Swarming. 55 



" No, I see you're not ; on the contrary, you are 

 condescending enough to come and speak to poor 

 me ! I feel the honor deeply, I assure you." 



He said these last words in such a nasty, sarcastic 

 manner that Buz determined to leave him. " Poor 

 fellow ! " she thought, " this noise and excitement 

 must have made him cross." And indeed the con- 

 fusion and hurrying about increased every minute. 



" Good-by, Mr. Drone, said Buz. " I really am 

 much obliged to you for what you have told 

 me." 



" I'm quite overwhelmed," said the drone, getting 

 more disagreeable than ever. " Your politeness is 

 something imperial. Are you sure you didn't get 

 hold of any royal bread? Are you sure you ain't a 

 queen ? Just make certain of it — do ! Fly out of 

 the hive and see if the other bees won't swarm round 

 you. They may. And what shall I do," he went 

 on, "to show my respect ? Shall I stick here waxed 

 to the floor all the rest of my life in case you want 

 to come back and ask any more questions ? Only 

 say the word. What ! going off in a huff, are you ? 

 That's right, follow your temper — and make haste, 

 or you'll never recover it ! " 



These last words were thrown after Buz, as she 

 hurried away without trusting herself to speak. To 



