The Foundation of the City 
to her, brow pressed to brow and mouth 
to mouth. But the queen, in nowise dis- 
turbed by this somewhat bold demonstra- 
tion, takes her time, tranquilly, calmly, 
. wholly absorbed by the mission that would 
seem amorous delight to her rather than 
labour. And after some seconds she will 
rise, very quietly, take a step back, execute 
a slight turn on herself, and proceed to the 
next cell, into which she will first, before 
introducing her abdomen, dip her head to 
make sure that all is in order and that she is 
not laying twice in the same cell; and in 
the meanwhile two or three of her escort 
will have plunged into the cell she has 
quitted to see whether the work be duly 
accomplished, and care for, and tenderly 
house, the little bluish egg she has laid. 
From this moment to the first frosts of 
autumn she does not cease laying; she lays 
while she is being fed, and even in her 
sleep, if indeed she ever do sleep, she still 
lays. Henceforth she represents the de- 
. vouring force of the future, which invades 
every corner of the kingdom. Step by 
step she pursues the unfortunate workers 
175 
