It told me through many pages what not to do.

Beyond that it seemed to have no idea.

I made a list of things it said a gentleman should _never_ do: it was a lengthy list.
Determined to do the job completely while I was about it, I bought other books of etiquette and added on their list of "Nevers." What one book left out another supplied.

There did not seem much left for a gentleman to do.
I concluded by the time I had come to the end of my books, that to be a true gentleman my safest course would be to stop in bed for the rest of my life.

By this means only could I hope to avoid every possible _faux pas_, every solecism.