The Life of the Bee 
But whatever the name we attach to these 
vases, it is certain that one of them, at least, 
and the greatest—that which bears on its 
flank the name “ Nature ”’—encloses a very 
real force, the most real of all, and one that 
is able to preserve an enormous and marvel- 
lous quantity and quality of life on our 
globe by means so skilful that they surpass 
all that the genius of man could contrive. 
Could this quantity and quality be main- 
tained by other means? Is it we who 
deceive ourselves when we imagine that we 
see precautions where perhaps there is truly 
no more than a fortunate chance, that has 
survived a million unfortunate chances? 
82 
That may be; but these fortunate chances 
teach us a lesson in admiration as valuable 
as those we might learn in regions superior 
to chance. If we let our gaze travel beyond 
the creatures that are possessed of a glimmer 
of intellect and consciousness, beyond the pro- 
tozoa even, which are the first nebulous repre- 
sentatives of the dawning animal kingdom, 
230 
