Nine gallant champions had stood forward with Stimpson for freedom and The Chase. But all The Chase had attended the preliminary meetings; all The Chase had subscribed; all The Chase and all their wives had given evidence in Court; and before this unbroken, or almost unbroken, front (for there were a few black sheep) the Quick Boat Company had gone down heavily. Judgment for the plaintiffs had been given in the early spring. So that when it was widely understood that for lack of money John Egerton, a member of The Chase, was unable to defend himself from a scurrilous libel in a vulgar paper, the deepest instincts of the neighbourhood were aroused. A small informal Committee met at once at the Whittakers' house--Whittaker and Mr. Dimple (for legal advice) and Andrews and Tatham and Henry Stimpson. Stephen Byrne was asked to come, but had an engagement. Mr. Dimple's advice was simple. He said that subject to certain reservations--as to which he would not bother the Committee, since they related rather to the incalculable niceties of the law, and lawyers, as they knew, were always on the nice side (laughter--but not much)--and assuming that Mr. Egerton won his case, as to which he would express no opinion, though as a man he might venture to say that he knew of no one in The Chase--he had almost said no one in London--of whom it would be more unfair--he would not put it stronger than that, for he liked to assume that even a paper such as _I Say_ was sincere and honest at heart--to make the kind of suggestion which he knew and they all knew had been made in that paper, about Mr. 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.