She was most of
all delighted with the Alhambra--the beauty of it was to her like a
fairy tale; and she had read Washington Irving's "Siege of Granada,"
so that she could fancy the courts filled with the knightly Moors,
who were so noble that she could not think why they were not
Christians--nay, the tears quite came into her eyes as she looked up
in Lord de la Poer's face, and asked why nobody converted the
Abencerrages instead of fighting with them!
It was a pity that Kate always grew loud when she was earnest; and
Lord de la Poer's interest in the conversation was considerably
lessened by the discomfort of seeing some strangers looking surprised
at the five syllables in the squeaky voice coming out of the mouth of
so small a lady.
"Gently, my dear," he softly said; and Kate for a moment felt it hard
that the torment about her voice should pursue her even in such
moments, and spoil the Alhambra itself.
However, her good humour recovered the next minute, at the Fountain
of Lions. She wanted to know how the Moors came to have lions; she
thought she had heard that no Mahometans were allowed to represent
any living creature, for fear it should be an idol. Lord de la Poer
said she was quite right, and that the Mahometans think these forms
will come round their makers at the last day, demanding to have souls
given to them; but that her friends, the Moors of Spain, were much
less strict than any others of their faith.
Pages:
89
90
91
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113