There were men who lived together at Roebury in a kind of club,--four or five of them, who came thither from London, running backwards and forwards as hunting arrangements enabled them to do so,--a brewer or two and a banker, with a would-be fast attorney, a sporting literary gentleman, and a young unmarried Member of Parliament who had no particular home of his own in the country. These men formed the Roebury Club, and a jolly life they had of it. They had their own wine closet at the King's Head,--or Roebury Inn as the house had come to be popularly called,--and supplied their own game. The landlord found everything else; and as they were not very particular about their bills, they were allowed to do pretty much as they liked in the house. They were rather imperious, very late in their hours, sometimes, though not often, noisy, and once there had been a hasty quarrel which had made the landlord in his anger say that the club should be turned out of his house. But they paid well, chaffed the servants much oftener than they bullied them, and on the whole were very popular.
To this club Vavasor did not belong, alleging that he could not afford to live at their pace, and alleging, also, that his stays at Roebury were not long enough to make him a desirable member. The invitation to him was not repeated and he lodged elsewhere in the little town. But he occasionally went in of an evening, and would make up with the members a table at whist.

There were several men who formed a kind of club at Roebury, travelling to the inn there from London for the hunting. They comprised a couple of brewers, a banker, a would-be attorney, a sporting literary gentleman, and a young unmarried Member of Parliament.
These men formed the Roebury Club at the King's Head, and a jolly life they had of it. They supplied their own game, while the landlord supplied everything else; and as they were not very particular about their bills, they were allowed to do pretty much as they liked. They were rather imperious, very late in their hours, and sometimes noisy; but they paid well, joked with the servants more than they bullied them, and on the whole were very popular.
Vavasor did not belong to this club, claiming that he could not afford it; when he visited the little town, he lodged elsewhere. But he occasionally went in, and would make up a table at whist.
