"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."

"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 pointed 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 it with hogs."