Then Miss Hart went on to explain how the Roman Calendar was originally made up, and how it has been modified for our present use, all of which, described in her interesting way, proved a pleasant lesson, and one which the girls always remembered.
“Now,” Miss Hart went on, “we come to the consideration of our little book, which is one of Shakespeare’s greatest and most famous plays. In the very beginning of it, as you may see, on this page, a soothsayer bids Cæsar ‘Beware the Ides of March.’ Cæsar paid little attention to him at the time, but, as we will learn from our study of the play, the Ides of March was indeed a dread day for Cæsar, for on that day he was cruelly stabbed and killed.”
“Oh!” cried Marjorie, who loved tragic tales, “may we read about it now?”
“Yes; but first I will tell you a little of Julius Cæsar, himself.”
Miss Hart then gave a short description of Cæsar and his time, and then they again turned to their books.
“Before we begin to read,” she said, “note these lines in the first scene of Act II. You see, Brutus says, ‘Is not to-morrow the Ides of March?’ And he sends a boy to look in the Calendar and find out. What does the boy say when he returns?”
Quick-sighted Marjorie had already looked up this, and read the boy’s answer, “Sir, March is wasted fifteen days.”
“So you see,” went on Miss Hart, “it was the eve of the fatal day. And now turn to the first line of Act III.”
Delight read this aloud: “The Ides of March are come.”
“Yes, Cæsar said that himself, remembering the soothsayer’s warning.”