Accordingly, when the miserable baby was found on the steps of the workhouse, the first thing necessary was, if possible, to discover his parents; and, if possible, to hand him back to them. To aid us in this, the police were set on the track; the child was examined, any peculiarities with regard to his appearance noted down, and search instituted in various ways. Perhaps, however, with all our searching, nothing would have been found out but for a fact quite overlooked by Timbs. In due time, in Blind Alley, Mrs. Timbs had to be buried, her death inquired into, and the missing baby asked for. A baby of two days old missing in Blind Alley--a baby of two days old unaccounted for in the union at David's Row, Whitechapel: the link was complete, the police and the State triumphant. Timbs was outwitted; he had reckoned without his host; the unwelcome burden was to be returned upon his hands: but not only so; his offence was punishable, the law would punish him. Timbs, wishing neither for the baby nor the punishment, again called his scattered wits to work; this time with better success. He absconded, deserting not only the baby, but the nine older children. He was no great loss to any of them, and none of them, not even Molly and Patty, troubled themselves to look for him; they believed he had gone to America. For my part, I am glad to let his name drop out of Robin's story. I have never heard of him since. By this act of Timbs he certainly managed to punish the State for not thankfully and without a murmur accepting his one child, for now several more had to be housed, fed, and trained in the way that they should go. On investigation, it was found quite impossible for Molly and Patty, working as diminutive "hands" at a factory from eight in the morning to half-past five in the evening, and earning respectively for this labour sixpence and sevenpence a day, to take care of any members of the family but themselves. The little thieves were accordingly sent to reformatories, and the other children to Paul's Gate pauper school. For the present the baby, Robin, was to remain in the workhouse, at the door of which his father had placed him. He was to be put into the infirmary and taken care of by the pauper women, and if he proved a healthy child, at the age of two years he would be forwarded for the purposes of education to the school at Paul's Gate. Thus far he was provided for.