Plot Summary
Chapter 33 of Pride and Prejudice opens with Elizabeth repeatedly encountering Mr. Darcy during her solitary walks in Rosings Park. Despite her efforts to avoid him by revealing her favourite routes, he continues to appear and walk alongside her, asking oddly disconnected questions about her stay at Hunsford and Mr. and Mrs. Collins's happiness. Elizabeth suspects his remarks hint that she might one day stay at Rosings herself, possibly through a connection with Colonel Fitzwilliam.
Elizabeth Meets Colonel Fitzwilliam
One day, while rereading a dispiriting letter from Jane, Elizabeth encounters Colonel Fitzwilliam instead of Darcy. They walk together toward the Parsonage, discussing the approaching end of his and Darcy's visit. Fitzwilliam remarks that he is entirely at Darcy's disposal in matters of travel, and Elizabeth observes that Darcy enjoys wielding the power of doing exactly as he pleases. Fitzwilliam counters that Darcy's freedom stems from wealth, while he, as a younger son of an earl, must accept self-denial and dependence.
The Younger Son's Constraints
Fitzwilliam confesses that younger sons "cannot marry where they like," as their habits of expense make them too dependent on fortune. Elizabeth wonders whether this admission is directed at her and colours at the thought, but recovers quickly, joking about the "usual price of an earl's younger son." They move on to lighter subjects, though the exchange subtly establishes the financial barriers that would prevent a match between Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam.
Darcy's Interference with Bingley
The conversation takes a pivotal turn when Elizabeth mentions Darcy's guardianship of Miss Darcy. Fitzwilliam reveals that he shares the guardianship, and Elizabeth's probing about Georgiana's temperament visibly unnerves him. The talk shifts to Mr. Bingley, and Fitzwilliam inadvertently reveals that Darcy recently "congratulated himself on having lately saved a friend from the inconveniences of a most imprudent marriage." Though Fitzwilliam does not name names, Elizabeth immediately connects this to Darcy's role in separating Bingley from Jane.
Elizabeth's Fury and Heartache
Elizabeth learns that "strong objections against the lady" motivated Darcy's interference. Walking on in silence, her heart swelling with indignation, she retreats to her room to process what she has heard. She concludes that Darcy acted out of pride and class prejudice -- objecting to the Bennets' connections, including an uncle who is a country attorney and another in trade in London. She passionately defends Jane's character but acknowledges her mother's behaviour as a legitimate weakness. Ultimately, Elizabeth decides Darcy was governed by "this worst kind of pride" and by the wish to retain Bingley for his own sister. The chapter ends with Elizabeth so agitated that she develops a headache and declines to accompany the Collinses to Rosings that evening.