Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 43 quiz

Questions and answers

1. 1

   Question 1. What is Elizabeth's private reflection when she first sees Pemberley House from across the valley?

   • She immediately decides she was wrong to refuse Darcy and resolves to accept him if he should propose again
   • She wonders why Darcy never described the estate's natural beauty during their conversations at Netherfield and Rosings
   • Correct answer: She feels that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something, acknowledging its grandeur for the first time
   • She judges it inferior to Rosings Park and considers Lady Catherine's estate the more impressive of the two

   Elizabeth is delighted by the natural beauty of Pemberley -- "She had never seen a place for which nature had done more" -- and privately acknowledges "that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!" This marks a turning point in her feelings.

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2. 2

   Question 2. How does Elizabeth compare the interior of Pemberley to Rosings Park?

   • Correct answer: She notes that Pemberley has less splendour but more real elegance, with taste that is neither gaudy nor uselessly fine
   • She considers both estates equally impressive but prefers Rosings, whose apartments she came to know during her visit to Kent
   • She thinks Pemberley too simple and understated compared with the magnificent grandeur of Lady Catherine's residence
   • She finds Pemberley more lavishly decorated than Rosings, with gilded furniture and ornate chandeliers in every apartment

   Elizabeth "saw, with admiration of his taste, that it was neither gaudy nor uselessly fine; with less of splendour, and more real elegance, than the furniture of Rosings." This reflects well on Darcy's character and judgment.

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3. 3

   Question 3. What "lucky recollection" saves Elizabeth from regret about having refused Darcy's proposal?

   • She remembers the insulting language of his proposal at Hunsford, which reminds her exactly why she rejected him that evening
   • Correct answer: She recalls that marrying Darcy would have meant losing her uncle and aunt, whom she would not have been allowed to invite
   • She thinks of Jane's disappointment over Bingley and blames Darcy again for separating them and ruining her sister's happiness
   • She recalls Wickham's account of Darcy's cruelty and reassures herself that her refusal was the morally correct decision

   Elizabeth reflects that had she married Darcy, "my uncle and aunt would have been lost to me; I should not have been allowed to invite them." This reminder of Darcy's class prejudice saves her from "something very like regret."

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4. 4

   Question 4. What does Mrs. Reynolds say she has never heard from Darcy in her entire life?

   • She says she has never heard him raise his voice to a servant, guest, or any member of his immediate family
   • She says she has never known him to refuse a reasonable request from any tenant on the Pemberley estate
   • She says she has never heard him speak unkindly about any of his neighbors or acquaintances in the county
   • Correct answer: She says she has never known a cross word from him, having known him ever since he was four years old

   "I have never known a cross word from him in my life, and I have known him ever since he was four years old." Elizabeth finds this the most extraordinary and significant of all Mrs. Reynolds's praise, as it directly contradicts her belief that he was ill-tempered.

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5. 5

   Question 5. How does Mrs. Reynolds explain away the accusation that Darcy is proud?

   • She admits he can seem proud at first but insists he warms up considerably once you get to know him better
   • Correct answer: She says it is only because he does not rattle away like other young men, suggesting his quiet manner is misread
   • She argues that his wealth and position justify a certain amount of pride, which she considers perfectly natural
   • She blames his mother's early death for making him reserved and says he has improved greatly in recent years

   "Some people call him proud; but I am sure I never saw anything of it. To my fancy, it is only because he does not rattle away like other young men." She reinterprets his reserve as quiet dignity rather than arrogance.

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6. 6

   Question 6. What does Mrs. Reynolds reveal about Wickham during the house tour?

   • She explains that Wickham was dismissed from Pemberley for stealing and has been estranged from the family ever since
   • She says Wickham was Georgiana's music teacher who was let go when he proved an unsuitable influence on the girl
   • She says Wickham was a childhood friend of Darcy's who grew jealous of the family's wealth and left voluntarily
   • Correct answer: She identifies his miniature as a young gentleman raised at the elder Darcy's expense who has "turned out very wild"

   Mrs. Reynolds points to Wickham's miniature and says he was "the son of her late master's steward, who had been brought up by him at his own expense," adding, "He is now gone into the army, but I am afraid he has turned out very wild."

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7. 7

   Question 7. What does Elizabeth feel while contemplating Darcy's portrait in the gallery?

   • She feels renewed anger at his presumption in proposing and is relieved that she refused him so decidedly at Hunsford
   • She is unsettled by the stern, disapproving expression in the painting, which recalls his arrogance at the Meryton assembly
   • Correct answer: She feels a more gentle sensation toward the original than she had ever felt, remembering his regard with deeper gratitude
   • She is unmoved by the portrait and attends instead to Miss Darcy's drawings and the paintings of the family's ancestors

   Elizabeth sees a striking resemblance with "such a smile over the face as she remembered to have sometimes seen when he looked at her." She feels "a more gentle sensation towards the original than she had ever felt" and thinks of his regard "with a deeper sentiment of gratitude."

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8. 8

   Question 8. How does Darcy react when he unexpectedly encounters Elizabeth outside Pemberley?

   • Correct answer: He absolutely starts with surprise, blushes deeply, but recovers and speaks to her with perfect civility if not composure
   • He pretends not to recognize her at first and continues toward the stables before returning to acknowledge her with a stiff bow
   • He is so offended to discover her there that he addresses only the gardener and departs without a word to the others
   • He greets her coolly and formally, making it plain that she is not a welcome visitor at Pemberley after what passed at Hunsford

   "He absolutely started, and for a moment seemed immovable from surprise; but shortly recovering himself, advanced towards the party, and spoke to Elizabeth, if not in terms of perfect composure, at least of perfect civility." Both blush deeply at the encounter.

