Now, a private pen or ink-bottle is seldom allowed to be in such a state, and the combination of the two must be quite rare.

But you know the hotel ink and the hotel pen, where it is rare to get anything else.

Yes, I have very little hesitation in saying that could we examine the waste-paper baskets of the hotels around Charing Cross until we found the remains of the mutilated Times leader we could lay our hands straight upon the person who sent this singular message.

Halloa! Halloa! What's this ?" He was carefully examining the foolscap, upon which the words were pasted, holding it only an inch or two from his eyes.
"Well ?" "Nothing," said he, throwing it down.

"It is a blank half-sheet of paper, without even a water-mark upon it.