‘Harm, no. Idiocy and lively music, that’s all. It’s too late, or I’d have taken you, for the joke of the thing. Confound it! she ought to have better dresses.’
‘Oh, she looked very nice, in that best.’
‘Pooh! But I don’t care for her to be running about with the Lanes. Lane is too big a blackguard; it reflects upon his wife to a certain extent.’
They gossiped for half an hour, then a tap at the door interrupted them; it was the landlady.
‘Mr Whelpdale has called to see you, sir. I mentioned as Miss Milvain was here, so he said he wouldn’t come up unless you sent to ask him.’
Jasper smiled at Dora, and said in a low voice.
‘What do you say? Shall he come up? He can behave himself.’
‘Just as you please, Jasper.’
‘Ask him to come up, Mrs Thompson, please.’
Mr Whelpdale presented himself. He entered with much more ceremony than when Milvain was alone; on his visage was a grave respectfulness, his step was light, his whole bearing expressed diffidence and pleasurable anticipation.