you would be very respectfully received. Trust yourself to me,
mademoiselle. Besides, we should certainly find M. Berthaud there, and he
would be delighted to do you the honours."

Raymonde smiled, her clear eyes plainly saying that she was quite
agreeable. And just then, as Pierre and M. de Guersaint drew near in
order to present their respects to the ladies, they were made acquainted
with the question under discussion. The "ordinary" was a kind of
restaurant or /table d'hote/ which the members of the Hospitality of Our
Lady of Salvation--the bearers, the hospitallers of the Grotto, the
piscinas, and the hospitals--had established among themselves with the
view of taking their meals together at small cost. Many of them were not
rich, for they were recruited among all classes; however, they had
contrived to secure three good meals for the daily payment of three
francs apiece. And in fact they soon had provisions to spare and
distributed them among the poor. Everything was in their own management;
they purchased their own supplies, recruited a cook and a few waiters,
and did not disdain to lend a hand themselves, in order that everything
might be comfortable and orderly.

"It must be very interesting," said M, de Guersaint, when these
explanations had been given him. "Let us go and see it, if we are not in
the way."

Little Madame Desagneaux thereupon gave her consent. "Well, if we are
going in a party," said she, "I am quite willing. But when this gentleman
first proposed to take Raymonde and me, I was afraid that it might not be
quite proper."

Then, as she began to laugh, the others followed her example. She had