Egerton⁠—a quiet, God-fearing, honest citizen⁠—but they all knew him as well as he did, so he would say no more about that⁠—subject then to what he had said first and assuming what he had just said⁠—and bearing in mind the proverbial⁠—he thought he might say proverbial (Dickens, after all, was almost a proverb) uncertainties and surprises of his own profession, he thought they would not be wildly optimistic or unduly despondent⁠—and for himself he wanted to be neither⁠—if they estimated the costs of the action at a thousand pounds, but of course⁠—

Waking up at the word “pounds”⁠—the kind of word for which they had been subconsciously waiting⁠—the Committee began the process of unravelling which was always necessary after one of Mr. Dimple’s discourses. And their conclusion was that it was up to The Chase to subscribe as much of the money as possible, as much at any rate as would enable John Egerton to issue a writ without the risk of financial ruin.