bankers. Your eminence, you see, has sanctioned the felling, and
authorized the sales, and these are the final accounts, which must be
signed before we pay in."

"Give them to me," said the cardinal, stretching out both his hands as
he received a mass of paper folios. His eminence resumed his chair, and
hastily examined the sheets. "Ah!" he said, "no ordinary felling -- it
reaches, over seven counties. By-the-by, Bracewood Forest -- what about
the enclosure? I have heard no more of it." Then, murmuring to himself
-- "Grentham Wood -- how well I remember Grentham Wood, with his dear
father!"

"If we could sign today," said the visitor in a tone of professional
cajolery; "time is important."

"And if shall not be wasted," replied the cardinal. "But I must look
over the accounts. I doubt not all is quite regular, but I wish to make
myself a little familiar with the scene of action; perhaps to recall the
past," he added. "You shall have them to-morrow, Mr. Giles."

"Your eminence will have very different accounts to settle in a short
time," said Mr. Giles, smiling. "We are hard at work; it takes three of
our clerks constantly occupied."

"But you have yet got time."

"I don't know that," said Mr. Giles. "The affairs are very large. And
the mines -- they give us the greatest trouble. Our Mr. James Roundell
was two months in Wales last year about them. It took up the whole of
his vacation. And your eminence must remember that time flies. In less