Elizabeth Confides in Jane
Chapter 40 of Pride and Prejudice opens with Elizabeth unable to contain herself any longer. She resolves to tell Jane the major events of the preceding days, though she carefully suppresses every detail concerning Jane's own relationship with Bingley. The next morning, she relates the chief of the scene between Mr. Darcy and herself -- his unexpected proposal, his insulting manner of delivering it, and her firm refusal. Jane's astonishment is quickly tempered by sisterly partiality: any man admiring Elizabeth seems perfectly natural to her. Yet Jane is grieved both that Darcy expressed himself so poorly and that Elizabeth's refusal must have caused him great pain.
The Revelation About Wickham
Elizabeth then shares the contents of Darcy's letter as far as they concern George Wickham. The news is devastating for Jane, who would willingly have gone through the world without believing such wickedness could exist in a single individual. She desperately tries to find explanations that would clear both men, but Elizabeth insists this is impossible: "Take your choice, but you must be satisfied with only one. There is but such a quantity of merit between them; just enough to make one good sort of man." Elizabeth has chosen to believe Darcy, and she presses Jane to accept that Wickham's gentlemanly appearance has been entirely deceptive.
Goodness Versus the Appearance of It
Jane is deeply shocked by Wickham's true character and deeply moved by Darcy's suffering -- his disappointment in love compounded by knowing Elizabeth thought ill of him, and the pain of having to reveal his sister Georgiana's near-elopement. Elizabeth deflects her own discomfort with characteristic wit, telling Jane that her abundant compassion makes Elizabeth's own heart "as light as a feather." The sisters arrive at a crucial insight: "One has got all the goodness, and the other all the appearance of it." Jane gently notes she never thought Darcy as deficient in the appearance of goodness as Elizabeth always insisted, and Elizabeth admits her clever dislike was built on prejudice rather than reason.
The Decision Not to Expose Wickham
Elizabeth asks Jane's advice on whether to expose Wickham publicly. Both sisters conclude it would be wrong: Darcy did not authorize the letter's contents to be shared, the details about Georgiana must remain private, and the general prejudice against Darcy in Meryton is so strong that no one would believe Elizabeth anyway. Jane charitably hopes Wickham may be sorry for what he has done. Elizabeth pragmatically notes he will soon be gone with the regiment, and "some time hence it will be all found out."
Secrets Kept and Observations Made
The conversation relieves Elizabeth of two secrets that had weighed on her for a fortnight, but one remains: she cannot reveal Darcy's account of Bingley's feelings for Jane without risking further pain. She reflects that only a "perfect understanding between the parties" could justify sharing that knowledge. Now settled at home, Elizabeth observes that Jane is still deeply unhappy, still cherishing her first love for Bingley with quiet steadiness. The chapter closes with a comic scene: Mrs. Bennet declares she will never speak of Bingley again, then immediately does so at length, before pivoting to gossip about the Collinses' household economy and the entail of Longbourn.