 if
there was no objection to their accompanying them as far as the race town -
    »Objection!« said the little man. »Now be gracious for once, Tommy, and say
that you'd rather they went with us. I know you would. Be gracious, Tommy.«
    »Trotters,« said Mr. Codlin, who talked very slowly and eat very greedily,
as is not uncommon with philosophers and misanthropes; »you're too free.«
    »Why what harm can it do?« urged the other.
    »No harm at all in this particular case, perhaps,« replied Mr. Codlin; »but
the principle's a dangerous one, and you're too free I tell you.«
    »Well, are they to go with us or not?«
    »Yes, they are,« said Mr. Codlin; »but you might have made a favour of it,
mightn't you?«
    The real name of the little man was Harris, but it had gradually merged into
the less euphonious one of Trotters, which, with the prefatory adjective, Short,
had been conferred upon him by reason of the small size of his legs. Short
Trotters, however, being a compound name, inconvenient of use in friendly
dialogue, the gentleman on whom it had been bestowed was known among his
intimates either as Short, or Trotters, and was seldom accosted at full length
as Short Trotters, except in formal conversations and on occasions of ceremony.
    Short, then, or Trotters, as the reader pleases, returned unto the
remonstrance of his friend Mr. Thomas Codlin a jocose answer calculated to turn
aside his discontent; and applying himself with great relish to the cold boiled
beef, the tea, and bread and butter, strongly impressed upon his companions that
they should do the like. Mr. Codlin indeed required no such persuasion, as he
had already eat as much as he could possibly carry and was now moistening his
clay with strong ale, whereof he took deep draughts with a silent relish and
invited nobody to partake, - thus again strongly indicating his misanthropical
turn of mind.
    Breakfast being at length over, Mr. Codlin called the bill, and charging the
ale to the company generally (a practice also savouring of misanthropy) divided
the sum-total into two fair and equal parts, assigning one moiety to himself and
friend, and the other to Nelly and her grandfather. These being duly discharged
and all things ready for their departure, they took farewell of the landlord and
landlady and resumed their journey.
    And here Mr.
