1 82 THE LIFE OF THE BEE 



I could give you minutest details of the meanness, deceit, 

 injustice, tyranny, and malice that underlie this picture of 

 ethereal, peaceful toil. Do not imagine that the sight of this 

 marvellous sky, of the sea which spreads yonder behind the 

 church and presents another, more sensitive sky, flowing over 

 the earth like a great mirror of wisdom and consciousness 

 — do not imagine that either sea or sky is capable of lifting 

 their thoughts or v/idening their minds. They have never 

 looked at them. Nothing has power to influence or move 

 them save three or four circumscribed fears : that of hunger, 

 of force, of opinion and law, and the terror of hell when 

 they die. To show what they are we should have to 

 consider them one by one. See that tall fellow there on 

 the right who flings up such mighty sheaves. Last summer 

 his friends broke his right arm in some tavern row. I 

 reduced the fracture, which was a bad and compound one. 

 I tended him for a long time, and gave him the wherewithal 

 to live till he should be able to get back to work. He 

 came to me every day. He profited by this to spread the 

 report in the village that he had discovered me in the arms 

 of my sister-in-law, and that my mother drank. He is not 

 vicious, he bears me no ill-will ; on the contrary, see what 

 a broad, open smile spreads over his face as he sees me. 

 It was not social animosity that induced him to slander me. 

 The peasant values wealth far too much to hate the rich 

 man. But I fancy my good corn-thrower there could not 

 understand my tending him without any profit to myself 

 He was satisfied that there must be some underhand scheme, 

 and he declined to be my dupe. More than one before 

 him, richer or poorer, has acted in similar fashion, if not 