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9. 9

   Question 9. Why does Elizabeth feel shame and vexation after Darcy walks away from their first encounter?

   • She regrets not apologizing for her harsh words during his proposal and fears she has permanently lost his good opinion
   • She is embarrassed that she could not think of intelligent conversation and fears she appeared foolish and inarticulate
   • Correct answer: She worries he will think she purposely threw herself in his way, and she calls the visit the most ill-judged thing in the world
   • She is mortified that the Gardiners witnessed the awkward exchange and will now guess the full history of their relationship

   Elizabeth fears "it might seem as if she had purposely thrown herself in his way again!" She calls her coming there "the most unfortunate, the most ill-judged thing in the world" and blushes "again and again over the perverseness of the meeting."

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10. 10

    Question 10. What surprises Elizabeth most about Darcy's second encounter with the walking party?

    • Correct answer: He asks to be introduced to the Gardiners -- the very trade-connected relations his pride had revolted against in his proposal
    • He apologizes directly for his behavior during the proposal and asks Elizabeth to forgive everything he said at Hunsford
    • He invites the entire party to stay at Pemberley for the remainder of their tour instead of returning to Lambton
    • He ignores Mr. Gardiner entirely and speaks only to Elizabeth about private matters from their past acquaintance

    Darcy asks to be introduced to the Gardiners, and Elizabeth "could hardly suppress a smile at his being now seeking the acquaintance of some of those very people against whom his pride had revolted in his offer to herself."

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11. 11

    Question 11. What does Darcy offer Mr. Gardiner during their walk along the stream?

    • He offers to lend Mr. Gardiner his personal carriage so the Gardiners may tour the park at their leisure
    • Correct answer: He invites him to fish at Pemberley as often as he chooses, offering to supply fishing tackle and pointing out the best spots
    • He suggests Mr. Gardiner join him for a shooting party the following week with Bingley and his other arriving guests
    • He proposes that Mr. Gardiner inspect the Pemberley stables and choose a horse to ride during his stay in Derbyshire

    Darcy invites Mr. Gardiner "with the greatest civility, to fish there as often as he chose while he continued in the neighbourhood, offering at the same time to supply him with fishing tackle, and pointing out those parts of the stream where there was usually most sport."

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12. 12

    Question 12. Who does Darcy say wishes to be introduced to Elizabeth during her stay at Lambton?

    • Colonel Fitzwilliam, who has accompanied his cousin to Pemberley and has often spoken of Elizabeth since leaving Rosings
    • Miss de Bourgh, who has traveled to Pemberley with her mother and wishes to know Elizabeth better than she did in Kent
    • Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who has traveled to Pemberley to discuss family matters with her nephew and his sister
    • Correct answer: His sister Georgiana Darcy, whom Elizabeth recognizes must be acting on her brother's wishes rather than her own

    Darcy says, "There is also one other person in the party who more particularly wishes to be known to you," meaning his sister Georgiana. Elizabeth "immediately felt that whatever desire Miss Darcy might have of being acquainted with her must be the work of her brother."

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13. 13

    Question 13. How do the Gardiners react to Darcy after their visit to Pemberley?

    • They are disappointed that he did not invite them inside for refreshments and consider his manners merely adequate
    • They find him intimidating and tell Elizabeth they can understand why she found him so disagreeable when they first met
    • They are suspicious of his sudden warmth and warn Elizabeth that such charm may be calculated and insincere
    • Correct answer: They pronounce him infinitely superior to expectations -- perfectly well behaved, polite, unassuming, and genuinely attentive

    Mr. Gardiner says, "He is perfectly well behaved, polite, and unassuming." Mrs. Gardiner adds that while "there is something a little stately in him," it "is confined to his air, and is not unbecoming." Both agree with the housekeeper's assessment.

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14. 14

    Question 14. What does Elizabeth share with the Gardiners about Darcy and Wickham at the end of the chapter?

    • She tells them the full story of Darcy's proposal, his letter, and everything she has learned about Wickham's true character
    • Correct answer: She gives them details of the pecuniary transactions between Darcy and Wickham without naming her source of information
    • She refuses to discuss either man and asks her aunt and uncle to drop the subject until she has had time to think
    • She repeats Wickham's version of events but admits she now has some doubts about whether his account was entirely truthful

    Elizabeth "gave them to understand, in as guarded a manner as she could, that by what she had heard from his relations in Kent, his actions were capable of a very different construction." She then "related the particulars of all the pecuniary transactions" without naming her authority.

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15. 15

    Question 15. What question does Elizabeth keep asking herself about Darcy's changed behavior throughout the chapter?

    • Correct answer: She asks repeatedly, "Why is he so altered? From what can it proceed?" and cannot believe he still loves her
    • She questions whether his politeness is merely a performance for the Gardiners rather than a genuine change of heart
    • She considers whether Mrs. Reynolds coached him to be pleasant after learning that visitors had been touring the house
    • She wonders whether he has been influenced by a friend or family member who advised him to soften his manners

    Elizabeth continually repeats to herself: "Why is he so altered? From what can it proceed? It cannot be for me -- it cannot be for my sake that his manners are thus softened. My reproofs at Hunsford could not work such a change as this. It is impossible that he should still love me."

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