A formal dinner was a theatrical production. The table groaned under ten courses: oysters, consommé, fish, entrée, roast, sorbet (to cleanse the palate), game, salad, cheese, dessert, and finally, fruits and nuts. Each course required a fresh plate, fresh silverware, and fresh wine. The lady of the house, corseted and jeweled, presided over the footmen like a conductor over an orchestra. Conversation was the main course; gossip, politics, and literature were served with the Bordeaux.