each with a lavatory off of it. In the one
given to the ladies, there is always a dressing-table with toilet
appointments on it, and the lady's maid should be on duty to give whatever
service may be required; when there is no dressing-room on the ground
floor, the back of the hall is arranged with coat-hangers and an
improvised dressing-table for the ladies, since modern people--in New York
at least--never go up-stairs to a bedroom if they can help it. In fact,
nine ladies out of ten drop their evening cloaks at the front door,
handing them to the servant on duty, and go at once without more ado to
the drawing-room. A lady arriving in her own closed car can't be very much
blown about, in a completely air tight compartment and in two or three
minutes of time!

Gentlemen also leave their hats and coats in the front part of the hail. A
servant presents to each a tray of envelopes, and if there is one, the
table diagram. Envelopes are not really necessary when there is a table
diagram, since every gentleman knows that he "takes in" the lady placed on
his right! But at very big dinners in New York or Washington, where many
people are sure to be strangers to one another, an absent-minded gentleman
might better, perhaps, have his partner's name safely in his pocket.

=ANNOUNCING GUESTS=

A gentleman always falls behind his wife in entering the drawing-room. If
the butler knows the guests, he merely announces the wife's name first and
then the husband's. If he does not know them by sight he asks whichever is
nearest to him, "What name, please?" And whichever one is asked, answers:
"Mr. and Mrs. Lake."

The butler then precedes the guests a few steps into the room where the
hostess is stationed, and standing aside says in a low tone but very
distinctly: "Mrs. Lake," a pause and then, "Mr. Lake." Married people are
usually announced separately as above, but occasionally people have their
guests announced "Mr. and Mrs. ----."

=ANNOUNCING PERSONS OF RANK=

All men of high executive rank are not alone announced first, but take
precedence of their wives in entering the room. The President of the
United States is announced simply, "The President and Mrs. Harding." His
title needs no qualifying appendage, since he and he solely, is _the_
President. He enters first, and alone, of course; and then Mrs. Harding
follows. The same form precisely is used for "The Vice-President and Mrs.
Coolidge." A governor is sometimes in courte