Chapter 33

           Itwas,asMrs.ArchersmilinglysaidtoMrs.Welland,agreateventforayoungcoupletogivetheirfirstbigdinner.TheNewlandArchers,sincetheyhadsetuptheirhousehold,hadreceivedagooddealofcompanyinaninformalway.Archerwasfondofhavingthreeorfourfriendstodine,andMaywelcomedthemwiththebeamingreadinessofwhichhermotherhadsethertheexampleinconjugalaffairs.Herhusbandquestionedwhether,iflefttoherself,shewouldeverhaveaskedanyonetothehouse;buthehadlonggivenuptryingtodisengageherrealselffromtheshapeintowhichtraditionandtraininghadmouldedher.Itwasexpectedthatwell-offyoungcouplesinNewYorkshoulddoagooddealofinformalentertaining,andaWellandmarriedtoanArcherwasdoublypledgedtothetradition.Butabigdinner,withahiredchefandtwoborrowedfootmen,withRomanpunch,rosesfromHenderson’s,andmenusongilt-edgedcards,wasadifferentaffair,andnottobelightlyundertaken.AsMrs.Archerremarked,theRomanpunchmadeallthedifference;notinitselfbutbyitsmanifoldimplications—sinceitsignifiedeithercanvas-backsorterrapin,twosoups,ahotandacoldsweet,fulldecolletagewithshortsleeves,andguestsofaproportionateimportance.Itwasalwaysaninterestingoccasionwhenayoungpairlaunchedtheirfirstinvitationsinthethirdperson,andtheirsummonswasseldomrefusedevenbytheseasonedandsought-after.Still,itwasadmittedlyatriumphthatthevanderLuydens,atMay’srequest,shouldhavestayedoverinordertobepresentatherfarewelldinnerfortheCountessOlenska.