Nicodemus gasped.
“Lard preserve our dear lives. How did ’ee know that, doctor?”
“So much of it has gone the same road,” replied Pawley.
Nicodemus was never without a plausible excuse.
“It give me such a rampagin’ in my innards as never was.”
Lady Selina could not accept this as adequate.
“Now, Nicodemus, if you threw the medicine down the sink you didn’t take it.”
“ ’Twas the same sart seemin’ly, my lady—all in same blue bottle. ’Tisn’t physic I wants. ’Tis my roof that leaks so tarrible, and allers has done, allers—allers.”
His voice droned away. Lady Selina said cheerfully:
“Your roof shall be mended.”