public function get($key, $locale = null) {
        $segments = $this->parseKey($key);
        $group = $segments[0];
        $item = $segments[1];

        if ("" == $group) {
            return "";
        }

        $localeArray = $this->parseLocale($locale);
        foreach ($localeArray as $locale) {
            $this->load($group, $locale);

            if (isset($this->loaded[$group][$locale])) {
                if (null == $item) {
                    return $this->loaded[$group][$locale];
                } elseif (isset($this->loaded[$group][$locale][$item])) {
                    return $this->loaded[$group][$locale][$item];
                }
            }
        }

        return "";
    }