f her fresh white glove.

Those who have been drawn into a conversation do not usually shake hands
on parting. But there is no fixed rule. A lady sometimes shakes hands
after talking with a casual stranger; at other times she does not offer
her hand on parting from one who has been punctiliously presented to her.
She may find the former sympathetic and the latter very much the contrary.

Very few rules of etiquette are inelastic and none more so than the
acceptance or rejection of the strangers you meet.

There is a wide distance between rudeness and reserve. You can be
courteously polite and at the same time extremely aloof to a stranger who
does not appeal to you, or you can be welcomingly friendly to another whom
you like on sight. Individual temperament has also to be taken into
consideration: one person is naturally austere, another genial. The latter
shakes hands far more often than the former. As already said, it is
unforgivably rude to refuse a proffered hand, but it is rarely necessary
to offer your hand if you prefer not to.

=WHAT TO SAY WHEN INTRODUCED=

Best Society has only one phrase in acknowledgment of an introduction:
"How do you do?" It literally accepts no other. When Mr. Bachelor says,
"Mrs. Worldly, may I present Mr. Struthers?" Mrs. Worldly says, "How do
you do?" Struthers bows, and says nothing. To sweetly echo "Mr.
Struthers?" with a rising inflection on "--thers?" is not good form.
Saccharine chirpings should be classed with crooked little fingers, high
hand-shaking and other affectations. All affectations are bad form.

Persons of position do not say: "Charmed," or "Pleased to meet you," etc.,
but often the first remark is the beginning of a conversation. For
instance,

Young Struthers is presented to Mrs. Worldly. She smiles and perhaps says,
"I hear that you are going to be in New York all winter?" Struthers
answers, "Yes, I am at the Columbia Law School," etc., or since he is much
younger than she, he might answer, "Yes, Mrs. Worldly," especially if his
answer would otherwise be a curt yes or no. Otherwise he does not continue
repeating her name.

TAKING LEAVE OF ONE YOU HAVE JUST MET

After an introduction, when you have talked for some time to a stranger
whom you have found agreeable, and you then take leave, you say, "Good-by,
I am very glad to have met you," or "Good-by, I hope I shall see you again
soon"--or "some time." The other person answers, "Thank you," or perhaps
add