Mr. Mivins (alias ‘The Zephyr')
Mr Mivins is an inmate of the Fleet prison where he occupies a room with several other inmates. When Pickwick is sent to the Fleet after the case of Bardell –v- Pickwick he is sent to the same room where he falls asleep and is awakened some time later by the noise of singing and merriment and sees a man in a green coat, corduroy knee breeches and grey stockings dancing a version of the hornpipe to the apparent enjoyment of the others present. That person is Mivins.
When the other inmates realise Pickwick is awake they start to ‘take the mickey’ out of him and one snatches his nightcap from his head. Pickwick immediately leaps out of bed, recovers his nightcap, strikes Mivins and then adopts a fighting stance, whereupon the other inmates fall about laughing.
Good humour is restored and introductions made and to cement their new friendship Pickwick gives Mivins a half sovereign to purchase sherry for them all. After Mivins has departed to purchase the sherry, his roommate, Smangle, advises Pickwick that although Mivins is a ‘devilish pleasant gentlemanly dog’ he cannot be trusted to return any change from the sherry purchase and suggests that somebody be sent to tell Mivins to spend the change on cigars for the party. This suggestion is acted upon and Mivins returns with his purchases; the sherry is shared whilst the cigars are promptly appropriated by Smangle!