ould sit in the centre at the top of the
table, the gentleman by whom she has been taken in to dinner being
placed at her left hand.

The lady second in rank should sit at the host's left hand.

Each lady should sit at the right hand of the gentleman by whom she is
taken in to dinner.

It is solely a matter of inclination whether a lady and gentleman, who
have gone in to dinner together, converse with each other only, or with
their right-and left-hand neighbours also, but they usually find some
topic of conversation in common, otherwise a dinner-party would prove
but a succession of _tete-a-tete_.

* * * * *

=The Menus= are placed the length of the table, on an average one to two
persons or occasionally one to each person, and the menu cards are
elaborate or simple, according to individual taste, and are purchased
printed for the purpose, having a space for the names of the dishes to
be filled in, which is usually done by the mistress of the house, unless
the establishment is on a large scale, it being usual to write them out
in French.

Fanciful menu holders are much in use.

The use of menus would be pretentious at a small dinner-party when there
is but little choice of dishes; but when there is a choice of dishes a
menu is indispensable.

* * * * *

=The Usual and Fashionable Mode of serving Dinner= is called _Diner a la
Russe_, although at small or friendly dinners the host sometimes prefers
to carve the joint himself in the first course, and the birds in the
second course. But dinner-tables, whether for dining _a la Russe_, or
for dining _en famille_, are invariably arranged in the same style, the
difference being merely the extent of the display made as regards
flowers, plate and glass, which are the accessories of the dining-table.

When the host helps the soup, a small ladleful for each person is the
proper quantity; a soup-plate should not be filled with soup.

When the party is a small one, and the joints or birds are carved by the
host, the portions should be handed to the guests in the order in which
they are seated, although occasionally the ladies are helped before the
gentlemen.

The rule at all dinner-parties is for the servant to commence serving by
handing the dishes to the lady seated at the host's right hand, then to
the lady seated at the host's left hand, and from thence the length of
the table to each guest in the order