The Swarm 
might be with no thoughts beyond house- 
hold cares. He had watched them stream 
into the hive, imperceptibly almost, out 
of breath, eager, exhausted, full of dis- 
creet agitation; and had seen the young 
amazons stationed at the gate salute 
them, as they passed by, with the slightest 
wave of antenne. And then, the inner 
court reached, they had hurriedly given 
their harvest of honey to the adolescent 
porteresses always stationed within, ex- 
changing with these at most the three 
or four probably indispensable words; or 
perhaps they would hasten themselves to 
the vast magazines that encircle the brood- 
cells, and deposit the two heavy baskets 
of pollen that depend from their thighs, 
thereupon at once going forth once 
more, without giving a thought to what 
might be passing in the royal palace, the 
work-rooms, or the dormitory where the 
nymphs lie asleep; without for one in- 
stant joining the babel of the public place 
in front of the gate, where it is the wont 
of the cleaners, at time of great heat, to 
congregate and gosip. 
