Chapter Chapter 41-61 of Pride and Prejudice - Study Guide by Jane Austen

Chapter 41-61

Chapter 41: Mrs. Forster, the young wife a Colonel in the regiment and Lydia's friend, invites Lydia to Brighton with her. Mrs. Bennet is delighted, Kitty is jealous and Elizabeth is worried. The officers have dinner at Longbourn before they go; Elizabeth hints to Wickham that she knows the truth of his relationship with Darcy. They part amicably but with relief. Lydia leaves Longbourn.

Chapter 42: Elizabeth sets off for Derbyshire with Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. They decide to go to Pemberley, Darcy's house, which is famous for its beauty.

Chapter 43: The housekeeper at Pemberly, who shows the Gardiners and Elizabeth around, gives a glowing account of Darcy's behaviour as a master, a son and a brother. While walking in the grounds they meet Darcy himself, who has returned home a day before he was expected. Elizabeth keeps up an awkward conversation; she is amazed, however, to see him being polite to her uncle and aunt and to herself, asking if he may introduce his sister to her.

Chapter 44: Darcy, his sister and Bingley (who is staying at Pemberly) visit Elizabeth. Georgiana is shy but not proud; Bingley is as pleasant as ever and hints that he is still thinking of Jane; Darcy goes out of his way to be polite, asking Elizabeth and the Gardiners to dinner. Elizabeth concludes that he must still be in love with her and begins to wonder whether she could make him propose again. This marks the beginning of her total change of heart towards him.

Chapter 45: While Darcy, Bingley and Mr. Gardiner are fishing, Elizabeth and Mrs. Gardiner call on Georgiana and Bingley's sisters. Miss Bingley is barely civil to Elizabeth; she is jealous of Darcy's affection.

Chapter 46: A letter arrives from Jane; Lydia has eloped with Wickham. At first it was thought that they had gone to Scotland to get married, but it now appears that they are in London and no-one knows whether they have any intention of marrying or not. Mr. Bennet has gone to London to try and find Lydia and wants Mr. Gardiner to join him. As Elizabeth is reading this, Darcy comes in and hears the news. His reaction is to leave quickly, which Elizabeth interprets as a desire to disassociate himself from the scandal. The Gardiners return from their walk, are informed of what has happened, and the whole party is very soon on the road home.

Chapter 47: Elizabeth tells her aunt and uncle about Wickham's history, showing that his eloping with Lydia is by no means uncharacteristic behaviour. They arrive home to find Mrs. Bennet near hysterical. Jane fills Elizabeth in on the details, showing her the letter that Lydia left for Mrs. Forster. It is flippant and thoughtless, but reveals that she loved Wickham and hoped that they would be married.

Chapter 48: There is no news from London; the hunt for Lydia and Wickham is so far unsuccessful, but it has come out that Wickham was quite seriously in debt. Elizabeth worries about the effect that this scandal in her family will have on her relationship with Darcy. Mr. Bennet arrives home, leaving Mr. Gardiner in London to continue the search.

Chapter 49: Mr. Gardiner writes to say that he has found Lydia and Wickham and that they are not married, but that if Mr. Bennet will send money to settle on Wickham they soon will be. From the small sum asked of him Mr. Bennet concludes that Mr. Gardiner must have put a lot of his own money into making the couple marry and hence saving the family from further disgrace. Mrs. Bennet is delighted by the way everything has turned out: it is enough to her to have a daughter married, however it came about.

Chapter 50: The news spreads through the neighbourhood; Elizabeth wishes that she had not told Darcy what was happening in Derbyshire, and is afraid that she has lost him. She is now convinced that they could be happy together. News arrives from Mr. Gardiner that Wickham has decided to join a regiment near Newcastle and that as soon as they are married they will leave for their new home. Mr. Bennet, having said that he would not receive the couple in his house, is persuaded by Jane and Elizabeth to let them pay a farewell visit.