money so cleverly that it was entirely expended before many days,
and that he was compelled to draw upon Mr. Dolphin for a sum to pay for
travelling expenses when the time of their departure arrived.

There was held at an inn in that county town a weekly meeting of a
festive, almost a riotous character, of a society of gentlemen who
called themselves the Buccaneers. Some of the choice spirits of
Chatteris belonged to this cheerful club. Graves, the apothecary (than
whom a better fellow never put a pipe in his mouth and smoked it),
Smart, the talented and humorous portrait-painter of High Street,
Croker, an excellent auctioneer, and the uncompromising Hicks, the able
Editor for twenty-three years of the County Chronicle and Chatteris
Champion, were amongst the crew of the Buccaneers, whom also Bingley,
the manager, liked to join of a Saturday evening, whenever he received
permission from his lady.

Costigan had been also an occasional Buccaneer. But a want of
punctuality of payments had of late somewhat excluded him from the
Society, where he was subject to disagreeable remarks from the landlord,
who said that a Buccaneer who didn't pay his shot was utterly unworthy
to be a Marine Bandit. But when it became known to the 'Ears, as the
Clubbists called themselves familiarly, that Miss Fotheringay had made
a splendid engagement, a great revolution of feeling took place in the
Club regarding Captain Costigan. Solly, mine host of the Grapes (and I
need not say, as worthy a fellow as ever stood behind a bar), told
the gents in the Buccaneers' room one night how noble the Captain had
behaved; having been round and paid off all his ticks in Chatteris,
including his score of three pound fourteen here--and pronounced that
Cos was a good feller, a gentleman at bottom, and he, Solly, had always
said so, and finally worked upon the feelings of the Buccaneers to give
the Captain a dinner.

The banquet took place on the last night of Costigan's stay at
Chatteris, and was served in Solly's accustomed manner. As good a plain
dinner of old English fare as ever smoked on a table was prepared by
Mrs. Solly; and about eighteen gentlemen sate down to the festive board.
Mr. Jubber (the eminent draper of High Street) was in the Chair,
having the distinguished guest of the Club on his right. The able and
consistent Hicks officiated as croupier on the occasion; most of the
gentlemen of the Club were present, and H. Foker, Esq., and Spavin,
Esq