Note 20 — PREFACE. (continued 8)

Lose not a moment of time in placing the dinner on the table in proper order, and let not only every dish be as hot as possible, but every plate also, else the whole dinner will be spoiled. The cook’s labour will be lost if the cloth be not laid in the parlour, and all the paraphernalia of the dinner table completely arranged an hour before dinner. An invitation to dinner at five generally means six—at five precisely, half past five—and not later than five, five o’clock exactly, so that the dinner may be served up a few minutes after.