His most clear impression of the whole thing was how easy everything had been made for him.

His oddness of speech, his gaucheries, his ignorances and nervousness had all been so lightly treated that they had been brushed away almost insensibly.

He had been able to do so little that was wrong--his mistakes were ignored or admired as originality, and yet in some delicate way the right thing had been made clear to him.

Ernestine had stood by his side, always laughing at this swift fulfilment of her prophecy, always encouraging him, always enigmatic.

Yet at the thought of her a vague sense of trouble crept into his heart.