Throughout their visit to Pemberly, Elizabeth and the Gardiners are shown around by housekeeper, who is very complimentary about her master. Lizzie takes a moment to consider her kind words, ‘’. She ponders over the idea, ‘ “Can this be Darcy?” ‘ Secretly she wants to hear more, and learn further about his character. She finds his contradictory behaviour curious, from his most arrogant and rude manner when she first met him to his kind hearted effort whilst she was staying at the Collins’.
Whilst observing Darcy’s portrait Elizabeth feels a ‘’ and ‘’ towards him. She spends a lot of the tour ‘listening, wondering, doubting and becoming impatient for more. Mrs Reynolds could interest her on no other point.’ The more she learnt about Darcy, the more she began to believe his story, and doubt Mr Wickham.
Their tour of the estate is interrupted by Darcy’s early return home. His friendly and hospitable manner is warmly praised by the Gardiener’s but Lizzie, is nervous and embarrassed on meeting him. She doesn’t want him to judge her on her mysterious visit to Pemberly, but he is calm and unaffected by the company. Generally he seems pleased that they are there. Elizabeth introduces her Aunt and Uncle, she is happy to show that some of her family are intelligent and sensible. Darcy shows no signs of his past arrogance; he even suggests that Elizabeth meets his younger sister Georgiana. Elizabeth is flattered by Darcy’s kind gesture. He shows his gentlemanly behaviour; by offering Mr Gardiner to fish in his stream. A male gesture that shows he is trying to create a bond.
At the beginning of the chapter Elizabeth is still prejudiced against Darcy. On seeing , however, her opinion of him begins to change. She becomes enchanted by the amazing architecture and natural beauty of the grounds. ‘Every disposition of the ground was good; and she looked on the whole scene, the river, the tree scattered on its banks, and the winding of the valley.’ Each room was full of beautiful furniture that was elegant and handsome. Throughout each room, Lizzie’s admiration for Darcy’s taste grew stronger. She starts to think “And of this place, I might have been mistress” This doesn’t mean she regrets refusing his offer of marriage, she simply contemplates it more. Although she is convinced that Darcy would never want to welcome any members of her family there. This is proven wrong by his cordial manner towards her aunt and uncle. For Elizabeth his one gesture of friendship towards them means a lot. Her Aunt and Uncle mean a lot to her, and she is proud to have them as close relatives. Him accepting them shows he wants to get to know them, and he is trying to mend broken bridges. It also shows that he is willing to do anything for her. It is obvious that he really likes her and his acceptance of her family means he is willing to live with everything bad he ever said to her. He is swallowing his pride just for her, and Elizabeth begins to see this.
The Gardiners find the charming Darcy far from rude a disagreeable and insolent man, and believe that he could never do such a thing to harm someone, referring to the Darcy-Wickham scenario. With the Gardiners opinion of Darcy positive it is obvious the Lizzie is becoming less prejudice towards him and is even beginning to like him.
By the end of their visit Elizabeth learns that Darcy is a proud man, but there is also more to him than that. People have misunderstood him, as his first impressions weren’t that pleasing. Although he is an excellent master, a devoted brother and a generous landlord. He is a well-cultured and intelligent man, and Elizabeth is impressed by his taste and refinement of his home. It was Elizabeth’s refusal of marriage that made him undergo this metamorphosis from a proud aristocrat to a kind down to earth person, and he has shown these signs through this chapter, all of his previous attempts toward Lizzie have been shown here again and, most importantly, Elizabeth has recognized them and accepted them. This is the beginning of their friendship.
