lieve there is often a
small unnoticeable wheel which has a great deal to do with the motion of
the large obvious ones. Possibly there was some such unrecognized agent
secretly busy in Arthur's mind at this moment--possibly it was the fear
lest he might hereafter find the fact of having made a confession to the
rector a serious annoyance, in case he should NOT be able quite to carry
out his good resolutions? I dare not assert that it was not so. The
human soul is a very complex thing.

The idea of Hetty had just crossed Mr. Irwine's mind as he looked
inquiringly at Arthur, but his disclaiming indifferent answer confirmed
the thought which had quickly followed--that there could be nothing
serious in that direction. There was no probability that Arthur ever saw
her except at church, and at her own home under the eye of Mrs. Poyser;
and the hint he had given Arthur about her the other day had no more
serious meaning than to prevent him from noticing her so as to rouse the
little chit's vanity, and in this way perturb the rustic drama of her
life. Arthur would soon join his regiment, and be far away: no, there
could be no danger in that quarter, even if Arthur's character had not
been a strong security against it. His honest, patronizing pride in
the good-will and respect of everybody about him was a safeguard even
against foolish romance, still more against a lower kind of folly.
If there had been anything special on Arthur's mind in the previous
conversation, it was clear he was not inclined to enter into details,
and Mr. Irwine was too delicate to imply even a friendly curiosity. He
perceived a change of subject would be welcome, and said, "By the way,
Arthur, at your colonel's birthday fete there were some transparencies
that made a great effect in honour of Britannia, and Pitt, and the
Loamshire Militia, and, above all, the 'generous youth,' the hero of
the day. Don't you think you should get up something of the same sort to
astonish our weak minds?"

The opportunity was gone. While Arthur was hesitating, the rope to
which he might have clung had drifted away--he must trust now to his own
swimming.

In ten minutes from that time, Mr. Irwine was called for on business,
and Arthur, bidding him good-bye, mounted his horse again with a sense
of dissatisfaction, which he tried to quell by determining to set off
for Eagledale without an hour's delay.

Book Two

Chapter XVII

In Which the Story Pauses a Li