Petronella shrugged her lean shoulders "I am always in pain," she said, "my legs and body--all pain. But the padrona left me something to take thanks be to her, povera signora, and the pain goes."
"Not chloral, I hope?"
"Si Signor. A little bottle of chloral. I take not much, only when I am bad, so bad. Then the pain goes."
"Be careful what you do Petronella. Remember your mistress died from taking too much."
"I shall be careful," muttered the old woman, "eh Dio mio! what does it matter if I die? All alone in this big house, and Signor Stefano away."
"You saw him the other day he told me," said Dr. Jim carefully approaching his business, "he told me you had some message for me."
Petronella nodded and screwed up her thin lips. "Only when he is in danger Signor. Not now. He is too well."
"What do you mean Petronella?" asked Herrick puzzled by her nods.
"Signor Dottore," said Petronella standing very straight, "my padrona before she died called to me. She gave me a large letter, and told me to give it to the Signor Dottore when Signor Stefano was in danger."
"Oh!" Herrick's eyes flashed. He had always wondered how it was that Mrs. Marsh had died without making any sign. After the conversation she had had with him he quite expected that she would have left him a farewell message. It appeared that she had done so, but that the letter had been withheld by Petronella, according to instructions. "When did she write this Petronella? You said nothing about it at the time."