Not a female inheritor, even, or a male inheritor through females, could be traced; and it had become imperative on Sir Wycherly to make a will, lest the property should go off, the Lord knew where; or, what was worse, it should escheat.

It is true, Tom Wychecombe, the judge's eldest son, often gave dark hints about a secret, and a timely marriage between his parents, a fact that would have superseded the necessity for all devises, as the property was strictly tied up, so far as the lineal descendants of a certain _old_ Sir Wycherly were concerned; but the present Sir Wycherly had seen his brother, in his last illness, on which occasion, the following conversation had taken place.
"And now, brother Thomas," said the baronet, in a friendly and consoling manner; "having, as one may say, prepared your soul for heaven, by these prayers and admissions of your sins, a word may be prudently said, concerning the affairs of this world.

You know I am childless--that is to say,--" "I understand you, Wycherly," interrupted the dying man, "you're a _bachelor_." "That's it, Thomas; and bachelors _ought_ not to have children.

Had our poor brother James escaped that mishap, he might have been sitting at your bed-side at this moment, and _he_ could have told us all about it.
St.James I used to call him; and well did he deserve the name!" "St.James the Least, then, it must have been, Wycherly." "It's a dreadful thing to have no heir, Thomas! Did you ever know a case in your practice, in which another estate was left so completely without an heir, as this of ours ?" "It does not often happen, brother; heirs are usually more abundant than estates." "So I thought.

Will the king get the title as well as the estate, brother, if it should escheat, as you call it ?" "Being the fountain of honour, he will be rather indifferent about the baronetcy." "I should care less if it went to the next sovereign, who is English born.