"We passed through the kitchen by a door which opened on to a terrace.
Above us was the roof of the apiary; it was of thatch, and from its ledge
honeysuckle and wild grapes hung in magnificent festoons. The hives were
arranged on three shelves.
"Raesel went from one to the other, patting them, and murmuring--
"'Have a little patience; there is too much mist this morning. Ah! the
greedy ones, how they grumble!'
"And we could hear a vague humming inside the hive, which increased in
intensity until she had passed.
"That awoke all my curiosity once more. I felt there was some strange
mystery which I could not fathom, but what was my surprise, when, as I
went into the sitting-room, I heard the blind girl say in a melancholy
tone of voice--
"'No, father, I would rather not see at all to-day than lose my eyes. I
will sing, I will do something or other to pass the time, never mind
what; but I will not let the bees out.'
"While she was speaking in this strange manner I looked at Walter Young,
who glanced out of the window and then quietly replied--
"'You are right, child; I think you are right. Besides, there is nothing
to see; the valley is quite white.
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