law, and loved him scarcely less. When he had sufficiently
acknowledged his popularity he came in to breakfast, at which meal they
all sat down together.

'And where are you going to-day?' said the little man, addressing
himself to Nell.

'Indeed I hardly know--we have not determined yet,' replied the child.

'We're going on to the races,' said the little man. 'If that's your
way and you like to have us for company, let us travel together. If
you prefer going alone, only say the word and you'll find that we
shan't trouble you.'

'We'll go with you,' said the old man. 'Nell--with them, with them.'

The child considered for a moment, and reflecting that she must shortly
beg, and could scarcely hope to do so at a better place than where
crowds of rich ladies and gentlemen were assembled together for
purposes of enjoyment and festivity, determined to accompany these men
so far. She therefore thanked the little man for his offer, and said,
glancing timidly towards his friend, that 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 ate 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