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Thackeray, William Makepeace, 1811-1863

"The History of Pendennis"


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.


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