TWO DAMES.(The Talk of the Town)

Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, both holders of the title Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, flew in from London the other day to help promote the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of "Ladies in Lavender," in which they play sisters. Their plane landed at 5:10 p.m.; by 7 p.m., they were seated in the restaurant of the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Battery Park, valiantly projecting good nature about their mission.

"I so wanted to have a bath in my room," Dame Judi said. "Mog, could you work that metal stopper thing in your tub?"

"No-o-o," Dame Maggie said. "No bath for me, either."

Dame Maggie looked at her wrist- watch and said, "It's about midnight for us." She gave a restrained yawn. Dame Judi yawned, too. She said, "So little time. Mog, remember, we must shop."

"Oh, Jude, yes. That large store, Tiff-something. We laughed so much the last time we shopped."

"Yes, yes. Tiffany," Dame Judi said. "If they let us out, we must go back there." Dame Judi, who has deep-set, almond-shaped blue eyes and salt-and-pepper hair cut very short, wore a cream-colored pants suit; Dame Maggie, her eyes a lighter blue, her hair strawberry-blond, full, and thick, had on a black suit. The Dames, born a couple of weeks apart in 1934, met and became friends in 1958, when they were at the Old Vic. Both are Oscar winners. Both had husbands who died a few years ago. Both are a bit under five and a half feet tall.

They ordered and quickly demolished lobster salads and a bottle of white wine. Then a businesslike young P.R. man arrived and presented them with their schedules for the next two days.