he gentlemen go to the smoking-room and the ladies sit in
the ballroom, where, if there is to be a theatrical performance, the stage
is probably arranged. The gentlemen return, the guests take their places,
and the performance begins. After the performance the leave-taking is the
same as at all dinners or parties.

=TAKING LEAVE=

That the guest of honor must be first to take leave was in former times so
fixed a rule that everyone used to sit on and on, no matter how late it
became, waiting for her whose duty it was, to go! More often than not, the
guest of honor was an absent-minded old lady, or celebrity, who very
likely was vaguely saying to herself, "Oh, my! are these people never
going home?" until by and by it dawned upon her that the obligation was
her own!

But to-day, although it is still the obligation of the guest who sat on
the host's right to make the move to go, it is not considered
ill-mannered, if the hour is growing late, for another lady to rise first.
In fact, unless the guest of honor is one _really_, meaning a stranger or
an elderly lady of distinction, there is no actual precedence in being the
one first to go. If the hour is very early when the first lady rises, the
hostess, who always rises too, very likely says: "I hope you are not
thinking of going!"

The guest answers, "We don't want to in the least, but Dick has to be at
the office so early!" or "I'm sorry, but I must. Thank you so much for
asking us."

Usually, however, each one merely says, "Good night, thank you so much."
The hostess answers, "I am so glad you could come!" and she then presses a
bell (not one that any guest can hear!) for the servants to be in the
dressing-rooms and hall. When one guest leaves, they all leave--except
those at the bridge tables. They all say, "Good night" to whomever they
were talking with and shake hands, and then going up to their hostess,
they shake hands and say, "Thank you for asking us," or "Thank you so
much."

"Thank you so much; good night," is the usual expression. And the hostess
answers, "It was so nice to see you again," or "I'm glad you could come."
But most usually of all she says merely, "Good night!" and suggests
friendliness by the tone in which she says it--an accent slightly more on
the "good" perhaps than on the "night."

In the dressing-room, or in the hall, the maid is waiting to help the
ladies on with their wraps, and the butler is at the door. When Mr. and
Mrs. Jones are