the persons who had charge of the
Protestant foundling discovered the state of affairs they began to dun
the secretary and to neglect the child, now about thirteen months
old and preparing to walk. Since no money appeared they sold whatever
clothes had been provided for him, and absconded from the place where
they had been farming him for Protestantism. The secretary, by chance
hearing of this, was discreet enough to make no inquiries. Ginx's Baby,
"as a Protestant question," vanished from the world. I never heard that
any one was asked what had been done with the funds; but I have already
furnished the account that ought to have been rendered.

XIII.--In transitu.

One night, near twelve o'clock, a shrewd tradesman, looking out of his
shopdoor before he turned into bed, heard a cry which proceeded from a
bundle on the pavement. This he discovered to be an infant wrapt in a
potato-sack. He was quick enough to observe that it had been deftly laid
over a line chiselled across the pavement to the corner of his house,
which line he knew to be the boundary between his own parish of St.
Simon Magus and the adjacent parish of St. Bartimeus. He took note,
being a business man, of the exact position of the child's body in
relation to this line, and then conveyed it to the workhouse of the
other parish.

PART III. WHAT THE PARISH DID WITH HIM.

I.--Parochial Knots--to be untied without prejudice.

The infant borne to the workhouse of St. Bartimeus was Ginx's Baby. When
he had been placed on the floor of the matron's room, and examined by
the master, that official turned to the unwelcome bearer of the burden.

"Did you find this child?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Lying opposite my shop in Nether Place."

"What's your name?"

"Doll."

"Oh! you're the cheesemonger. Your shop's on the other side of the
boundary, in the other parish. The child ought not to come here; it
doesn't belong to us."

"Yes it does: it wasn't on my side of the line."

"But it was in front of your house?"

"Well, the line runs crossways: it don't follow the child was in our
parish."

"Oh, nonsense! there's no doubt about it! We can't take the child in.
You must carry it away again."

Mr. Snigger turned to leave the room.

"Wait a bit, sir," said Mr. Doll; "I shall leave the child here, and you
can do as you like with it. It ain't mine, at all events. I say it lay
in your parish; and if you don't look after it you may be the