ult, delicate temperament to deal with," she continued, as
the door closed on her daughter. "Not like a commonplace nature," with
a glance at Dennis and Maisie; "so excitable, that it makes her ill to
be thwarted in any way. Indeed the doctor forbids it."

"How bad for her!" said Aunt Katharine bluntly. "Children are never
happy until they learn to obey."

"That sort of system may answer with some children," said Mrs Trevor;
"but my poor delicate Philippa requires infinite tact."

"What do you think, Miss Mervyn," as a thin, careworn-looking lady
entered, "of Philippa going out to-day? She wants to take her cousins
into the garden for a little while."

Miss Mervyn looked anxiously from mother to daughter.

"She _has_ been coughing this morning, and the wind _is_ cold," she
began, when she was interrupted by an angry burst of tears from
Philippa.

"I _must_ go out," she cried between her sobs. "You're a cross thing to
say it's cold. I _will_ go out."

"There, there, my darling," said Mrs Trevor; "do control yourself. You
shall go.--Pray, Miss Mervyn, take care that she is warmly dressed, and
has goloshes and a thick veil. You will, of course, go with the
children, and keep to the sheltered places, and on no account allow
Philippa to run on the grass or to get overheated."

Philippa's tears and sobs ceased at once, and soon muffled up to the
eyes, she was ready to go out with her cousins, followed by the patient
Miss Mervyn, and Mrs Trevor was left at liberty to bestow some attention
on her guest. As soon as they were out of sight of the windows,
Philippa's first action was to tear off the white knitted shawl which
was wrapped round her neck and mouth.

"If you don't keep that on, we must go in again," said Miss Mervyn.

"I won't wear it, and I won't go in," said Philippa. "If you tease
about it, I shall scream, and then I shall be ill; and then it will be
your fault."

Poor Miss Mervyn shook her head, but after a few mild persuasions gave
in, and Philip had her way as usual, not only in this, but in everything
that she wished to do throughout the walk. Dennis and Maisie were used
to seeing this whenever they came to Haughton, but it never ceased to
surprise them, because it was so very different from their unquestioning
obedience to rules at Fieldside. It certainly did not seem to make
Philippa happy or pleasant. Although she did what she liked, she never
appeared to like what she did, and was a