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 upon 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 such 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's 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."