have been duly presented at the Court of St.
James's, they cannot obtain presentations at foreign Courts through the
English Embassies.

When a lady desires a presentation at a foreign Court, she should write
to the English Ambassadress and request the honour of a presentation,
and should state the date of her presentation and the name of the lady
by whom she was presented. After her statement has been duly verified
the request is granted. In a like manner when a gentleman desires a
presentation at a foreign Court, he should write to the Ambassador and
request the honour of a presentation, and should state the date of the
Levee at which he was presented, and the name of the person by whom the
presentation was made.

Presentations at foreign Courts take place in the evening, and the
persons to be presented, and those who attend, assemble previous to the
entrance of the royal personages: the rule is for the grand _maitresse_
to present each lady in turn to her royal mistress, who makes the tour
of the apartment for this purpose, and addresses some courteous
observation to each.

CHAPTER IX

THE RECEIVED MODE OF PRONOUNCING CERTAIN SURNAMES

There are, perhaps, two reasons why various surnames are so frequently
mispronounced, the one being unfamiliarity with the freak of fashion
which governs the pronunciation of certain well-known names, the other
ignorance, or want of education.

When sensitive persons hear a name pronounced differently from the way
in which they have themselves but just pronounced it, and in a tone and
manner strongly suggestive of correction, it is wounding to their _amour
propre_.

As a rule, when persons are in doubt as to the correct pronunciation of
any particular name, it would be best to avoid mentioning it, if
possible, until their doubts are set at rest by some one better informed
than themselves.

Names that have a fashionable or peculiar pronunciation, or are
pronounced otherwise than as they are spelt, are but few, and names
which it is possible wrongly to accent are also not very numerous; but
it is surprising how often these names occur in the course of
conversation.

The names of distinguished artists that are open to mispronunciation
occur far oftener in conversation than do the general run of uncommon
surnames.

There are many celebrated hunts and hunting quarters of which the names
are open to considerable mispronunciation.

With regard to placing the accent on