at a big hunt. Otherwise nice large sums would, as
usual, have been entered to your honour's credit under this item."

"Well, then, it is simply my fault this time; the poor fellows are not
to blame. Rely upon me in the future."

"On that account, however, the receipts are increased by a new item, to
wit, the hides of the sheep and oxen, which fell dead in heaps from want
of fodder."

"Ah, you see it is an ill wind that brings nobody any good."

"On the other hand, our receipts are less, so far as the item of wool is
concerned, which usually is considerable."

"Yes, I know, the price was low; there was scarce any demand for it."

"Moreover----"

"Let that be, Peter. We know that you are a worthy, honest man, and that
everything is in order. What is that other bundle there?"

"That is the account of Taddeus Kajaput, the overseer of the Nyilasi
estate."

"Ah! that is generally interesting reading. Any fresh discoveries?"

The gentleman in question was an enterprising soul, who had started
model farming on the estate committed to his care, but this model
farming cost infinitely more than it brought in. Moreover, amongst other
things he had started glass-works, sugar-works, a silk-factory, a
post-office, laid down fir plantations in drift-sand, not to mention
many other wonderful things, all of which had come to grief.

"So that is what comes of your scientific gentlemen taking up economical
questions," observed Master Jock, sententiously, when he had laughed
heartily over each separate item.

"I humbly crave your honour's pardon," said Peter, "but it is not the
scientific but the semi-scientific who do the mischief. Science is one
of those poisons of which a good deal cures but a little kills."

"Well, well, let us go on with the rest. What is that slender little
bundle over there?"

"That is the report of the lessee of the opal mines. He has paid the
four thousand florins rent in precious stones, which we could have
bought in the market for a thousand florins, if we had paid cash for
them."

"But what is the poor man to do? He must live. I know he has children to
support."

"But there was a merchant here from Galicia a little time ago who looked
at the mine and offered twenty thousand florins rent for it straight
off."

"What? Would you have me give the mine to a man from Galicia--to a
foreigner? Not if he paid me for it with the stars of heaven! Let us
stick by the old agreement. What is that other