’Ha! ha! ha!  You don’t know the duke’s ways yet; and what’s more, you’re young, you happy fellow!  But Thorne should have more sense; he ought to show himself here.’

The gormandizing was now going on at a tremendous rate.  Though the volubility of their tongues had been for a while stopped by the first shock of the duke’s presence, the guests seemed to feel no such constraint upon their teeth.  They fed, one may almost say, rabidly, and gave their orders to the servants in an eager manner; much more impressive than that usual at smaller parties.  Mr Apjohn, who sat immediately opposite to Frank, had, by some well-planned manoeuvre, contrived to get before him the jowl of a salmon; but, unfortunately, he was not for a while equally successful in the article of sauce.  A very limited portion—­so at least thought Mr Apjohn—­had been put on his plate; and a servant, with a huge sauce tureen, absolutely passed behind his back inattentive to his audible requests.  Poor Mr Apjohn in his despair turned round to arrest the man by his coat-tails; but he was a moment too late, and all but fell backwards on the floor.  As he righted himself he muttered an anathema, and looked with a face of anguish at his plate.

‘Anything the matter, Apjohn?’ said Mr Fothergill, kindly, seeing the utter despair written on the poor man’s countenance; ’can I get anything for you?’

‘The sauce!’ said Mr Apjohn, in a voice that would have melted a hermit; and as he looked at Mr Fothergill, he point at the now distant sinner, who was dispensing his melted ambrosia at least ten heads upwards, away from the unfortunate supplicant.

Mr Fothergill, however, knew where to look for balm for such wounds, and in a minute or two, Mr Apjohn was employed quite to his heart’s content.

‘Well,’ said Frank to his neighbour, ’it may be very well once in a way; but I think that on the whole Dr Thorne is right.’

‘My dear Mr Gresham, see the world on all sides,’ said Mr Athill, who had also been somewhat intent on the gratification of his own appetite, though with an energy less evident than that of the gentleman opposite.  ’See the world on all sides if you have an opportunity; and, believe me, a good dinner now and then is a very good thing.’

‘Yes; but I don’t like eating with hogs.’

’Whish-h! softly, softly, Mr Gresham, or you’ll disturb Mr Apjohn’s digestion.  Upon my word, he’ll want it all before he has done.  Now, I like this kind of thing once in a way.’

‘Do you?’ said Frank, in a tone that was almost savage.

’Yes; indeed I do.  One sees so much character.  And after all, what harm does it do?’

’My idea is that people should live with those whose society is pleasant to them.’

’Live—­yes, Mr Gresham—­I agree with you there.  It wouldn’t do for me to live with the Duke of Omnium; I shouldn’t understand, or probably approve, his ways.  Nor should I, perhaps, much like the constant presence of Mr Apjohn.  But now and then—­once in a year or so—­I do own I like to see them both.  Here’s the cup; now, whatever you do, Mr Gresham, don’t pass the cup without tasting it.’