"He was so good to me in that cottage." On the following day the party at Saulsby was broken up, and there was a regular pilgrimage towards Loughlinter.

Phineas resolved upon sleeping a night at Edinburgh on his way, and he found himself joined in the bands of close companionship with Mr.Ratler for the occasion.
The evening was by no means thrown away, for he learned much of his trade from Mr.Ratler.And Mr.Ratler was heard to declare afterwards at Loughlinter that Mr.Finn was a pleasant young man.
It soon came to be admitted by all who knew Phineas Finn that he had a peculiar power of making himself agreeable which no one knew how to analyse or define.

"I think it is because he listens so well," said one man.

"But the women would not like him for that," said another.
"He has studied when to listen and when to talk," said a third.

The truth, however, was, that Phineas Finn had made no study in the matter at all.