horizon in illimitable extent.

"What a country! All cleared too! Every acre! And the villages! Why,
there are thousands if there is one! Dear! dear! dear! How can I
have the heart to blow about New England or Boston after that there!
Buttons, why don't somebody tell about all this to the folks at
home and stop their everlasting bragging? But"--after a long
pause--"I'll do it! I'll do it!--this very night. I'll write about it
to our paper!"

CHAPTER LV.

IN WHICH BUTTONS WRITES A LETTER; AND IN WHICH THE CLUB LOSES AN
IMPORTANT MEMBER.--SMALL BY DEGREES AND BEAUTIFULLY LESS.

But all things, however pleasant, must have an end, so their
stay in Milan soon approached its termination.

Buttons and the Senator were both quite willing to leave. The
departure of the Spaniards had taken away the charm of Milan. They
had already returned to Spain, and had urged Buttons very strongly
to accompany them. It cost him a great struggle to decline, but he
did so from certain conscientious motives, and promised to do so
after going to Paris. So there was an agonizing separation, and all
that. At his room Buttons unbosomed himself to his friends.

"I'll begin at the beginning," said he, directing his remarks more
particularly to the Senator.

"My father is a rich man, though you may not think I live very much
like a rich man's son. The fact is, he is dreadfully afraid that I
will turn out a spendthrift. So he gave me only a moderate sum on
which to travel on through Europe. So far I have succeeded very
well. Excuse my blushes while I make the sweet confession. The
Senorita whom we all admire will, some of these days, I trust,
exchange the musical name of Francia for the plainer one of
Buttons."

The Senator smiled with mild and paternal approbation, and shook
Buttons by the hand.

"It's all arranged," continued Buttons, with sweet confusion. "Now,
under the circumstances, you might think it natural that I should go
back with them to Spain."

"I should certainly. Why don't you?"

"For two reasons. The first is, I have barely enough tin left to
take me to Paris."

At once both the Senator and Dick offered to make unlimited advances.
Buttons made a deprecatory gesture.

"I know well that I could look to you for any help in any way. But
that is not the reason why I don't go to Spain. I have money enough
for my wants if I don't go there."

"What is the real reason, then?"

"Well, I thought that in an affair of