Good-night, Sir." He nodded, which was his usual salute at parting; but upon the young man's eagerly stretching out his hand, he took it readily enough, and gave it such a squeeze with his giant fingers as made Richard wince.

Then, smiling grimly, he retired.
As his heavy step toiled up stairs Richard perceived a slip of paper on the floor, which had apparently fluttered out of the old man's watch-case.

Upon it were written the three letters, B, N, Z.As he held it in his hand he heard the landlord's tread returning with unusual haste, and had only just time to replace the paper, face downward, on the sanded floor, before the other reappeared.
"I have dropped a memorandum, somewhere," said he.

"It is of no great consequence, but--Oh, here it is!" He picked it up, and replaced it in the hollow of his great silver watch.
Richard, who was sitting where he had left him, looked up with a glance of careless inquiry.

"Good-night again, Mr.Trevethick." "Good-night, Sir." And again the landlord smiled in his grim fashion..