t be correct, for instance, if he observed that his master took
wine with the ladies all round, as some gentlemen still continue to do,
but stopped at some one:--to nudge him on the shoulder and say, as was
done by the servant of a Scottish gentleman, "What ails you at her in
the green gown?" It will be better to leave the lady unnoticed than for
the servant thus to turn his master into ridicule.

2191. During dinner each person's knife, fork, plate, and spoon should
be changed as soon as he has done with it; the vegetables and sauces
belonging to the different dishes presented without remark to the
guests; and the footman should tread lightly in moving round, and, if
possible, should bear in mind, if there is a wit or humorist of the
party, whose good things keep the table in a roar, that they are not
expected to reach his ears.

2192. In opening wine, let it be done quietly, and without
shaking the bottle; if crusted, let it be inclined to the
crusted side, and decanted while in that position. In opening
champagne, it is not necessary to discharge it with a pop;
properly cooled, the cork is easily extracted without an
explosion; when the cork is out, the mouth of the bottle should
be wiped with the napkin over the footman's arm.

2193. At the end of the first course, notice is conveyed to the cook,
who is waiting to send up the second, which is introduced in the same
way as before; the attendants who remove the fragments, carrying the
dishes from the kitchen, and handing them to the footman or butler,
whose duty it is to arrange them on the table. After dinner, the
dessert-glasses and wines are placed on the table by the footman, who
places himself behind his master's chair, to supply wine and hand round
the ices and other refreshments, all other servants leaving the room.

2194. As soon as the drawing-room bell rings for tea, the footman enters
with the tray, which has been previously prepared; hands the tray round
to the company, with cream and sugar, the tea and coffee being generally
poured out, while another attendant hands cakes, toast, or biscuits. If
it is an ordinary family party, where this social meal is prepared by
the mistress, he carries the urn or kettle, as the case may be; hands
round the toast, or such other eatable as may be required, removing the
whole in the same manner when tea is over.

2195. After each meal, the footman's place is in his pantry:
here per