CHAPTER V. DELILAH FROM STREATHAM
It was a favourite theory with Peter Ruff that the morning papersreceived very insufficient consideration from the majority of theBritish public. A glance at the headlines and a few of the spiciestparagraphs, a vague look at the leading article, and the sheets werethrown away to make room for more interesting literature. It was notso with Peter Ruff. Novels he very seldom read--he did not, in fact,appreciate the necessity for their existence. The whole epitome ofmodern life was, he argued, to be found among the columns of the dailypress. The police news, perhaps, was his favourite study, but he didnot neglect the advertisements. It followed, therefore, as a matter ofcourse, that the appeal of "M" in the personal column of the Daily Mailwas read by him on the morning of its appearance--read not once only nortwice--it was a paragraph which had its own peculiar interest for him.
Mr. Spencer Fitzgerald, if still in England, is requested to communicatewith "M," at Vagali's Library, Cook's Alley, Ledham Street, Soho.