forward and greets her with perfect civility, his entire manner toward her different than before, and he inquires after her family. But both feel awkward and ill at ease and soon he turns to go. Elizabeth feels shame and chagrin, wondering how her appearance at his house must seem so vain. Yet she had never seen him in a gentler light than at this moment. Elizabeth can't keep from thinking about Darcy as they continue walking around the grounds, wondering what is in his mind right now and whether his feelings toward her have changed. As they head back towards the house to reach their carriage, Mr. Darcy approaches them. He asks her to introduce him to her friends. She thinks slyly that he will be surprised to hear they are family; indeed, she wonders if he will be horrified and excuse himself when he realizes it. Darcy, however, continues to be friendly. Elizabeth is happy at every comment her uncle makes that shows his intelligence, taste, and good manners. Mr. Darcy invites Mr. Gardiner to come fish at his personal pond. He will make tackle available. Mrs. Gardiner looks at Elizabeth with wonder and surprise. Elizabeth recognizes that Darcy's behavior is all for her sake. She wonders if Mr. Darcy still loves her, but thinks he can't possibly have changed and become a better person simply because of her comments. Soon, Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner are walking together and Elizabeth finds herself walking with Mr. Darcy. He invites her to meet his sister, who will be coming tomorrow along with Mr. Bingley and his sisters. Elizabeth knows that his wish to introduce her to his sister is the biggest compliment he can pay her. When Elizabeth and the Gardiners get in the carriage to go home, they pronounce Mr. Darcy perfect in every way. They wonder why Elizabeth had said he was so disagreeable before. They question the fact that his behavior differed so dramatically from Wickham's description. Elizabeth tries to let them know, with as much discreetness as possible, that Wickham is not as reliable as they had all believed. Chapter 44 Summary The very morning of Miss Darcy's arrival, she and Mr. Darcy come to call on Elizabeth and the Gardiners. Elizabeth is anxious, worried that she won't please Miss Darcy and wanting to very much.

Her nervousness, and the Darcys' arrival, make the Gardiners realize that something is afoot that perhaps Mr. Darcy thinks more of their niece than has been suspected before. Upon observing the two together, it's clear to the Gardiners that Mr. Darcy is in love with Elizabeth. Elizabeth soon realizes that Miss Darcy is not proud, only very shy. Mr. Bingley arrives, glad to see them all. Elizabeth scrutinizes his behavior towards Miss Darcy and is glad to see that nothing that would indicate that he's remotely romantically interested in the girl. Before they leave, the Darcys invite everyone to Pemberley for dinner the night after next. Bingley is pleased and says he has a lot to talk to Elizabeth about, wanting to inquire after all their acquaintances in Hertfordshire. Elizabeth realizes that he wants to talk to her about her sister. The Gardiners soon discover that people in Lambton have a great opinion of Darcy, while they don't have many kind words for Wickham. They think that's telling. If anybody would know whether Mr. Darcy is actually cruel and unjust, it would be the people who have lived near him all his life. Elizabeth stays awake that night, examining her feelings towards Mr. Darcy. The overwhelming emotion she feels is gratitude gratitude that he loved/loves her enough not to hold her petulant behavior against her. Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner decided earlier in the evening that Miss Darcy's striking hospitality requires a response, so they will visit her the next morning. Chapter 45 Summary Elizabeth now realizes that Miss Bingley's behavior toward her has been motivated by jealousy and wonders how she will respond when they meet that morning. Miss Darcy is civil but shy, while Miss Bingley and her sister are simply courteous. Miss Bingley observes Elizabeth closely. Mr. Darcy enters the room, having heard from Mr. Gardiner, who is fishing, that Mrs. Gardiner and Elizabeth were planning a visit. As soon as Darcy enters, all eyes are upon him, wondering how he will behave towards Elizabeth. Miss Bingley tries to incite Elizabeth to make a favorable comment about Wickham, knowing that Darcy despises him but not knowing the full story. She has no idea the pain she is causing both the Darcys, but Elizabeth answers in a composed manner. When Mr. Darcy sees Elizabeth out to their carriage, Miss Bingley starts abusing Elizabeth. Miss Darcy refuses to join in, since her brother thinks so highly of Elizabeth. When Mr. Darcy returns, Miss Bingley continues her attack, hoping to make him think unkindly of Elizabeth. Still, she can't rouse him. At last he admits that he thinks Elizabeth one of the most attractive women he knows. So, as the