Pride and Prejudice

Chapter 44

Jane Austen · Mountaineers 10th–12th

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Copywork

It was not often that she could turn her eyes on Mr. Darcy himself; but whenever she did catch a glimpse she saw an expression of general complaisance, and in all that he said, she heard an accent so far removed from hauteur or disdain of his companions, as convinced her that the improvement of manners which she had yesterday witnessed, however temporary its existence might prove, had at least outlived one day. When she saw him thus seeking the acquaintance, and courting the good opinion of people with whom any intercourse a few months ago would have been a disgrace; when she saw him thus civil, not only to herself, but to the very relations whom he had openly disdained, and recollected their last lively scene in Hunsford Parsonage, the difference, the change was so great, and struck so forcibly on her mind, that she could hardly restrain her astonishment from being visible.

She certainly did not hate him. No; hatred had vanished long ago, and she had almost as long been ashamed of ever feeling a dislike against him, that could be so called. The respect created by the conviction of his valuable qualities, though at first unwillingly admitted, had for some time ceased to be repugnant to her feelings; and it was now heightened into somewhat of a friendlier nature by the testimony so highly in his favour, and bringing forward his disposition in so amiable a light, which yesterday had produced. But above all, above respect and esteem, there was a motive within her of good-will which could not be overlooked. It was gratitude;--gratitude, not merely for having once loved her, but for loving her still well enough to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of her manner in rejecting him, and all the unjust accusations accompanying her rejection.

The second passage begins, “She certainly did not hate him. No;” Who is Elizabeth answering with that “No”?

For the educator Two passages, one from the visit and one from the night after it: the first is Elizabeth watching Darcy, the second is Elizabeth watching herself. The first passage is two long sentences, each built differently. The first balances on a semicolon, from “It was not often” to “but whenever”, and ends in a dry understatement: whatever happens, the improvement “had at least outlived one day”, and the concession tucked inside it, “however temporary its existence might prove”, shows Elizabeth guarding against hope. The second is a periodic sentence: it holds back its main clause behind two clauses that begin the same way (“When she saw him thus”), so the reader waits as she does, and when the main clause comes it doubles its noun, “the difference, the change”, as if correcting itself. Here “complaisance” means a wish to please, “_hauteur_” is French for haughtiness, “intercourse” means social dealings, and “disdained” means looked down on. The second passage begins with a short denial (“She certainly did not hate him.”) and then answers itself, “No;”, which is free indirect speech: the narrator’s grammar carrying Elizabeth’s own inner voice. The third sentence climbs through cautious verbs (“unwillingly admitted”, “ceased to be repugnant”, “heightened into somewhat of a friendlier nature”); respect is never said to arrive, only to stop being resisted. The fourth repeats “above” to lift gratitude over everything before it. The fifth names it, then repeats the noun after the dash to correct and enlarge it, and turns on “not merely” and “but”: gratitude for having been loved, and more for being loved still, after her own bad behaviour. Here “repugnant” means distasteful, “disposition” means nature or temper, “amiable” means kindly, “esteem” means high regard, “petulance” means childish ill temper, and “acrimony” means bitterness meant to wound. For the talk prompt, listen for a student who hears Elizabeth answering herself, as if some part of her had asked whether she still hated him; another may hear her answering an older version of herself, or anyone who still thinks she does. A sharp student will notice that the “No” goes further than the question: she is ashamed even of a “dislike against him, that could be so called”. Another may notice that this climb never reaches the word love for her own feeling. That bears on the last written question without settling it.

Discussion

Narration Tell the chapter back in a few sentences. Start with the carriage in the street, and end with Mr. Gardiner leaving to go fishing. Then pick the one sentence that matters most, and say what it shows about Austen’s purpose.

Lambton calls Miss Darcy proud, but a few minutes show Elizabeth that she is “only exceedingly shy.” How much of what people call her brother’s pride might be shyness too? Character
When Bingley asks whether all her sisters are at Longbourn, Austen prints the word “all” in italics. Who is putting the weight on that word? Author's choice
Elizabeth has never seen Darcy try so hard to please. Is she right that his efforts can gain him nothing? Character
After sorting out her respect, esteem and gratitude, Elizabeth “only wanted to know” how far she wished his happiness to depend on her. Is that “only” as small as it sounds? Tone

Make a Connection Think of a story, or a time in your own life, when someone forgave you for something you were ashamed of. What did their forgiveness do to the way you saw them?

Vocabulary

discomposure: She was quite amazed at her own discomposure; but, amongst other causes of disquiet, she dreaded lest the partiality of the brother should have said too much in her favour; and, more than commonly anxious to please, she naturally suspected that every power of pleasing would fail her. The loss of one’s calm; being flustered and unsettled (dis-, undoing, plus composure, from Latin componere, to put together). Elizabeth, so often the most self-possessed person in a room, “was quite amazed at her own discomposure”, and a moment later is walking the floor “endeavouring to compose herself”. The word measures how much the visit matters to her before she can say why.
complaisance: It was not often that she could turn her eyes on Mr. Darcy himself; but whenever she did catch a glimpse she saw an expression of general complaisance, and in all that he said, she heard an accent so far removed from hauteur or disdain of his companions, as convinced her that the improvement of manners which she had yesterday witnessed, however temporary its existence might prove, had at least outlived one day. A wish to please others and a readiness to be agreeable to them (from French complaire, from Latin complacere, to please). Austen sets Darcy’s “general complaisance” against “_hauteur_ or disdain”, the haughtiness Elizabeth once saw in him. The word can be praise or a mild fault, since complaisance can shade into mere obligingness; whether his is warmth or effort is one of the chapter’s open questions.
diffidence: Miss Darcy, though with a diffidence which marked her little in the habit of giving invitations, readily obeyed. Shyness that comes from a lack of trust in oneself (from Latin diffidere, to distrust, the opposite of confidere, to trust, which gives us confidence). Miss Darcy gives her first invitation with a diffidence that marks her as “little in the habit of giving invitations”. The word names exactly what Lambton mistook for pride, and its opposite is the “self-consequence” Elizabeth no longer sees in her brother.
imputed: They had nothing to accuse him of but pride; pride he probably had, and if not, it would certainly be imputed by the inhabitants of a small market town where the family did not visit. Laid to someone’s account; said to belong to them, often without proof (from Latin imputare, to reckon in, to put down to someone). The Gardiners reason that pride would be imputed to the Darcys by a town “where the family did not visit”, whether or not they had it. The word marks the gap between a quality a person has and one others assign to them, the same gap that lies between Miss Darcy’s reputation and the shy girl Elizabeth meets.
acrimony: It was gratitude;--gratitude, not merely for having once loved her, but for loving her still well enough to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of her manner in rejecting him, and all the unjust accusations accompanying her rejection. Bitterness and sharpness in speech or manner, meant to wound (from Latin acer, sharp, as in acrid). Elizabeth now names her own manner in refusing Darcy as “petulance and acrimony”: petulance is childish temper, acrimony is bitterness. That she can use so harsh a word about herself is what makes this gratitude possible, since one is grateful to be forgiven only for something one admits was wrong.

Critical thinking

Once the Gardiners guess that Darcy loves their niece, they have “an interest” in believing the housekeeper. How far should that weaken their good opinion of him?
Elizabeth decides that what she feels most for Darcy is gratitude for his forgiving her. Is gratitude a good ground for love, or a weak one?