Sentence:  In the eyes of Mr. Farquhar Fenelon Cooke the apotheosis of the Celebrity was complete. The people of Asquith were not only willing to attend the house-warming, but had been worked up to the pitch of eagerness. The Celebrity as a <WSD>matter of course</WSD> was master of ceremonies. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  An expected or customary outcome.