or I ne'er saw me to be such a sinner as of late I have. You
call not that coming nearer God?"

"Ay, but it is!" said Mr Tremayne. "Think you, friend; you _were_ such
a sinner all your life long, though it be only now that, thanks to God,
you see it. And I do in very deed hope and trust that you have this
true sight of yourself because the Lord hath touched your eyes with the
ointment of His grace. Maybe you are somewhat like as yet unto him
whose eyen Christ touched, that at first he could not tell betwixt men
and trees. The Lord is not like to leave His miracle but half wrought.
He will perfect that which He hath begun."

"God grant it!" said Sir Thomas feelingly. "But tell me, what can I do
for Jack? I would I had listed you and Rachel, and had not sent him to
London. Sir Piers, and Orige, and the lad himself, o'er-persuaded me.
I rue it bitterly; but howbeit, what is done is done. The matter is,
what to do now?"

"The better way, methinks, should be that you left him to smart for it
himself, an' you so could."

"Jack will ne'er smart for aught," said his father. "Were I to stay his
allowance, he should but run into further debt, ne'er doubting to pay
the same somewhen and somehow. The way and the time he should leave to
chance. I see nought but ruin before the lad. He hath learned over ill
lessons in the Court,--of honour which is clean contrary to common
honesty, and courtesy which standeth not with plain truth."

"Ay, the Devil can well glose," [flatter, deceive] said Mr Tremayne
sadly.

"The lad hath no conscience!" added Sir Thomas. "With all this, he
laugheth and singeth as though nought were on his mind. Good lack! but
if I had done as he, I had been miserable thereafter. I conceive not
such conditions."

"I conceive them, for I have seen them aforetime. But I would not have
such a conscience for the worth of the Queen's Mint."

Indeed, Jack did seem perfectly happy. His appetite, sleep, and
spirits, were totally unaffected by his circumstances. Clare, to whom
this anomaly seemed preposterous, one day asked him if he were happy.

"Happy?" repeated Jack. "For sure! Wherefore no?"

Clare did not tell him.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

One evening in the week of Jack's return, to the surprise of all, in
walked Mr John Feversham. He did not seem to have much to say, except
that Uncle Piers and Aunt Lucrece were well. In fact, he neve