knew that best of all; but, though the Bench is swift to
speak, slow to hear, it felt obliged, in a case of this public interest,
to sit by, and be witnesses of the exhibition. Mr. Bailey concluded by a
play on the aphorism cited by his learned friend. "He would say that if
such justice were to be done, as his friend had urged, the Kingdom of
Heaven in England would rush to its fall."

The Court at once decided that, as the father had confided the custody
of the infant to the Sisters of Misery, and did not appear to desire
that it should be withdrawn, they, disregarding the religious clouds in
which the subject had been too carefully involved on both sides, gave
judgment for the defendant, with costs.

As they passed out of Court, Mr. Stigma said to his clients, "Quite as I
anticipated; you remember I told you so in my Opinion."

VII.--A Protestor, but not a Protestant.

The infant Ambrosius and his conductors could scarcely reach the convent
in safety. The building showed few windows to the street, but they were
all broken. What might have happened in a few days, but that Ginx's Baby
took the matter into his own hands, none can say.

The treatment to which the little saint was subjected soured his temper.
His kind nurses had choked him twice a day with incense, and now he had
inhaled for seven hours the air of the Queen's Bench. On his return to
the convent he was hastily fed, and carried to the chapel to give thanks
for the victory of the day. Wrapped in a handsome chasuble, they laid
him on the steps of the altar. In the most solemn part of the service
he coughed, and grew sick. The chasuble was bespattered. When the
officiating priest, to save that garment, took the child in his arms, he
nefariously polluted the sacerdotal vestments and the altar steps. Then
he kicked toward the altar itself, roared lustily, and finally went
into convulsions in Sister Suspiciosa's arms. Like most women, the Lady
Superior required her enthusiasm to be fed with success. She began
to think that she had been cozened: Ginx's Baby was too evidently a
spiritual miscarriage. He must, like the rest of his family, be, indeed,
"Protestant to the backbone." Father Certificatus agreed with her. His
robes and best chasuble were befouled.

"Let us not risk a repetition of this conduct," said he; "let the child
be given up. He is baptized, and cannot be severed from the Church. He
will return after many days."

Next morning the solici