52 AN ITALIAN QUEEN BEE 



below our front door, and indeed many such 

 things disappear as by magic, being carried 

 yards, even long distances away, if they are 

 not too bulky or heavy. Now, in this whole 

 case I was satisfied. I believed I had car- 

 ried out the benign and wise adaptation of 

 nature. Although I had slain her, I be- 

 lieved she had no capacity to suffer bodily 

 pain. I could not discern that I had any 

 myself, nor learn that any of our race had. 

 We could be killed without suffering, simi- 

 larly as many small insects and some of the 

 lower forms of life are known to have no 

 power to suffer. I was now a Sovereign in- 

 deed. I mused for eight days and then a 

 new and remarkable sensation took posses- 

 sion of me. It came about this way: 



