ome 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.

"Oh, do, Miss Verney, do! Guy would so appreciate it," Pauline declared.

The old maid went to her bureau and from a small locked drawer took out
a leather case which she handed to Guy.

"The spring is broken. It opens very easily," she said in a gentle
voice.

Pauline forgot her shyness of Guy and leaned over his shoulder while he
looked at the picture of a young man rosy with that too blooming youth
which miniatures always portray.

"We were engaged to be married," said Miss Verney. "But circumstances
alter cases; and we were never married."

Pauline looked down at Guy with tears in her eyes and felt miserable to
be so happy when poor Miss Verney had been so sad.

"Thank you very much for showing me that," said Guy.

Soon it was time to say good-by to Miss Verney and, having made many
promises to come quickly again, they left her and went down the steep
High Street, where in many of the windows of the houses there were
hyacinths and on the old walls plum-trees in bloom.

"Pauline," said Guy, "let's go for a walk to-morrow morning and see if
the gorse is in bloom on Wychford down. There are so many things I want
to tell you."

"Do you think Mother will let us?"

"If we can go to tea with Miss Verney," said Guy, "we shall be able to
go for a walk. And I never see you alon