Mervyn.

"And there is no doubt," continued Mrs Trevor, "that the child needs
change. She is unusually uncertain in her temper, and Dr Smith advised
the sea-side at once. But it would be much easier to send her to my
sister's."

"And she would have her cousins to play with," suggested Miss Mervyn.

"I do so wish Katharine had not such odd notions," continued Mrs Trevor
discontentedly; "it quite makes me hesitate to let Philippa go there
much. Those children are allowed to mix with all sorts of people."

"They are nice little children," Miss Mervyn ventured to say.

"Nice enough at _present_," said Mrs Trevor, "but who knows how they
will grow up? If I were their father--However, you think it would be a
good plan to ask my sister to have Philippa for a few days?"

"I certainly do," said Miss Mervyn, with earnest conviction.

Every one at Haughton Park thought so too, for Philippa had been so
troublesome lately, that she had made the whole household uncomfortable
as well as herself. "The dear child must be ill," Mrs Trevor said, and
sent for Dr Smith.

"The old story, my dear madam," he said; "sensitive nerves. I should
advise sending your daughter to the sea-side with some young companions.
It is important that the system should be braced, and the mind gently
amused."

On consideration, Mrs Trevor did not see how she could manage to supply
Philippa with sea-air as well as young companions, but it occurred to
her that the air of Fieldside might do as well, and to this Miss Mervyn
had heartily agreed. So a letter was at once written to Miss Chester,
and the subject gently broken to Philippa, who, greatly to every one's
surprise and relief, made no difficulty whatever.

"I shall take the kitten with me," she said, rather defiantly, and
nothing would have pleased Mrs Trevor better, for Philippa's kitten had
become a plague and a worry to every one from morning till night. There
were endless complaints about it. It was a thief, it had a bad temper,
it scratched the satin chairs in the drawing-room, it climbed up the
curtains, it was always in the way. It had broken a whole trayful of
wine-glasses. Scarcely a day passed without some fresh piece of
mischief. Perhaps the poor kitten could hardly be blamed for all this,
for it would have been difficult for a wiser thing than a kitten to
understand how to behave under such circumstances. Philippa would pet
and spoil it one day, and scold it the next, so th