Wash thoroughly the green leaves of three good-sized heads of lettuce; drain and chop them up; place them in a saucepan with a quarter of a pound of butter, and cook for five minutes, stirring it lightly. Moisten with two quarts of white broth (No. 99); season with a tablespoonful of salt, a teaspoonful of pepper, and half a teaspoonful of grated nutmeg; add a bouquet (No. 254), and four ounces of well-cleaned, raw rice; cover the saucepan, and cook for forty-five minutes. Remove the bouquet and strain the soup through a fine sieve. Clean the saucepan well, replace the cream in it, and let it heat thoroughly, but do not let it boil, meanwhile stirring it gently with the spatula. Pour in-a pint of sweet cream, stir a little more, and throw it into a hot soup tureen, serving it with croutons souffles (No. 134).