"Nonsense," she said. "I insist on your going to bed yourself. Just get
out what is absolutely necessary. You can finish in the morning, and
remember," she went on, for she was standing with the door open, and the
corridor was still encumbered, "remember to ask the servants to pile up
or carry away some of these boxes. One can scarcely get in and out of
the rooms. I wish your luggage were a little more concentrated. You have
such a number of small cases and bags."
"Yes," Clodagh agreed. "You see I have never travelled any distance till
now," and she eyed her goods and chattels somewhat disconsolately.
"We must arrange about it," said Paulina vaguely. "But now, get to bed
quickly," and after all, Clodagh felt that she really was getting too
sleepy to do more than was unavoidable, and in a short time both girls
were fast asleep, Clodagh's last waking thought being a resolve to get
up very early indeed to complete her arrangements.
"I wish I could have got it all done to-night, but anyway the confusion
outside could not be cleared till to-morrow."
She was tired and she slept soundly, still not quite dreamlessly. One
very queer experience she had, and even when she was wide-awake, and
daylight streaming in, she could not make up her mind if it had been
dream or reality.
This was it, "and," she said to herself, "I am almost certain I was
awake."
It was midsummer weather, as I said, so the window was wide open, and
suddenly through the silence Clodagh heard a familiar sound. It was that
of bees humming. It grew nearer and nearer, and opening her eyes--or
dreaming that she did so--she looked up. The room was flooded with
moonlight, and in it she perceived the source of the sound. Two large
bees were buzzing about, very busy apparently, but as there were no
flowers on the table or mantelpiece, Clodagh wondered sleepily what
could have attracted them.
"I hope they won't sting me," she thought, for the humming grew nearer,
and then, strange to say, out of it gradually soft-whispering words
shaped themselves.
"Don't wake her, whatever you do," said one bee. "She is fast asleep and
we must obey orders."
"But we can't help humming," murmured the other.
"Well, hum gently. It will soothe her, and let us set to work, for there
is plenty to do before daylight."
That was all she heard, and soothe her the sound must have done, for she
knew nothing more till she really and unmistakably awoke, to see the
sunshine--the lovely, clear early summer morning sunshine--pouring in,
to hear the dear birds welcoming another happy beautiful day.
Clodagh started up. She had never felt fresher or brighter; all last
night's tiredness had gone. She was used to early rising, and felt that
to stay lazily in bed was impossible.
"It would be delicious out-of-doors," she thought, "but I _must_ finish
the tidying and sorting, if possible before Paulina awakes," and she
sprang out of bed.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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