saw her
blind grandfather returning to his home.

She gave herself a real wash with eau de Cologne as well as soap, a
delicious perfume soap. It was not until the clock on the mantle shelf
struck eight that she went down.

She wondered how she would find the dining room. She did not have to
look for it, however. A footman in a black coat, who was standing in the
hall, showed her the way. Almost immediately M. Vulfran came in. No one
guided him. He seemed to have no difficulty in finding his way to his
seat.

A bowl of beautiful orchids stood in the middle of the table, which was
covered with massive silver and cut glass, which gleamed in the lights
that fell from the crystal chandelier.

For a moment she stood behind her chair, not knowing what to do. M.
Vulfran seemed to sense her attitude.

"Sit down," he said.

The dinner was served at once. The servant who had shown her the way to
the dining room put a plate of soup before her, while Bastien brought
another to his master which was full to the brim.

If she had been dining there alone with M. Vulfran she would have been
quite at her ease, but the inquisitive glances the servants cast at her
made her feel deeply embarrassed. Probably they were wondering how a
little tramp like her would eat.

Fortunately, however, she made no mistakes.

The dinner was very simple--soup, roast lamb, green peas and salad--but
there was abundance of dessert ... two or three raised stands of
delicious fruit and cakes.

"Tomorrow, if you like, you may go and see the hot houses where these
fruits are grown," said M. Vulfran.

Perrine thanked him and said she would like to.

She had commenced by helping herself discreetly to some cherries. M.
Vulfran wished her also to take some apricots, peaches and grapes.

"Take all you want," he said. "At your age I should have eaten all the
fruit that is on the table ... if it had been offered to me."

Bastien selected an apricot and peach and placed them before Perrine as
he might have done for an intelligent monkey, just to see how the
"little animal" would eat.

But despite the delicious fruit, Perrine was very pleased when the
dinner came to an end. She hoped that the next day the servants would
not stare so much.

"Now you are free until tomorrow," said M. Vulfran, rising from his
seat. "It is moonlight, and you can go for a stroll in the garden, or
read in the library, or take a book up to your own room."

She was embarrass