writing might be recognised. Whether Miss Mitchell read them or not is
uncertain; she made no mention at any rate of their receipt, and probably
dropped them in the waste-paper basket. Merle would have been far more
grieved over these repulses had there not been a counter interest at
home. At the beginning of November Dr. and Mrs. Ramsay left the north
altogether and came to settle at Durracombe. Naturally there were great
changes at Bridge House. Jessop--the invaluable Jessop, who had been so
many years in Dr. Tremayne's service--was leaving to take charge of a
widower brother, and a young parlour-maid was coming in her place.
Several rooms were cleared to make way for Dr. Ramsay's possessions, and
a large motor van arrived bearing some of his furniture from Whinburn.
Mrs. Ramsay was to have a little upstairs drawing-room of her own, in
which to deposit her special treasures, and her husband was to turn the
gun-room into his study. The delight and excitement of welcoming her
father and mother made Merle temporarily dethrone Miss Mitchell in her
heart. It was such fun to help to arrange all the things from home, and
see how nice they looked in their new surroundings. Then Dr. Ramsay had
brought his car, and of course Merle wanted to help to clean it and to go
out with her father in it and coax him to allow her to drive. Everybody
felt that it was ideal to have Mrs. Ramsay at Bridge House. She took the
place of a daughter to Aunt Nellie, who was somewhat of an invalid, and
would nurse her and manage the housekeeping for her instead of Jessop.
She had always loved her native county of Devon, and rejoiced to return
there instead of living in the north.

"I shall grow young again here!" she declared. "I'm going to try to find
time to do some sketching. I've hardly touched my paintbox for years.
Mavis and I must go out together and find subjects."

"While I drive Daddy about in the car!" decreed Merle. "I've told him I'm