Then she had taken the will into her dressing-room and had hidden it temporarily in another drawer.

To distract her mind during dinner, she tried to think of a better place for it, and at last determined to unscrew the wooden back of a large old silver mirror which stood on her dressing-table, and to lay the two open sheets of the document upon the back of the looking-glass.

When it was all screwed up again, it would not be easy to find Veronica's will.
Matilde also thought of the aconite which Gregorio had recommended her to keep, and of where she could put it, out of the way of the servants.
Once, towards the end of dinner, Gregorio's terrifying laugh broke out suddenly, as the butler was offering him something.

The man started back a little and stared, and the spoon and fork clattered to the ground over the edge of the silver dish.

Bosio started, too, but Matilde fixed her eyes sternly on Gregorio's face.