The next morning, Elizabeth woke up and immediately thought about everything that had happened. She was so surprised that she could not think about anything else. She didn't feel like doing any work, so after breakfast, she decided to go for a walk. She avoided her favorite path because she was afraid of meeting Mr. Darcy again. Instead, she walked along a quiet lane near the edge of the park.
Suddenly, she saw a gentleman walking toward her. It was Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth turned away, but he called her name. He reached the gate where she was standing and held out a letter.
"I have been walking here for some time, hoping to see you," he said with a serious face. "Will you please do me the honor of reading this letter?"
Then, he bowed slightly and walked away.
Elizabeth was very curious. She opened the letter and saw that it was several pages long. She began to read it as she walked. The letter said:
"Do not be afraid, madam. I am not writing this to tell you I love you again, or to ask you to marry me. I am writing because I must defend my character. You accused me of two terrible things: first, that I separated Mr. Bingley from your sister; and second, that I ruined the life of Mr. Wickham.
Regarding Mr. Bingley and your sister: It is true that I saw Bingley preferred her to any other woman. However, I watched your sister closely. She was cheerful and kind, but she did not seem to be in love with him. I believed that her heart was not touched. If I was wrong, then I am sorry for the pain I caused her.
But there were other reasons why I wanted to separate them. I must be honest, even if it hurts you. The behavior of your mother, your three younger sisters, and even your father was often very rude and improper. It was the kind of family connection that would be bad for my friend. Because of this, I persuaded Bingley that your sister did not love him. I also did not tell him that she was in London, because I was afraid he would want to see her again.
Regarding Mr. Wickham: I must tell you the truth about his past. Mr. Wickham was the son of my father’s manager. My father loved him and paid for his education. My father wanted Wickham to become a priest and left him a position in the church.
However, after my father died, Wickham told me he did not want to work for the church. He asked me for money instead, so he could study law. I gave him three thousand pounds. But he did not study. Instead, he lived a life of idleness and spent all the money on gambling.
When the money was gone, he came back and demanded the position in the church again. I refused. He was very angry and told lies about me to everyone.
The worst thing happened last summer. My sister, Georgiana, was only fifteen years old. Wickham found her and persuaded her that he loved her. He tried to convince her to run away with him. He wanted her fortune—thirty thousand pounds—and he wanted to get revenge on me. Luckily, I arrived just in time. Georgiana told me everything, and Wickham left immediately.
This is the truth. If you do not believe me, you can ask Colonel Fitzwilliam. He knows everything about these events. I will try to give this letter to you this morning. God bless you.
FITZWILLIAM DARCY."