No person who has not a good ear for time and tune need hope to dance well.

At the conclusion of a dance, the gentleman bows to his partner, and either promenades with her round the room, or takes her to a seat.  Where a room is set apart for refreshments, he offers to conduct her thither.  At a public hall no gentleman would, of course, permit a lady to pay for refreshments.

No lady should accept refreshments from a stranger at a public ball; for she would thereby lay herself under a pecuniary obligation.  For these she must rely on her father, brothers, or old friends.

Good taste forbids that a lady and gentleman should dance too frequently together at either a public or private ball.  Engaged persons should be careful not to commit this conspicuous solecism.

Engagements for one dance should not be made while the present dance is yet in progress.

If a lady happens to forget a previous engagement, and stand up with another partner, the gentleman whom she has thus slighted is bound to believe that she has acted from mere inadvertence, and should by no means suffer his pride to master his good temper.  To cause a disagreeable scene in a private ball-room is to affront your host and hostess, and to make yourself absurd.  In a public room it is no less reprehensible.  Always remember that good breeding and good temper (or the appearance of good temper) are inseparably connected.

Young gentlemen are earnestly advised not to limit their conversation to remarks on the weather and the heat of the room.  It is, to a certain extent, incumbent on them to do something more than dance when they invite a lady to join a quadrille.  If it be only upon the news of the day, a gentleman should be able to offer at least three or four observations to his partner in the course of a long half-hour.

Gentlemen who dance cannot be too careful not to injure the dresses of the ladies who do them the honour to stand up with them.  The young men of the present day are singularly careless in this respect; and when they have torn a lady’s delicate skirt, appear to think the mischief they have done scarcely worth the trouble of an apology.

A gentleman conducts his last partner to the supper-room, and, having waited upon her while there, re-conducts her to the ball-room.  Never attempt to take a place in a dance which has been previously engaged.

Withdraw from a private ball-room as quietly as possible, so that your departure may not be observed by others, and cause the party to break up.  If you meet the lady of the house on her way out, take your leave of her in such a manner that her other guests may not suppose you are doing so; but do not seek her out for that purpose.

Never be seen without gloves in a ball-room, though it were only for a few moments.  Those who dance much and are particularly soigne in matters relating to the toilette, take a second pair of gloves to replace the first when soiled.