narrator remarks archly, Miss Bingley managed to provoke him to say something that is only painful to herself. On the way home, Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner talk about everything except what they want to talk about most Mr. Darcy. Chapter 46 Summary Elizabeth receives two letters from Jane, and learns that Lydia has run off with Wickham. A few minutes later, as she is jumping up to tell the Gardiners that they must leave immediately, Mr. Darcy enters the room. She relays her news, she cries, she excites compassion in him all at the same time. Elizabeth thinks that surely he must be more disgusted than ever to hear about this weakness in her family. After he leaves, she wonders with regret whether she will ever see him again. According to her letters, Jane, always the optimist, thinks that Mr. Wickham will marry Lydia. Elizabeth is much more of a realist. Lydia has no money, so there's nothing to tempt Wickham to marry her. The Gardiners arrive, hear the news, and they all proceed to make arrangements to immediately bring Elizabeth home. Chapter 47 Summary As they head back home, the Gardiners try to put the best face on the situation.

They say Wickham can't possibly mean not to marry Lydia. Could he expect the regiment not to take action for such an offense? Still, Elizabeth is not convinced. She knows Wickham will never marry a woman who has no money. She reveals to the Gardiners that she knows more about Wickham than she has let anybody know, and she has good reason to believe that he has no scruples to speak of. At home, Mrs. Bennet is inconsolable and throwing fits, believing that Mr. Bennet will fight Wickham and die, and then the Collinses will turn them all out of the house. Mr. Gardiner assures her that he will go to London immediately to help Mr. Bennet find Lydia. Kitty and Mary are grave but not as distressed. Mary only says that they can learn moral lessons about female virtue from Lydia's downfall. Jane and Elizabeth repeat the rumors they've heard from Wickham's superiors and friends. They try to guess whether Lydia and Wickham might actually have gotten married or not. They note that Wickham's superior spoke less highly of Wickham than he had in the past and that it is said that he left Meryton in debt. They examine Lydia's letter and are relieved to realize that she, at least, had serious intentions to get married, whatever Wickham's Chapter 48 Summary All of Meryton spreads rumors about Wickham, although, a few months earlier, they had called him an "angel of light." Mr. Gardiner writes to say he has tried to find out from Wickham's direct superior if he has any relatives or friends who might hide him in London; on second thought, though, Elizabeth might be in a better position than anybody to give that information. Elizabeth understands this as a reference to her relationship with Darcy. They receive a letter from Mr. Collins, who says that Lydia's actions will forever ruin the chance that the other daughters will marry. He congratulates himself on not marrying Elizabeth after all. He suggests that they cut Lydia out of their life forever. Mr. Gardiner writes to relay the news that things might be worse than feared Mr. Wickham has left gambling debts of more than a thousand pounds. Mr. Bennet, heartsick and on his way home from London empty-handed, is convinced there is nothing more he can do. Mr. Gardiner will continue the search. Elizabeth has heard nothing from Mr. Darcy, a fact that gives her a couple of sleepless nights. Mrs. Gardiner also wonders about Mr. Darcy, but, given the family tragedy, she can't determine how Elizabeth feels. Mr. Bennet, on his return, says he has finally learned his lesson to be cautious with his daughters. A little late, Mr. Bennet. Chapter 49 Summary Mr. Gardiner finally sends word that the two lovers have been found. They are not yet married, but they will be. They only ask for a small yearly sum of money. Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth discuss the fact that somebody else, probably Mr. Gardiner, must have paid a great deal of money to convince Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia because, otherwise, they wouldn't be asking for such a small annual sum. Mr. Bennet believes that a payment of 10,000 pounds (a ton of money) was probably required to make Mr. Wickham to marry Lydia. Elizabeth, knowing Mr. Wickham has not a penny to his name and that debts must also have been settled, realizes the generosity of her uncle. Mrs. Bennet is delighted at the news that her daughter will soon be married. She selfishly thinks it perfectly right for Mr. Gardiner to pay to arrange the marriage. After all, he has money and they don't. Chapter 50 Summary Mr. Bennet had never saved money, assuming that he would eventually have a son who would then inherit the family estate. A son never arrived. Girl after girl after girl after girl after girl came and, by then, it was too late to start saving for the girls' future.

