Middlemarch Chapter 8

In which the good-natured Sir James Chettam wrestles with his unease over Dorothea’s engagement to the scholarly but unromantic Mr. Casaubon, seeking counsel from the wise and easygoing Rector Cadwallader, who remains serenely indifferent to the matter. Meanwhile, Dorothea’s regard for Sir James gently shifts towards a tranquil friendship founded on mutual kindness, even as her heart moves with sincere devotion to another.