sitting
there with a pipe in your mouth, and half a dozen gents eating their
teas the while in this very room? The rule of the case I take it to
be this; when--"

"Bother your rules."

"Well; it was you spoke of them."

"The question I take to be this," said Moulder, now emboldened by
the opposition he had received. "Has the gentleman any right to
be in this room at all, or has he not? Is he commercial, or is
he--miscellaneous? That's the chat, as I take it."

"You're on the square there, I must allow," said Kantwise.

"James," said Moulder, appealing with authority to the waiter, who
had remained in the room during the controversy;--and now Mr. Moulder
was determined to do his duty and vindicate his profession, let
the consequences be what they might. "James, is that gentleman
commercial, or is he not?"

It was clearly necessary now that Mr. Dockwrath himself should take
his own part, and fight his own battle. "Sir," said he, turning to
Mr. Moulder, "I think you'll find it extremely difficult to define
that word;--extremely difficult. In this enterprising country all men
are more or less commercial."

"Hear! hear!" said Mr. Kantwise.

"That's gammon," said Mr. Moulder.

"Gammon it may be," said Mr. Dockwrath, "but nevertheless it's
right in law. Taking the word in its broadest, strictest, and most
intelligible sense, I am a commercial gentleman; and as such I do
maintain that I have a full right to the accommodation of this public
room."

"That's very well put," said Mr. Kantwise.

"Waiter," thundered out Mr. Moulder, as though he imagined that that
functionary was down the yard at the taproom instead of standing
within three feet of his elbow. "Is this gent a commercial, or is he
not? Because if not,--then I'll trouble you to send Mr. Crump here.
My compliments to Mr. Crump, and I wish to see him." Now Mr. Crump
was the landlord of the Bull Inn.

"Master's just stepped out, down the street," said James.

"Why don't you answer my question, sir?" said Moulder, becoming
redder and still more red about his shirt-collars.

"The gent said as how he was 'mercial," said the poor man. "Was I to
go to contradict a gent and tell him he wasn't when he said as how he
was?"

"If you please," said Mr. Dockwrath, "we will not bring the waiter
into this discussion. I asked for the commercial room, and he did his
duty in showing me to the door of it. The fact I take to be this; in
the south of England the rules t