He writes a letter of thanks to his brother-in-law, Mr. Gardner, for essentially bribing Wickham into marrying Lydia, but he's especially thankful for how little this marriage will cost him. Mrs. Bennet discusses the wedding plans, but Mr. Bennet says he will not give his daughter even the tiniest amount of money for wedding clothing, and he refuses to receive the couple at Longbourn. Historical Context Lesson: "Receiving" someone is similar to diplomatic recognition. If no one receives you, you basically don't exist in their eyes. Elizabeth begins to wish she had never told Mr. Darcy about the Lydia-Wickham situation. Now that the couple is getting married, everything looks perfectly respectable on the surface, and she could have concealed her family's weaknesses from him. At the same time, she acknowledges that all hope of his attachment and connection to her family is probably lost. How happy he would be to know that his proposal, spurned a few months earlier, would be so gladly accepted now! He would love to rub that in her face, she thinks. She begins to realize how perfect Mr. Darcy is for her, in temperament and talent. Mr. Gardiner writes that Mr. Bennet should never mention the debt again. He also says that Wickham has been convinced to leave his regiment and take up the Regulars (another variety of military service) so that he will not be settled in the vicinity. Elizabeth and Jane prevail on Mr. Bennet to receive his daughter and Wickham in his house after their marriage. He agrees. Chapter 51 Summary When the couple arrives on their wedding day, their "easy assurance" shocks everybody except Mrs. Bennet. They don't seem to think they've done anything wrong. Lydia is anxious to see everybody she knows to let them know she is married. She seems to have little sense that she should be ashamed. Wickham's affection for Lydia is not as great as hers for him just as Elizabeth suspected. Lydia lets it slip that Mr. Darcy was at her wedding. Oops, she admits, she wasn't supposed to have said anything at all but the damage is done now. Elizabeth says she won't pressure Lydia for more information. Still, burning with curiosity, she dashes off a note to her aunt asking for an explanation. Chapter 52 Summary Mrs. Gardiner replies to Elizabeth's letter and lets her know that Mr. Darcy left his house a day after Elizabeth had. He went to London and located Mr. Wickham and Lydia. Darcy tried to induce Lydia to leave Mr. Wickham, but she wouldn't, assuming they would marry at some time or another. Wickham was definitely not keen on the idea of marrying Lydia, since he still hoped to make his fortune through marriage. Darcy settled Wickham's debts and gave him the fortune he desired so as to marry Lydia. This was all to be kept secret, however, Mrs. Gardiner cautions Elizabeth. She writes that she likes Mr. Darcy very much and he was very sly, never mentioning Elizabeth at all. She hopes Elizabeth will not be angry with her for bringing the subject up. Elizabeth doesn't know whether to feel pain or pleasure, but she knows how obligated she is to Mr. Darcy for his utter goodness. Mr. Darcy had met with a man whom he despised and bribed him to do the right thing for a girl for whom Mr. Darcy could have little respect. Elizabeth wants to think he did it for her, but can't possibly believe that it's true, given her behavior towards him after his proposal. She goes out walking and Wickham joins her. He fishes around to find out what she knows about his past. Elizabeth admits to him what she knows, but in a genteel manner, and she lets him know that she wants bygones to be bygones. They are brother and sister now. Chapter 53 Summary Wickham is so satisfied with this conversation that he never bothers dear Elizabeth again. Elizabeth is thankful that she's figured out how to shut him up.

