The Court was at Caserta, to which it paid frequent visits in the summer and autumn--mainly, no doubt, at this moment to be able to dispense with the unwelcome presence of the French Ambassador while it was receiving the General who had come from the Emperor to lead the Neapolitan forces against the French. The Court could go to Caserta without attracting much notice, because there was a large portion still remaining of the old feudal forest, among whose ilexes the King loved to hunt; and Her Majesty, who was very wasteful, loved throwing away money on the collection, under her personal superintendence, of all the water in the neighbouring mountains for her artificial waterfall, fifty feet high, and vast systems of fountains. The Hamiltons generally went with them, and her adroit Ladyship was at the pains to have about her persons of position skilled in all the musical and theatrical diversions in which the dissipated Court delighted. There was a great deal of method in Her Majesty's mad extravagances. Her waterworks employing so much labour as they did, and being personally superintended by herself, gave her the opportunity of conversing with all manner of persons without exciting suspicion, and her enthusiasm for dragging visitors round to see her operations gave her the opportunity of taking people like the Admiral and General Mack, whom she wished to consult, out of reach of eavesdroppers. If they had been closeted together for a great while in the Palace, all Naples would have discussed what they had said or were supposed to have said; but if they were being dragged to see the waterfall-tunnel, or the casino of S. Leucio, which was quite three miles from the Palace, it was nothing. My Lady did not accompany them: walking exercise fatigued her, though she would dance or stand about at a reception for a number of hours. The Queen commanded the attendance of one of her ladies, and Donna Rusidda volunteered. The Admiral was attended by Will. The General, for reasons of his own, preferred not to have any of his staff with him. As he promised a good deal more than he was justified in doing, perhaps witnesses would have been inconvenient. My Lady kept General Acton, the Prime Minister, who was tottering for the moment, and therefore not to be trusted with secrets till his position should be decided at least one way or another. But I doubt not that the excuse on which she kept him was that she had important confidences for him from Her Majesty, which the others could not be allowed to suspect. Sir William was like the King. At really important moments people were apt to forget him. And indeed he was by no means well of the fever yet, though the drive over the hills had invigorated him.