to hold,
as cheese should not be taken up in the fingers, and should not be eaten
off the point of the knife.[3]

The finger-glass should be removed from the ice-plate and placed on the
left-hand side of the dessert-plate. When ices are not given, the
d'oyley should be removed with the finger-glass and placed beneath it.

When eating grapes, the half-closed hand should be placed to the mouth,
and the stones and skins allowed to fall into the fingers, and placed on
the side of the plate. Some persons bend the head so as to allow of the
stones and skins of the grapes falling on the side of the plate; but
this latter way is old-fashioned, and seldom followed. Cherries and
other small stone-fruit should be eaten in the way grapes are eaten,
also gooseberries.

When strawberries and raspberries, etc., are not eaten with cream, they
should be eaten from the stalks; when eaten with cream, a dessert-spoon
should be used to remove them from the stalks. When served in the
American fashion without stalks, both fork and spoon should be used.

Pears and apples should be peeled and cut into halves and quarters with
a fruit-knife and fork, as should peaches, nectarines, and apricots.

Melons should be eaten with a spoon and fork.

Pines with knife and fork.

The dessert is handed to the guests in the order in which the dinner has
been served.[4]

When the guests have been helped to wine, and the servants have left the
dining-room, the host should pass the decanters to his guests,
commencing with the gentleman nearest to him.

It is not the fashion for gentlemen to drink wine with each other either
at dinner or dessert, and the guest fills his glass or not, according to
inclination.

Ladies are not supposed to require a second glass of wine at dessert,
and passing the decanters is principally for the gentlemen. If a lady
should require a second glass of wine at dessert, the gentleman seated
next to her would fill her glass; she should not help herself to wine.
After the wine has been passed once around the table, or about ten
minutes after the servants have left the dining-room, the hostess should
give the signal for the ladies to leave the dining-room, by bowing to
the lady of highest rank present, seated at the host's right hand. She
should then rise from her seat, as should all the ladies on seeing her
do so.

The gentlemen should rise also, and remain standing by their chairs
until the ladies have quitted the room, wh