The day comes for Lydia and Wickham to leave Longbourn. Lydia says her dear sisters should write to her, but, as a married woman, she will not have much time to write. Mrs. Bennet mopes around the house. Her lifelong goal of marrying off her daughters has at least come true, for one of them, but now she's sad. She doesn't want Lydia and dear Wickham to live so far away. At long last, Bingley is coming back to Netherfield. Mrs. Bennet pressures her husband to visit Bingley. Mr. Bennet agrees, but only after some sighing about how Mrs. Bennet promised that, if he did this last year, it would result in one of his daughters getting married, but that hasn't happened. The day comes at long last. Mr. Bingley not only arrives at Netherfield, but comes calling only three days later. Mr. Darcy's with him, too. Elizabeth sees Mr. Darcy through the window and sits down, feeling awkward. Her feelings towards him have entirely changed and she knows the whole family owes him an enormous debt, but she doesn't know how he'll behave towards her. Like Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy is awkward and ill at ease. The two are silent. Mr. Darcy seems thoughtful but less anxious to please. Elizabeth doesn't know what to think. She wants to talk to him, but she doesn't know what to say. Mrs. Bennet starts prattling on foolishly about her youngest daughter's marriage to George Wickham. She remarks that Wickham has at least some friends, though not as many as he deserves intending it as an insult to Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth feels completely horrified. When the men leave, Mrs. Bennet invites them to return for dinner soon and reminds Mr. Bingley that he had promised to come for dinner when he returned to town and that was a year ago. Chapter 54 Summary Elizabeth mopes around. She wonders why Darcy came at all if he was just going to be silent and serious. She decides she won't think about him anymore a resolution that lasts for only a few minutes. When Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy come for dinner, Mr. Bingley sits near Jane and it's clear that, if it's left to the two of them, they will soon be engaged. Mr. Darcy has to sit next to Mrs. Bennet. The two simply endure each other. Elizabeth hopes all evening that she'll get a chance to speak to Mr. Darcy but, alas, like any good romance worth its salt, she gets thwarted at every turn. When they leave, Jane comments that she had good time. Seeing Elizabeth smile, Jane protests that she has no hopes that she will ever be more to Bingley than an interesting acquaintance at parties. Chapter 55 Summary When Bingley comes a few days later, he says Mr. Darcy has gone to London for a while but will return in ten days. The Bennets invite Bingley to come to dinner the next day. He comes so early that nobody's even dressed. After dinner, Mrs. Bennet keeps winking at Kitty and Elizabeth. Elizabeth ignores her, knowing she's just trying to get Jane alone with Mr. Bingley. Kitty finally asks all innocently, "Why do you keep winking at me, mamma?" Mrs. Bennet tells her to hush. Mrs. Bennet finally maneuvers them all out of the room, to Jane's distress, but Elizabeth returns as soon as possible. Mr. Bingley fortunately ignores all of Mrs. Bennet's hints. The next day, Bingley spends the morning with Mr. Bennet, has dinner with the family, and gets engaged to Jane. It's taken twelve months, but, at long last, Mrs. Bennet's promise to Mr. Bennet is fulfilled. His visit to Netherfield so long ago has, indeed, produced an engagement.

