When Elizabeth took the letter, she did not know what to expect. She began to read it with a mix of curiosity and anger. At first, she was impatient. She didn't want to believe anything Darcy wrote. When she read his reasons for separating Bingley and Jane, she became very angry. He didn't sound sorry at all; he sounded proud and rude. She refused to believe that Jane did not show her feelings.
But when she reached the part about Mr. Wickham, her feelings changed. She read the story of his life with horror. "This must be a lie!" she cried. "It cannot be true!" She put the letter away, but a minute later, she opened it again. She had to know the truth.
She began to look at the facts carefully. She realized that both Darcy and Wickham told the same story about the past, but the details about the money were very different. Who was telling the truth?
She tried to remember any time Wickham had shown real goodness. She realized she couldn't think of any. He was charming and handsome, but what else did she know about him? She remembered how he had told his private stories to her—a stranger—on the very first night they met. Now, she realized that was very improper behavior. She also remembered that Wickham had promised he wasn't afraid of Darcy, yet he had avoided the Netherfield ball. Finally, she thought about how he had suddenly started chasing Miss King only after she inherited a lot of money.
Then she thought about Mr. Darcy. He was often proud and cold, but she had never known him to be dishonest. Mr. Bingley, who was a very good man, trusted him completely. Even the people at Pemberley respected him.
Elizabeth began to feel deeply ashamed of herself.
"How badly I have acted!" she cried. "I always thought I was so clever. I prided myself on my ability to judge people. But I have been blind and prejudiced! I liked Wickham because he admired me, and I hated Darcy because he did not. Until this moment, I never truly knew myself."
She read the part about her family again. This time, she felt the justice of Darcy's words. She remembered the Netherfield ball. Her mother’s loud talking, her younger sisters' flirting, and her father’s refusal to stop them had all been embarrassing. She realized that her own family’s behavior had ruined Jane’s chance for happiness. Elizabeth felt more depressed than ever before.