I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.
Elizabeth admits the sting beneath her wit—hurt pride. The paradox highlights a human reflex: we tolerate faults more easily when we aren’t personally wounded by them. Her candor shows how self-respect guides her judgments as much as reason does. It also hints at the novel’s mirror structure, where Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth’s prejudice feed each other. The line is funny and self-aware, yet it marks a serious bruise. Healing will require both of them to see past themselves.