"Why, you've just come!" But neither coaxing nor argument availed; and before David really knew just what had happened, he found himself alone with Mr.Jack.
Even then disappointment was piled on disappointment, for Mr.Jack's visit was not the unalloyed happiness it usually was.

Mr.Jack himself was almost cross at first, and then he was silent and restless, moving jerkily about the room in a way that disturbed David very much.
Mr.Jack had brought with him a book; but even that only made matters worse, for when he saw the beautifully bound volumes that Miss Holbrook had just left, he frowned, and told David that he guessed he did not need his gift at all, with all those other fine books.

And David could not seem to make him understand that the one book from him was just exactly as dear as were the whole set of books that his Lady of the Roses brought.
Certainly it was not a satisfactory visit at all, and for the first time David was almost glad to have Mr.Jack go and leave him with his books.

The BOOKS, David told himself, he could understand; Mr.Jack he could not--to-day.
Several times after this David's Lady of the Roses and Mr.Jack happened to call at the same hour; but never could David persuade these two friends of his to stay together.

Always, if one came and the other was there, the other went away, in spite of David's protestations that two people did not tire him at all and his assertions that he often entertained as many as that at once.