"Here, Nina, I've brought you a little present; and I'll have
to show you how to use it, or you would never guess what it is for."
When he unrolled his pretty gift out of the pink tissue paper, Nina threw up her hands in despair.
"Oh, it is too much of a folly!" she exclaimed. "Why do you do it, Leo? What is the use of old silver to me?"
"Well, it's nice to look at," said he. "And it will help to furnish your house when you get married, Nina."
"Ah, Leo," said she, "if you would only think about yourself! It is always to-day, to-morrow, with you: never the coming years—"
"Yes, I know all about that," he interposed. "Now I'm going to show you how these are used. They're loving-cups, you know, Nina—"
"Loving-cups?" she repeated, rather timidly.
"Yes? and I will show you how the ceremony is performed. Now, will you get me some lemonade, Nina, and a little of the vermouth that I sent to Mrs. Grey?"
She went and got these things for him; and when she returned he poured into one of the tiny goblets about a teaspoonful of the vermouth, filling it up with the lemonade; then he put the other cup on the top of this one, so that they formed a continuous vessel; he shook the contents; then he separated the cups, leaving about half the liquid in each, and one of them he handed to Nina, retaining the other.