Paul repeated all of the speech he had committed to memory, and then waited for the ghostly visitant. Ben, who had not anticipated that there was so much speaking in Hamlet’s part, was rather confused, and did not know whether it was time for him to come out and strike terror to the heart of his supposed son or not.
He popped out his head two or three times, but Paul was not standing in such a position as he fancied would be best suited for the reception of a ghost, and he went back again out of sight, delighting the audience with his agility, and confusing Hamlet.
Paul knew that it was not the proper thing for him to stand there silent, and, fearing lest he might not have said enough, he began to repeat the same speech over again.
Ben realized that it was but a repetition that doomed him still to remain in hiding, and believing it to be a mistake on Paul’s part, he whispered, loudly,
“You’ve said that before; say something else.”
Paul was perfectly well aware that he had repeated those words before, and he was doing so for the very good reason that he did not know what else to say; but the ghost’s command confused him, and he stood silent and motionless, resolved to remain quiet rather than make a mistake.
By this time Mopsey had discovered that there was something the matter with the two actors who were supposed to be delighting the audience, and he found that it was the ghost who was delaying the progress of the play.
“Come out of there, Ben,” he whispered, loudly; and some of the audience hearing him, they called, in pleasant tones,
“Yes, come out, Ben, and show yourself.”
Thus urged, the ghost could do no less than make his appearance, and he arose from his place of partial concealment as majestically as he could, considering the fact that the sheet had been caught upon a nail, and he was obliged to stoop two or three times to unfasten it. But he did succeed in rising at last, and then, to make himself look as much like a spectre as possible, he held both arms straight out as he walked slowly down the stage.