And as the infant brought her in much more money than her music did, she protested in very strong English against having it removed.
With the quickness of genius we saw in this incident the pivot on which our novel should be made to turn.
The baby was the heroine, the organ-grinder the villain who had stolen her from her high-born station in life.

Two of the characters fitted at a blow! We had even got the high-born parents ready if required, and when sixteen years later the little truant was to discover her noble station, we had our hero ready to take her home! Between the pier-gate and Warrior Square we had the whole story worked out.
"What has kept you little boys out so late ?" asked a voice as we entered Mr Hullock's hall.

"It's not right.

You should have been in bed by eight." It was Aunt Sarah! and we secretly condemned her on the spot to a public execution in our last chapter.
As we undressed that evening another point was cleared up.
"We can't keep the hero hanging about sixteen years before we bring him in," said Harry.
"Humph," I observed, "unless we said `sixteen years passed' at the end of the first chapter, and then we might get him in in the second." "It strikes me," said Harry dubiously, "he ought to be in it all through.

What do you say to making him another stolen baby belonging to another organ?
Just as likely to have two stolen as one." It did occur to me that if it came to that, all the characters in the story might begin life in this romantic way.