e..........1 francs.
One candle..........1 francs.
One candle..........1 francs.
=============================
35 francs.

"By Jove! Thirty-five francs! My dear Sir. I quite agree with you.
It's an imposition."

A deep sigh expressed the relief of the fat man at this mark of
sympathy.

"There's no redress," said Buttons. "You'll have to grin and bear it.
For you must know that in these inland towns hotel-keepers are in
league, offensive and defensive, with all the cab-drivers,
omnibus-drivers, postillions, truckmen, hostlers, porters,
errand-boys, cafe-keepers, cicerones, tradesmen, lawyers,
chambermaids, doctors, priests, soldiers, gens d'armes, magistrates,
etc., etc., etc. In short, the whole community is a joint-stock
company organized to plunder the unsuspecting traveller."

"And must I stand here and be swindled without a word?" cried the
other.

"By no means. Row like fury. Call up the whole household one by one,
and swear at them in broad Saxon. That's the way to strike terror into
the soul of a Frenchman."

The fat man stared for a moment at Buttons, and then plunging his
hands deep into his trowsers pockets he walked up and down the hall.

At last he turned to the others: "Gentlemen, is this endurable?"

"Horrible!" cried Dick.

"Abominable!" the Doctor.

"Infamous!" the Senator.

"By jingo! I've a great mind to go home. If I've pot to be plundered,
I'd a durned sight rather have my money go to support our own great
and glorious institutions."

There is no doubt that the unfortunate man would have had to pay up if
it bad not been for the energetic action of Buttons.

He summoned the hotel-keeper before him, and closing the door, asked
his friends to sit down.

Then Buttons, standing up, began to repeat to the hotel-keeper,
smilingly, but with extraordinary volubility, Daniel Webster's oration
against Hayne. The polite Frenchman would not interrupt him, but
listened with a bland though somewhat dubious smile.

The Dodge Club did infinite credit to themselves by listening without
a smile to the words of their leader.

Buttons then went through the proposition about the hypothenuse of a
right-angled triangle, and appended the words of a few negro songs.

Here the worthy landlord interrupted him, begging his pardon, and
telling him that he did not understand English very well, and could
his Excellency speak French?

His Excellency, with equal politeness, regretted hi