"It has been nice for us too," Mary answered. "I don't know that Pendragon is exactly thronging our door night and day--and a new friend is worth having. You see I've claimed you as a friend because you listened so patiently to my sermon--that's a sure test." She had spoken lightly but he had felt the bitterness in her voice. Life was hard for her too, then? He knew that he was glad. "I shall come back," he said. "Please," she answered. He said good-bye to Mrs. Bethel and she pressed his hand very warmly. "You are very kind to take pity on us," she said, ogling him under the gas in the hall; "I hope you will come often." Bethel said very little. He walked with him to the gate and laughed. "We're absurd, aren't we, Trojan?" he said. "But don't neglect us altogether. Even absurdity is refreshing sometimes." But Harry went up the hill with a happier heart than he had had since he entered Pendragon. That promise of adventure had been fulfilled. CHAPTER VI Randal was only at "The Flutes" two days, but he effected a good deal in that time. He did nothing very active--called on Mrs. le Terry and rode over the Downs once with Robin--but he managed to leave a flock of very active impressions behind him. That, as he knew well, was his strong point. He could not be with you a day without vaguely, almost indistinctly, but nevertheless quite certainly, influencing your opinions. He never said anything very definite, and, on looking back, you could never assert that he had positively taken any one point of view; but he had left, as it were, atmosphere--an assurance that this was the really right thing to do, this the proper attitude for correct breeding to adopt. It was always, with him, a case of correct breeding, and that was why the Trojans liked him so very much. "Randal," as Clare said, "knew so precisely who were sheep and who were goats, and he showed you the difference so clearly." Whenever he came to stay some former acquaintances were dropped as being, perhaps, not quite the right people. He never said that any one was not the right person, that would be bad breeding, but you realised, of your own accord, that they were not quite right. That was why the impression was so strong--it seemed to come from yourself; your eyes were suddenly opened and you wondered that you hadn't seen it before. He said very little of Trojan people this time; the main result of his visit was its effect on Harry's position. Had you been a stranger you would have noticed nothing; the motto of the gentleman of good breeding is, "The end and aim of all true opinions is the concealing of them from the wrong person."