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t," 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 than eight months he will be of age." "Very true," said the cardinal; "time indeed flies, and so much to be done! By-the-by, Mr. Giles, have you by any chance heard any thing lately of my child?" "I have heard of him a good deal of late, for a client of ours, Lord Montairy, met him at Brentham this summer, and was a long time there with him. After that, I hear, he went deer-stalking with some of his young friends; but he is not very fond of Scotland; had rather too much of it, I suspect; but the truth is, sir, I saw him this very day." "Indeed!" "Some affairs have brought him up to town, and I rather doubt whether he will return to Oxford--at least, so he talks." "Ah! I have never seen him since he was an infant, I might say," said the cardinal. "I suppose I shall see him again, if only when I resign my trust; but I know not. And yet few things would be more interesting to me than to meet him!" Mr. Giles seemed moved, for him almost a little embarrassed; he seemed to blush, and then he cleared his throat. "It would be too great a liberty," said Mr. Giles, "I feel that very much--and yet, if your eminence would condescend, though I hardly suppose it possible, his lordship is really going to do us the honor of dining with us to-day; only a few friends, and if your eminence could make the sacrifice, and it were not an act of too great presumption, to ask your eminence to join our party." "I never eat and I never drink," said the cardinal. "I am sorry, to say I cannot. I like dinner society very much. You see the world, and you hear things which you do not hear otherwise. For a time I presumed to accept invitations, though I sat with an empty plate, but, though the world was indulgent to me, I felt that my habits were an embarrassment to the happier feasters: it was not fair, and so I gave it up. But I tell you what, Mr. Giles: I shall be in your quarter this evening: p
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