She rang the bell, and when the maid came in said:
"Mabel, if you take my keys and open the store-cupboard, you will find some bottles of wine on the top shelf. Pray open one, and having carefully decanted it, bring it as carefully in with three glasses on the silver tray."
Mabel naturally looked very much astonished at this order, and while she was gone Miss Verney thought one after another of all the reasons that Mabel could possibly ascribe to her request for wine.
"But she will never guess the real one," said Miss Verney.
The wine was brought in and poured out. Miss Verney coughed a great deal over her glass, and two small pink spots appeared on her cheeks.
"I am sure," she said, "that when my dear father brought this wine back from Portugal, he would have been happy to know that some of it would be drunk to the health of two young people in love. For he was, if I may say so without impropriety, a great lady's man."
Pauline and Guy drank Miss Verney's health in turn and thanked her for the good omens she had wished for their love.
"My dear Pauline," said Miss Verney. "Do you think? I wonder if I dare. You know what I mean? Do you think I could show it to Mr. Hazlewood?"
"Do you mean the miniature?" whispered Pauline.
Miss Verney nodded.