"Where do we come in?" asked Mrs. Jones, timidly.
"When you've got something to say," said Mrs. Stout, before Miss Sawyer had time to reply.
"We will only use one entrance," explained Miss Sawyer, when the laugh that Mrs. Stout caused had subsided. "It will be much easier to remember, and accordingly will prevent confusion. And that," she said, waving her hand toward one side of the room, "is where the audience is supposed to be. Now if the cast will please step back into the hall we will begin."
The "cast" solemnly filed from the room, and Miss Sawyer, book in hand, took up a position in the centre of the stage.
"'Enter the Duke, the Magnificoes, Antonio, Bassanio, Gratiano, Salerio, and others,'" she read.
"Who's goin' to be the 'others'?" called Mrs. Stout. Miss Sawyer made no reply, and the rest did not laugh because each of them, excepting Mrs. Tweedie and Mrs. Stout, when the name of the character she was to play was read, had a nervous chill. Miss Sawyer waited patiently for some one to enter, but no one stirred.
"Who goes in first?" asked Mrs. Blake.
"The Duke," replied Miss Sawyer.
"Goodness!" exclaimed Mrs. Stout. "Have I got to be the first one?"
"Certainly; come right in and act as naturally as you can," said Miss Sawyer, with a patronizing air of encouragement.