In which the gentle intricacies of rural affection and aspiration are laid bare through the eyes of Hetty Sorrel, whose fancy is caught more by the allure of outward grandeur than by the solid worth of Adam Bede; and meanwhile, the attentive watchfulness of Arthur Donnithorne and Mr. Irwine lightly sketches the quiet hopes and hesitations that colour the ties of the farming community. The mingling of youthful dreams with the practical realities of life is tenderly observed amidst the homely scenes of the Poyser household and the surrounding countryside.