Now come lots of congratulations and happiness and Mr. Bennet's teasing. Mr. Bingley starts coming every day and, when he and Jane aren't attached at the hip, one of them is talking Elizabeth's ear off. Jane wishes that Elizabeth could be as happy. Elizabeth says that it's impossible she's not made like Jane. In her own dry manner, Elizabeth says she only hopes that she have good enough luck to find another Mr. Collins. Hah! Chapter 56 Summary The great Lady Catherine makes a surprise visit to the Bennet home to strong-arm Elizabeth into promising not to become engaged to Mr. Darcy, who Lady Catherine claims is engaged to her daughter. Are they engaged? Elizabeth enquires. Well, no, Lady Catherine hems and haws, but there has always been an <em>understanding</em>the two mothers always <em>wished </em>itbut no, they're not actually engaged. Elizabeth declares that she and Mr. Darcy are not engaged, but she will never make a promise not become engaged to Mr. Darcy. Lady Catherine leaves in a huff, but only after declaring how <em>ungrateful </em>Elizabeth is after all she did for her while visiting the Collinses. Chapter 57 Summary Elizabeth can't help but wonder where Lady Catherine's extraordinary idea came from. She starts to feel uneasy, wondering how far Lady Catherine would go to interfere. Could she possibly do something that would prevent any possibility of her getting together with Mr. Darcy? Would her arguments, unreasonable to Elizabeth, convince Mr. Darcy? If Mr. Darcy makes some excuse about being unable to come back to visit Mr. Bingley, Elizabeth decides, then she will know that he was convinced to forget her. The next morning, Mr. Bennet calls Elizabeth into his study to congratulate her on her connection to Mr. Darcy. He has received a letter from Mr. Collins, who congratulates Mr. Bennet on Jane's engagement. Mr. Collins also warns him that Elizabeth's engagement to Mr. Darcy is not looked upon with favor by Lady Catherine and could cause problems for her. Mr. Bennet, thinking Mr. Collins is utterly mistaken, comments that this is a great joke. Surely Mr. Darcy has never looked at any woman without seeing blemish, and definitely not at Elizabeth. Elizabeth, however, can't join him in the teasing. Mr. Collins also blathers on about his surprise that a Christian family would welcome Lydia and Wickham into their house after their behavior. This comment doesn't go over so well with Mr. Bennet. Mr. Bennet continues his teasing Elizabeth, since he thinks Mr. Darcy is perfectly indifferent and that Elizabeth can't stand Mr. Darcy. He asks his daughter if Lady Catherine had mentioned the "engagement." Elizabeth just laughs, even though she wants to cry. Chapter 58 Summary We like to call this chapter "Darcy's Proposal, Round Two." Mr. Darcy does <em>not </em>make an excuse to stay in London. He shows up a few days later at Longbourn with Mr. Bingley. The girls take the gentlemen out for a walk. As soon as she finds herself alone with Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth expresses her gratitude for all he has done for her sister Lydia. She says her family is completely indebted to him, even though they don't know the part he played. Mr. Darcy replies that her family owes him nothing. He was only thinking of her. Elizabeth hardly knows what to say and she doesn't know where to look. Then Mr. Darcy adds that he'd like to know if she still thinks of him the way she did last April. His feelings (of love) are unchanged. Elizabeth, of course, lets him know that she is completely in love with him.

She soon learns that it was his aunt that clued him in to Elizabeth's change of heart. Lady Catherine called on him in London on her way back to her estate and told him the details of her conversation with Elizabeth. She hoped to convince him that Elizabeth was unsuitable as a wife. Both of them confess their shame over their past behavior towards each other. Darcy is especially repentant over parts of his letter and hopes that she'll burn it. Elizabeth tells him not to be sorry the letter changed her whole attitude toward him. Darcy explains how her refusal made him recognize his vanity and arrogance. It made him anxious to change himself so that he might please her after all. Elizabeth questions him about Bingley and learns that Darcy had been the one to convince him that Jane cared for him. Bingley was angry with his friend for one thing: he had concealed information about Jane's three-month visit to London. Still, Bingley was only angry until all was settled with Jane. Chapter 59 Summary That evening, while the family talks and plays together, Elizabeth wonders how she will tell her parents about her engagement. How will her family respond since none of them like Darcy? That night, she tells Jane. The poor girl is royally confused. She thought Elizabeth didn't even like Mr. Darcy Elizabeth teases Jane a little, saying that she's only afraid Jane will think she loves him <em>too</em> much, because she loves him better than she loves Bingley! Really, Jane insists, how long has Elizabeth loved him? Why, Elizabeth says, it probably dates to the first moment she realized he was so wealthy and