Plot Summary
Chapter 37 of Pride and Prejudice opens the morning after Elizabeth has read and reread Darcy's letter. Mr. Darcy and Colonel Fitzwilliam depart from Rosings, and Mr. Collins, ever the sycophant, stations himself near the lodges to offer his "parting obeisance." He then hurries to Rosings to console Lady Catherine and Miss de Bourgh, returning with an invitation for the whole party to dine there that evening.
Dinner at Rosings and Lady Catherine's Self-Importance
At dinner, Lady Catherine holds forth on how keenly she feels the departure of her nephews, insisting that no one feels the loss of friends as acutely as she does. She observes that Darcy "seemed to feel it most acutely" and interprets his low spirits as proof that "his attachment to Rosings certainly increases" -- an ironic misreading, since his distress clearly stems from Elizabeth's rejection. When Lady Catherine notices Elizabeth looking subdued, she assumes it is because Elizabeth dreads leaving Hunsford and urges her to extend her stay, even offering a seat in her barouche to London in June.
Elizabeth's Inner Turmoil Over the Letter
The heart of the chapter lies in Elizabeth's private reflections. She is "in a fair way of soon knowing" Darcy's letter by heart, studying every sentence. Her feelings toward Darcy oscillate: indignation at his proud manner of address gives way to self-reproach when she considers how unjustly she condemned him. His attachment excites her gratitude, his character her respect -- yet she cannot approve him and does not repent refusing his proposal. She reflects painfully on the "unhappy defects" of her own family: her father's passive amusement at his younger daughters' wildness, her mother's total lack of propriety, and the ignorance, idleness, and vanity of Kitty and Lydia, who will flirt with any officer in Meryton.
Anxiety for Jane and Departure from Hunsford
Elizabeth's anxiety on Jane's behalf deepens as Darcy's letter restores Bingley to her good opinion, sharpening the sense of what Jane has lost through the family's indecorum. The final week at Hunsford passes with frequent engagements at Rosings. On the last evening, Lady Catherine characteristically gives exhaustive directions about packing gowns, causing Maria Lucas to repack her trunk entirely. At their departure, Lady Catherine wishes them well with "great condescension" and invites them to return the following year, while the shy Miss de Bourgh manages only a curtsey and a handshake.