xplanation. The grant of a wardship meant that some orphan heir of a
large inheritance was placed in the care of the grantee, who was obliged
to defray out of the heir's estate the necessary expenses of his
sustenance and education, but was free to apply all the surplus to his
own use until the heir was of age. When the inheritance was large,
therefore, the grant was a considerable boon to the guardian.

"And supposing that fail thee?"

"Well, then--if the worst come to the worst--I can but wed an heir,"
remarked Jack with serenity.

"Wed an estate, thou meanest, Jack."

"Of course, Sir. The woman must come with it, I reckon. That I cannot
help."

"Marry come up!" exclaimed Rachel. "Thou art a very man. Those be
right the man's ways. `The woman must come with it,' forsooth! Jack,
my fingers be itching to thrash thee."

"Such matters be done every day, Aunt," observed Jack, smiling
graciously,--not with reference to the suggested reward of his misdeeds.

"Black sin is done every day, lad. I wis that without thy telling. But
that is no cause why thou shouldst be the doer of it."

"Nay, Aunt Rachel!" retorted Jack, in the same manner. "'Tis no sin to
wed an heir."

"It was a sin, when I was a child, to tell lies. Maybe that is altered
now," said Rachel dryly.

"What lies, Aunt Rachel?" asked Jack laughing.

"Is it no lie, Jack, to lead a woman into believing that thou lovest
_her_, when, if she plucked her purse out of her pocket and gave it
thee, thou wert fully content, and shouldst ask no more?"

"You have old-fashioned notions, Aunt Rachel," said Jack, still
laughing.

"Jack! I do trust thou wilt not wed with any but one of good degree.
Let her be a knight's daughter, at the least--a lord's were all the
better," said his step-mother.

"But touching these debts, Jack," resumed his father. "Suppose thou
shouldst fail to wed thine heir,--how then?"

"Then, Sir, I shall trust to redeem the money at play."

Every man of substance--not a Puritan--was at that time a gamester.

"And how, if that fail?"

"They can't all fail, Sir!" said Jack lightly.

"My lad!" replied His father earnestly, "I did an ill deed when I sent
thee to London."

"Dear heart, Sir!" exclaimed Jack, just suppressing a much stronger
ejaculation, "I do ensure you, you never did a wiser thing."

"Then my life hath been one of sore folly," answered his father.

"I alway told thee thou shouldst come to wrack," added h