Chapter 15 Summary

Mrs. Hutchence is a beekeeper and shows Janet some of the finer points of the craft. Janet loves the work and feels at peace when she is around the small creatures. Gemmy is fairly adept at finding native swarms in the bush and has built up several hives for Mrs. Hutchence.

Janet remembers the first time she visited and saw the lady smoking the hives, dressed in her bonnet and veil. The sight had captivated her. Mrs. Hutchence was singing and Janet found that she was not afraid in the least. Almost immediately, she started assisting with the caretaking of the bees.

Janet has an incident while working with the bees. She has just taken off her bonnet and veil when a swarm comes towards her. Before she can take a breath, it is on her, covering her hands and body. She actually...