He turned from the window as he heard his newspaper thrust under his door. He had only one luxury--a copy of the _Times_ every morning. It was a three-penny _Times_ in those days, but he had always managed to find his weekly eighteen pence for it. He picked it up now, and carelessly glanced at its front page as he was about to lay it aside. The next moment he was eagerly reading a prominent advertisement: "Lost in a Holborn to Chapel Street Omnibus, about 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, a Spanish manuscript, bound in old crimson morocco. Whoever has found the same will be most handsomely rewarded on bringing it to Spencer Levendale, Esq., M.P., 591, Sussex Square, W." Lauriston read this twice over--and putting the paper in his pocket, finished his dressing and went straight to the police-station. CHAPTER SEVEN THE MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT Melky Rubinstein came out of the side-passage by Multenius's shop as Lauriston neared it; he, too, had a newspaper bulging from his coat pocket, and at sight of Lauriston he pulled it out and waved it excitedly. "What'd I tell you, mister?" exclaimed Melky, as Lauriston joined him, the shadowing plain-clothes man in his rear. "D'ye see this?" He pointed to an advertisement in his own paper, which he had marked with blue pencil. "There y'are, Mr. Lauriston!--that identical old book what's inside the parlour--advertised for--handsome reward, too, in the _Daily Telegraph_! Didn't I say we'd hear more of it?" Lauriston pulled out the _Times_ and indicated the Personal Column. "It's there, too," he said. "This man, Mr. Levendale, is evidently very anxious to recover his book. And he's lost no time in advertising for it, either! But--however did it get to Multenius's? "Mister!" said Melky, solemnly. "We'll have to speak to the police--now. There's going to be a fine clue in that there book. I didn't mean to say nothing to the police about it, just yet, but after this here advertisement, t'ain't no use keeping the thing to ourselves. Come on round to the police-station." "That's just where I was going," replied Lauriston. "Let's get hold of Ayscough." Ayscough was standing just inside the police-station when they went up the steps; he, too, had a newspaper in his hands, and at sight of them he beckoned them to follow him into an office in which two or three other police officials were talking. He led Lauriston and Melky aside. "I say!" he said. "Here's a curious thing! That book we noticed on the table in Multenius's back room last night--that finely bound book--it's advertised for in the _Daily Mail_--handsome reward offered." "Yes, and in the _Times_, too--and in the _Daily Telegraph_," said Lauriston. "Here you are--just the same advertisement. It's very evident the owner's pretty keen about getting it back." Ayscough glanced at the two newspapers, and then beckoned to a constable who was standing near the door.