He was so excited that his eyes sparkled with delight
Solubility- the ability to dissolve
The speaker is talking about the water. During winter, the water enters the cracks and freezes and expands. It breaks the stone and makes cracks and when the water melts the holes are bigger. What he is describing is mechanical weathering which is common in nature.
The phrase, "she never smiled" might suggest that 'she' is sad, or unhappy based on her lack of showing those emotions through a smile.
I believe it was the Nurse.
