]Perhaps he assumed...

]...under the assumption...

Assumed/assumption. I think you're right that there's assumptions being made. As I said in my post above, some of the men of JA live and depend on assumptions. Mr. Bennet assumes he will have a boy, the elderly Mr. Dashwood probably assumed Henry would live long enough to provide adequately for his family after his death, Henry assumes John will keep his promise to 'take care' of this mother and sisters. I'm just in awe at the lack of forward thinking and foresight, the absence of consideration for all the possibilities on something so important as keeping women from poverty's door or dependence on resentful relatives who may or may not even exist at the needed time. There is a complete failure to consider early deaths, catastophies or natural disasters which can impact these assumptions. It is all a bit too cavalier in my opinion.