Doctor Thorne Chapter XIX - The Duke of Omnium

In which Frank Gresham attends a grand dinner at Gatherum Castle, the sprawling Italianate seat of the Duke of Omnium, where the duke’s distant hospitality and the convivial excesses of the guests offer a curious spectacle of county society. Though surrounded by notable figures and fine fare, Frank’s sense of decorum is unsettled by the duke’s aloofness and the boisterous company, leading him to question the true nature of such aristocratic entertainments.