Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forces herself to speak, and immediately, though not very fluently, gives him to understand that her sentiments have undergone so material a change since the period to which he has alluded, as to make her receive with gratitude and pleasure his present assurances.
The happiness which this reply produces is such as Darcy had probably never felt before, and he expresses himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love could be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight diffused over his face became him; but though she cannot look she can listen, and he speaks of feelings which, in proving of what importance she is to him, make his affection every moment more valuable.
Various happy explanations follow. Among others he tells her Lady Catherine did visit him and relate the substance of her conversation with Elizabeth, dwelling on every expression of the latter which, in her ladyship’s opinion, denoted Elizabeth’s perverseness and assurance. But, unfortunately for his noble aunt, the effect of the communication proved the reverse of what she had intended. “It taught me to hope,” he says, “as I had scarcely ever allowed myself to hope before. I knew enough of your disposition to be certain that had you been absolutely, irrevocably decided against me, you would have acknowledged it to Lady Catherine frankly and openly.”
Elizabeth colours and laughs as she replies, “Yes, you know enough of my frankness to believe me capable of that; after abusing you so abominably to your face, I could have no scruple in abusing you to all your relations.”
“What did you say to me that I did not deserve?” protests the ardent, magnanimous lover, and goes on to farther penitent and grateful confessions.
In reference to the engagement between Bingley and Jane, with which Darcy declares himself delighted, “I must ask whether you were surprised,” says Elizabeth.
“Not at all. When I went away I felt it would soon happen.”
“That is to say, you had given your permission. I guessed as much.” Elizabeth rallies the speaker gaily.
Though he exclaims at the word, she finds that it had been pretty much the case.
On the evening before his last visit to London, Darcy had honestly told his friend of his own attachment and proposal to Elizabeth Bennet, which rendered his former interference between Bingley and Jane Bennet “simply impertinent.” The speaker had also courageously acknowledged that he believed from his observation of the latter he had been mistaken in his impression of Jane’s indifference.