He knew a secret emissary of the Pope by the cock of his hat, or
the color of his stockings. At least, he thought so, and
thousands of persons acted on his estimate of himself.

"This case," said he to the little man, when he had concluded his
report, "though not in its first incidents so grave as we were
led to expect, is, in another point of view, very serious. Here
is a man, as you have expressed it, 'indifferent' to his child's
life-- animal and spiritual. The mother, with a true Protestant
heart, and a fine breast of milk, is longing to nurture her
child, and to deliver it from the toils of the Papacy. But the
husband, what's his name? . . . . Ginx-- Ginx? a very bad name
for a case, by the way--GINX'S CASE!--this Ginx has given up his
child to the Sisters of Misery. How are we to get it away again,
without his cooperation? . . . . Well, we must try."

The solicitor of the Association was forthwith summoned. When
the matter had been laid before him, he expressed doubts, offered
and withdrew courses of action, and ended by suggesting that he
should take the opinion of counsel.

"Mr. Stigma, I suppose?" said he to the secretary.

"Oh, yes, Sir Adolphus Stigma is one of our principal supporters,
and his son's heart is thoroughly with us."

Messrs. Roundhead, Roundhead and Lollard, drew up a case to be
submitted to Mr. Stigma. I will only transcribe the latter
paragraphs:--