had such beautiful gardens as the ones at Pemberley. Finally, Jane convinces her sister to be serious. Elizabeth convinces Jane that she does, indeed, love Darcy and she loves him enough to marry him. They stay up half the night talking and Elizabeth also reveals Darcy's role in Lydia's marriage. The next morning, Bingley finagles it so that Darcy and Elizabeth are able to go for a long walk together alone. Mrs. Bennet apologizes to Elizabeth that she has to spend so much time with the nasty Mr. Darcy but "it is only for Jane's sake" so that she can spend time alone with Mr. Bingley. On their long walk, Elizabeth and Darcy decide he will talk to Mr. Bennet and Elizabeth will talk to her mother. Elizabeth doesn't know whether her mother will be happy because Mr. Darcy is fabulously wealthy, or unhappy because she doesn't like him. Elizabeth can't bear the thought of Darcy hearing either her mother's groans or cries of joy. After Mr. Darcy returns from her father's study, he lets her know her father wants to speak to her. Her father is concerned. Is Elizabeth marrying Darcy just for the money? Elizabeth's all, "But you don't know what he's really like!" Finally, Mr. Bennet gives his blessing. Then, and only then, Elizabeth tells him what Darcy did for Lydia. Mr. Bennet is astonished, but chalks it up to the violence of passionate young love. Now it is up to Elizabeth to convince her mother. When Mrs. Bennet hears the news, her response is really unusual she does not say a word, not a single syllable. When she finally stirs, she begins to fuss about how rich Elizabeth will be; she is so happy, so charmed, such a nice handsome man, so tall! And my, so rich! Elizabeth did not need to be so afraid of how her mother would react to Darcy after all. Mrs. Bennet is so in awe of Darcy that she says almost nothing to him the next day, except to defer to his opinion. Mr. Bennet claims that Wickham is his favorite son-in-law (sarcasm at work here), but he likes Mr. Darcy already, just as much as he likes Mr. Bingley. Chapter 60 Summary Elizabeth soon gets over her shyness and becomes playful and flirty again. She asks Mr. Darcy how he came to fall in love with her. It's the sort of lovey-dovey talk that never gets old between two new lovers.

Darcy doesn't know the answer to the Elizabeth's question, telling her that by the time he realized he was in love, he was in the middle of it and couldn't put his finger on when it first began. Yet, Elizabeth says, she was always trying to irk him. How did he put up with it? Did he admire her wit? Yes, he replies, he liked her liveliness of mind. What he really hated, Elizabeth insists, is all the officious women who only wanted to please him all the time women who didn't have a mind of their own. In fact, Elizabeth points out, she had never shown him a good quality at all. Darcy points out that Elizabeth nursed Jane through her sickness, but Elizabeth argues that no other woman would have done less. Nevertheless, she adds, since he loves her, he has to exaggerate all her good qualities and tell her how wonderful she is all the time They go on like this for some time until they turn to letter writing. Mr. Darcy will write to inform his aunt about their engagement and Elizabeth will inform Mrs. Gardiner. Mr. Bennet has great fun letting Mr. Collins know that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are, in fact, engaged. Mr. Collins can do as he wishes, of course, but Mr. Bennet would advise him to remain in good standing with the nephew, who has, ahem, a lot more money than Lady Catherine. Elizabeth does her best to shield Mr. Darcy from her family's vulgarities and obsequiousness as they hear about the engagement. Chapter 61 Summary The narrator wishes she could tell us that Mrs. Bennet soon became a sensible, friendly, happy woman but no. After the marriage, Mr. Bennet misses Elizabeth a great deal and makes many surprise visits to Pemberley. Mr. Bingley and Jane only remain in the area for a year, and then they buy property near the Darcys they really had to escape Jane's relatives, especially Mrs. Bennet. Kitty spends a lot of time with Jane and Elizabeth, and Mr. Bennet keeps her from visiting Lydia (who writes to promise lots of dances and young men). Kitty's time with Elizabeth and Jane changes her for the better. Mary remains at home and grows out of her bookish ways. Lydia writes to Elizabeth, saying that it is so wonderful she is so rich and hopes that, when Elizabeth has some spare time or nothing better to do, she will think of them (and give them money). Elizabeth decides she has many better things to do and writes a firm response to Lydia to put a stop to such requests. From time to time, though, she does send a little money here and there. For Elizabeth's sake, Darcy assists Wickham in his career as much as possible. Lady Catherine eventually gives up her grudge, as does Miss Bingley. The Gardiners are frequent visitors, always welcome as they were the ones who brought Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth back together again in the first place. Everybody lives happily ever after, except for Lydia and Wickham, who spend too much money.