He once wanted to have him in the drawing-room in the evenings to play accompaniments; but mamma positively refused to allow it.

Jasper is excessively obstinate, and though he did not make a fuss, he got quite a habit of going over to Rose Cottage and spending his evenings there singing and playing.
Everybody about the place used to notice it.

Mamma was greatly disgusted." "Do you find him unpleasant--personally, I mean ?" "I! Oh dear, no! I should never dream of speaking to him.

His presence is unpleasant, because he exercises a bad influence on Jasper; so I wish, on that account alone, that he would go." "I trust Marian is careful to limit her intercourse with him as much as possible." "Well, Marian learns electricity from him; and of course that makes a difference.

I do not care about such things; and I never go into the laboratory when he is there; so I do not know whether Marian lets him be familiar with her or not.