23:  The first course of British meals is soup, ## on shallow plates. Then comes fish; there is often a knife and fork ## special shape. If you are in ## surroundings, keep an eye open for what the others are doing. The next course generally ## a joint of meat. Pudding is the fourth course. ## that he has finished with a course, a person lays his knife and fork on his plate with the handles towards him. After the pudding or sweets, the ladies may get up and retire to the drawing-room, ## the men a little longer over their wine, smoking and talking. When the ladies rise, the men get up too, ##, and resume their seats when they have left the room. Soon the men rejoin the ladies. It must not be imagined ## all English people eat like this. As in all countries, working-class people can afford ## the time nor the money to live like this. Their dinners are cooked not by a servant ## by the mother of the family. All meals are much simpler than these served in the homes of the rich.