"You walk down to the footlights, and the King of Egypt will be on one side of you and Father Christmas on the other," explained the vicar.
"And you needn't look round for the females, 'cause they don't appear till later on," added Jack Head.
A great laugh followed this jest, whereon Miss Masterman begged her brother to try and keep order.
"If they are not going to be serious, we had better give it up, and waste no more time," she said.
"Don't take it like that, miss, I beg of you," urged Nathan. "All's prospering very well. We shall shape down. Go on, Ned."
Ned looked at his part, then put it behind his back, and then brought it out again.
"This is too bad, Baskerville," complained Dennis. "You told me yesterday that you knew every word."
"So I did yesterday, I'll swear to it. I said it out in the kitchen after supper to mother—didn't I, father?"
"You did," assented Vivian; "but that's no use if you've forgot it now."
"'Tis stage fright," explained Nathan. "You'll get over it."