display of jewels. Or a house will be particularly "brilliant" if a very
great singer is appearing in a new rôle, or if a personage be present, as
when Marshal Joffre went to the Metropolitan.


=AFTER THE PERFORMANCE=

One gentleman, at least, must wait in the carriage lobby until all the
ladies in his party have driven away. _Never_ under any circumstances may
"the last" gentleman leave a lady standing alone on the sidewalk. It is
the duty of the hostess to take all unattended ladies home who have not a
private conveyance of their own, but the obligation does not extend to
married couples or odd men. But if a married lady or widow has ordered her
own car to come for her, the odd gentleman waits with her until it
appears. It is then considerate for her to offer him a "lift," but it is
equally proper for her to thank him for waiting and drive off alone.


=AT THE THEATER=

New Yorkers of highest fashion almost never occupy a box at the theater.
At the opera the world of fashion is to be seen in the parterre boxes (not
the first tier), and in boxes at some of the horse shows and at many
public charity balls and entertainments, but those in boxes at the theater
are usually "strangers" or "outsiders."

No one can dispute that the best theater seats are those in the center of
the orchestra. A box in these days of hatlessness has nothing to recommend
it except that the people can sit in a group and gentlemen can go out
between the acts easily, but these advantages hardly make up for the