Messages flashed by candlelight by Gennaro Lucca

Messages flashed by candlelight from Gennaro Lucca to his wife, Emilia.

“A single flash — that is A, surely. Now, then. How many did you make it? Twenty. So did I. That should mean T. AT — that’s intelligible enough! Another T. Surely this is the beginning of a second word. Now, then — TENTA. Dead stop. That can’t be all, Watson? ATTENTA gives no sense. Nor is it any better as three words AT, TEN, TA, unless T. A. are a person’s initials. There it goes again! What’s that? ATTE why, it is the same message over again. Curious, Watson, very curious! Now he is off once more! AT — why, he is repeating it for the third time. ATTENTA three times!”
“PERICOLO pericolo — eh, what’s that, Watson? ‘Danger,’ isn’t it? Yes, by Jove, it’s a danger signal. There he goes again!” (Sherlock Holmes)