The Life of the Bee 



shade of the hive. It is not chance that 

 controls them, but a wisdom whose deep 

 loyalty, gravity, and unsleeping watch- 

 fulness man alone can betray : a wisdom 

 that makes and unmakes, and keeps careful 

 watch over all that happens within and 

 without the city. If sudden flowers 

 abound, or the queen grow old, or less 

 fruitful ; if population increase, and be 

 pressed for room, you then shall find 

 that the bees will proceed to rear royal 

 cells. But these cells may be destroyed 

 if the harvest fail, or the hive be en- 

 larged. Often they will be retained so 

 long as the young queen have not ac- 

 complished, or succeeded in, her marriage 

 flight, — to be at once annihilated when 

 she returns, trailing behind her, trophy- 

 wise, the infallible sign of her impregna- 

 tion. Who shall say where the wisdom 

 resides that can thus balance present and 

 future, and prefer what is not yet visible 

 ii8 



