THE SWARM 



ture is comparable. Each of these walls, 

 whose substance still is immaculate and 

 fragrant, of virg-inal, silvery freshness, 

 contains thousands of cells, that are 

 stored with provisions sufticient to feed 

 the whole people for several weeks. 

 Here, lodg-ed in transparent cells, are the 

 pollens, love-ferment of ever}- flower of 

 spring, making- brilliant splashes of red 

 and >-ellow, of black and mauve. Close 

 by, in twent>- thousand reserA-oirs, 

 sealed with a seal that shall onl\- be 

 broken on days of supreme distress, the 

 honey of April is stored, most limpid 

 and perfumed of all, wrapped round 

 with long and magnitlcent embroidery 

 of gold, whose borders hang stiiT and 

 rigid. Still lower the honey of A\ay 

 [15] 



