When the large party entered the dining-room one or two gentlemen might be seen to come in from some other door and set themselves at the table near to the duke’s chair.  These were guests of his own, who were staying in the house, his particular friends, the men with whom he lived:  the others were strangers whom he fed, perhaps once a year, in order that his name might be known in the land as that of one who distributed food and wine hospitably through the county.  The food and wine, the attendance also, and the view of the vast repository of plate he vouchsafed willingly to his county neighbours;—­but it was beyond his good nature to talk to them.  To judge by the present appearance of most of them, they were quite as well satisfied to be left alone.

Frank was altogether a stranger there, but Mr Athill knew every one at the table.

‘That’s Apjohn,’ said he:  ’don’t you know, Mr Apjohn, the attorney from Barchester? he’s always here; he does some of Fothergill’s law business, and makes himself useful.  If any fellow knows the value of a good dinner, he does.  You’ll see that the duke’s hospitality will not be thrown away on him.’

‘It’s very much thrown away on me, I know,’ said Frank, who could not at all put up with the idea of sitting down to dinner without having been spoken to by his host.

‘Oh, nonsense!’ said his clerical friend; ’you’ll enjoy yourself amazingly by and by.  There is not much champagne in any other house in Barsetshire; and then the claret—­’ And Mr Athill pressed his lips together, and gently shook his head, meaning to signify by the motion that the claret of Gatherum Castle was sufficient atonement for any penance which a man might have to go through in his mode of obtaining it.

’Who is that funny little man sitting there, next but one to Mr de Courcy?  I never saw such a queer fellow in my life.’

’Don’t you know old Bolus?  Well, I thought every one in Barsetshire knew Bolus; you especially should do so, as he is such a dear friend of Dr Thorne.’

‘A dear friend of Dr Thorne?’

’Yes; he was apothecary at Scarington in the old days, before Dr Fillgrave came into vogue.  I remember when Bolus was thought to be a very good sort of doctor.’

‘Is he—­is he—­’ whispered Frank, ‘is he by way of a gentleman?’

’Ha! ha! ha!  Well, I suppose we must be charitable, and say that he is quite as good, at any rate, as many others there are here—­’ and Mr Athill, as he spoke, whispered into Frank’s ear, ’You see there’s Finnie here, another Barchester attorney.  Now, I really think where Finnie goes, Bolus may go too.’

‘The more the merrier, I suppose,’ said Frank.

’Well, something a little like that.  I wonder why Thorne is not here?  I’m sure he was asked.’

’Perhaps he did not particularly wish to meet Finnie and Bolus.  Do you know, Mr Athill, I think he was quite right not to come.  As for myself, I wish I was anywhere else.’