cond. The moment fish is
passed them, they expect the cucumbers or sauce, or whatever should go
with the fish, to follow immediately. And when the first servant hands the
meat course, they consider that they should not be expected to wait a
moment for a second servant to hand the gravy or jelly or whatever goes
with the meat. No service is good in this day unless swift--and, of
course, soundless.

A late leader of Newport society who had a world-wide reputation for the
brilliancy of her entertainments, had an equally well-known reputation for
rapidly served dinners. "Twenty minutes is quite long enough to sit at
table--ever!" is what she used to say, and what her household had to live
up to. She had a footman to about every two guests and any one dining with
her had to cling to the edge of his plate or it would be whisked away! One
who looked aside or "let go" for a second found his plate gone! That was
extreme; but, even so, better than a snail-paced dinner!

=THE DINNER HOUR=

In America the dinner hour is not a fixture, since it varies in various
sections of the country. The ordinary New York hour when "giving a dinner"
is eight o'clock, half past eight in Newport. In New York, when dining and
going to the opera, one is usually asked for seven-fifteen, and for
seven-thirty before going to a play. Otherwise only "quiet" people dine
before eight. But invitations should, of course, be issued for whatever
hour is customary in the place where the dinner is given.

=THE BUTLER IN THE DINING-ROOM=

When the dinner guests enter the dining-room, it is customary for the
butler to hold out the chair of the mistress of the house. This always
seems a discourtesy to the guests. And an occasional hostess insists on
having the chair of the guest of honor held by the butler instead of her
own. If there are footmen enough, the chair of each lady is held for her;
otherwise the gentleman who takes her in to dinner helps her to be seated.
Ordinarily where there are two servants, the head one holds the chair of
the hostess and the second, the chair on the right of the host. The
hostess always seats herself as quickly as possible so that the butler may
be free to assist a guest to draw her chair up to the table.

In a big house the butler always stands throughout a meal back of the
hostess' chair, except when giving one of the men under him a direction,
or when pouring wine. He is not supposed to leave the dining-room himself
or