Page:Book of Etiquette, Volume 1, by Lilian Eichler.djvu/153

 time, polite acknowledgment must be made. It is not necessary, though often it is pleasant, to recall a former introduction, especially if one feels sure that the other will have no difficulty in recollecting the occasion. It is the duty of the gentleman to recall a previous introduction. He may say, "I think I have had the pleasure of meeting Miss Stone last week," or, "Miss Stone and I have already been introduced." If two ladies are presented to each other for the second time, the younger or unmarried one incurs the duty of recalling the first introduction. "I have already met Mrs. Jessup," is a form that may be used on any occasion.

At a formal or informal dinner, the host and hostess must make all guests known to one another before leading the company to the table. It is neither graceful nor good form to introduce after the guests are seated.

The secret of correct introduction at dinner is to avoid all obvious effort to present certain guests to one another. For instance, it is not the best form to interrupt a conversation and draw a young man to another part of the room to present him to a young lady. Nor is it necessary for the hostess to incommode herself by rising, during the course of the dinner, to greet a late-comer and make him known to the other guests. She may merely nod to him, accept his excuse for tardiness with a gracious smile or word of welcome, and retain all introductions until later in the evening when the guests have assembled in the drawing-room.

Sometimes, at a very large formal dinner, it is not possible for the host and hostess to introduce every guest.