=WHEN THE CALLER LEAVES=

The butler or maid must stand with the front door open until a visitor re-enters her motor, or if she is walking, until she has reached the sidewalk.  It is bad manners ever to close the door in a visitor’s face.

When a chauffeur leaves cards, the door may be closed as soon as he turns away.

=WHEN THE LADY OF THE HOUSE IS AT HOME=

When the door is opened by a waitress or a parlor-maid and the mistress of the house is in the drawing-room, the maid says “This way, please,” and leads the way.  She goes as quickly as possible to present the card tray.  The guest, especially if a stranger, lags in order to give the hostess time to read the name on the card.

The maid meanwhile moves aside, to make room for the approaching visitor, who goes forward to shake hands with the hostess.  If a butler is at the door, he reads the card himself, picking it up from the tray, and opening the door of the drawing-room announces:  “Mrs. Soandso,” after which he puts the card on the hall table.

The duration of a formal visit should be in the neighborhood of twenty minutes.  But if other visitors are announced, the first one—­on a very formal occasion—­may cut her visit shorter.  Or if conversation becomes especially interesting, the visit may be prolonged five minutes or so.  On no account must a visitor stay an hour!

A hostess always rises when a visitor enters, unless the visitor is a very young woman or man and she herself elderly, or unless she is seated behind the tea-table so that rising is difficult.  She should, however, always rise and go forward to meet a lady much older than herself; but she never rises from her tea-table to greet a man, unless he is quite old.

If the lady of the house is “at home” but up-stairs, the servant at the door leads the visitor into the reception room, saying “Will you take a seat, please?” and then carries the card to the mistress of the house.

On an exceptional occasion, such as paying a visit of condolence or inquiring for a convalescent, when the question as to whether he will be received is necessarily doubtful, a gentleman does not take off his coat or gloves, but waits in the reception room with his hat in his hand.  When the servant returning says either “Will you come this way, please?” or “Mrs. Town is not well enough to see any one, but Miss Alice will be down in a moment,” the visitor divests himself of his coat and gloves, which the servant carries, as well as his hat, out to the front hall.

As said before, few men pay visits without first telephoning.  But perhaps two or three times during a winter a young man, when he is able to get away from his office in time, will make a tea-time visit upon a hostess who has often invited him to dinner or to her opera box.  Under ordinary circumstances, however, some woman member of his family leaves his card for him after a dinner or a dance, or else it is not left at all.