In the opening chapters of Pride and Prejudice, Miss Elizabeth Bennet very quickly realizes that Miss Caroline Bingley desires to marry Mr. Darcy. Unfortunately for Miss Bingley, her designs were in vain, for--as we all know--Elizabeth ends up marrying Darcy. However, Elizabeth does not realize this in chapter 16. She thinks that Miss Bingley's designs are in vain for another reason.

In this chapter, Wickham and Elizabeth discuss Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Elizabeth had not met her (yet), but she had heard much of her from Mr. Collins. Wickham tells Elizabeth that Darcy is engaged to the daughter of Catherine de Bourgh.

Her daughter, Miss de Bourgh, will have a very large fortune, and it is believed that she and her cousin will unite the two estates.

Not realizing that Wickham is a scoundrel, Elizabeth believes her. According to the narrator, this revelation pleased Elizabeth greatly, because she knew it would injure Miss Bingley.

This information made Elizabeth smile, as she thought of poor Miss Bingley. Vain indeed must be all her attentions, vain and useless her affection for his sister and her praise of himself, if he were already self-destined to another.