Fanny and Mary were humble, and sure they could never catch the
German; and Kate, more enterprising, undertook the Italian. After
all, while they were chattering about it, they went past the valuable
document, and were come in sight of the "monsters" in the Gardens;
and Lord de la Poer asked Kate if she would like to catch a pretty
little frog; to which Mary responded, "Oh, what a tadpole it must
have been!" and the discovery that her friends had once kept a
preserve of tadpoles to watch them turn into frogs, was so delightful
as entirely to dissipate all remaining thoughts of thunder, and leave
Kate free for almost breathless amazement at the glittering domes of
glass, looking like enormous bubbles in the sun.
What a morning that was, among the bright buds and flowers, the
wonders of nature and art all together! It was to be a long day, and
no hurrying; so the party went from court to court at their leisure,
sat down, and studied all that they cared for, or divided according
to their tastes. Fanny and Mary wanted time for the wonderful
sculptures on the noble gates in the Italian court; but the younger
girls preferred roaming more freely, so Lady de la Poer sat down to
take care of them, while her husband undertook to guide the
wanderings of the other three.
He particularly devoted himself to Kate, partly in courtesy as to the
guest of the party, partly because, as he said, he felt himself
responsible for her; and she was in supreme enjoyment, talking freely
to one able and willing to answer her remarks and questions, and with
the companionship of girls of her own age besides.
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