fiEES. 9'i 



very unaccountable, Mr. Curate," — '' You 

 are jocular, my lord ! ''— " But come, sir, 

 I entreat that you would solve the enigma ; 

 I would fain see the convent.'" — " So you 

 shall, my lord, after dinner ; and I promise 

 you that your lordship will be satisfied with 

 my conduct." — Accordingly, when dinner 

 was over, the curate conducted the prelate 

 to a large enclosure, entirely occupied by 

 Bee-hives, and pointing to the latter, ob- 

 served, '' This, my lord, is the convent, 

 which gave us a dinner; it brings me in 

 about eighteen hundred livres per annum, 

 upon which I live very comfortably, and with 

 which I contrive to entertain my guests gen- 

 teelly." — The surprise and satisfaction of the 

 bishop at this discovery, may be readily con- 

 ceived. The sequel of the story informs us, 

 that ever afterwards, vvhenever a curate 

 made application to his lordship for an im- 

 proved living, he would only energetically 

 reply, " Keep Bees ! Keep Bees ! " 



