He was not in a position to incur the displeasure of the police.
Thomas Taylor Cooper was one of those men-about-town, without visible means of support, who always manage to maintain an outward show of wealth.

No club is so exclusive that it does not contain one or more members of the Cooper type.

Their pedigrees are without blemish.

Their social position is secure through a long line of honorable ancestors.
But their means of livelihood are precarious.

Friends and fellow club members may wonder where they obtain the money for their dues, but somehow their curiosity seldom inspires them to investigate.
The Coopers of society and club life have many invisible means of support.