The Life of the Bee 
or that the secret is monstrous, other duties 
will then arise that, as yet, perhaps, have 
no name. Let our heart, if it will, in the 
meanwhile repeat, “It is sad;” but let 
our reason be content to add, “ Thus it is.” 
At the present hour the duty before us is 
to seek out that which perhaps may be hid- 
ing behind these sorrows; and, urged on 
by this endeavour, we must not turn our 
eyes away, but steadily, fixedly, watch these 
sorrows and study them, with a courage and 
interest as keen as though they were joys. 
It is right that before we judge nature, 
before we complain, we should at least 
ask every question that we can possibly 
ask, 
[ 63 ] 
We have seen that the workers, when 
free for the moment from the threatening 
fecundity of the queen, hasten to erect 
cells for provisions, whose construction is 
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