She could see, however,
that the carving of such figures was a new art with them, since these
lions were very rude and clumsy performances for people who could
make such delicate tracery as they had seen within. And then, while
Kate was happily looking with Adelaide at the orange trees that
completed the Spanish air of the court, and hoping to see the
fountain play in the evening, he told Grace that it was worth while
taking people to see sights if they had as much intelligence and
observation as Kate had, and did not go gazing idly about, thinking
of nothing.
He meant it to stir up his rather indolent-minded Grace--he did not
mean the countess to hear it; but some people's eyes and ears are
wonderfully quick at gathering what is to their own credit, and Kate,
who had not heard a bit of commendation for a long time, was greatly
elated.
Luckily for appearances, she remembered how Miss Edgeworth's Frank
made himself ridiculous by showing off to Mrs. J-- , and how she
herself had once been overwhelmed by the laughter of the Wardour
family for having rehearsed to poor Mrs. Brown all the characters of
the gods of the Northmen--Odin, Thor, and all--when she had just
learnt them. So she was more careful than before not to pour out all
the little that she knew; and she was glad she had not committed
herself, for she had very nearly volunteered the information that
Pompeii was overwhelmed by Mount Etna, before she heard some one say
Vesuvius, and perceived her mistake, feeling as if she had been
rewarded for her modesty like a good child in a book.
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