It was a strange, strange thing, so all the country said, that Gertrude, the beautiful queen of Denmark, should, only two months after the good King Hamlet's death, marry his brother Claudius.

"Evil spirits must have whisperd to her-elves must have influenced her," said the superstitious peasant people to each other. "Else how could she, so

lately the idolized queen of our noble-hearted, gentlemannered king, have married this Claudius, whose contemptible appearance was exceeded only by his base, ignoble disposition,'

Some wrong is there," whispered the courtiers among themselves. "I dreamed of murder," said one. "And I of witchcraft," said another; "and much do I fear this present villainous king did kill our noble master that he might himself gain the throne, and push aside its rightful occupant, our dear young Hamlet. And see, here he comes now! Poor Prince! how sad he looks! Since his father's death, he has been thus clouded with the deepest melancholy. Student as he was, he seems to care no longer for his books; his games are thrown aside, and he wanders up and down the country like one a-weary of the

world."

One night, when two officers were keeping guard, there appeared before them a ghost-the ghost of the dead king, Hamlet. Again they saw it on the following night at the same time, in the same place.

Now, when the ghost of the dead returned to earth, it was believed that some wrong had been done which must be righted ere the dead could rest in peace. And so when this ghost appeared, so like in bearing and in figure to the kingly king, the guards, who had often talked together and had gravely shook their heads over what seemed to all so unnatural a proceed

ing in the Queen, now looked at one another saying, "It is as we feared. Some wrong has been done our king, and he comes to bid us listen and perbaps avenge

his wrong.

be told."

Of this appearance, young Hamlet must

Fearing the young Prince might not credit their report, the guards went first to his friend Horatio; told him what for two nights they had seen, and begged him to accompany them on the watch and see for himself.

Horatio came, saying, perhaps in doubt, perhaps to cover his own dread, "Tush! tush! 'tis but your fancy. The ghost will not appear. However, let us sit down, and you Bernado, tell us of this strange thing you say you've seen."

Bernado eagerly began. A sentence hardly had he said, when lo! the ghost appeared.

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feet.

Peace, peace," cried Marcellus, springing to his "See it comes again!"

"And in the very form of him that's dead" whispered Bernado.

"Speak to it, Horatio! Is it not the king? Looks it not like him?"

Hor.

"Stay, illusion!

If thou hast any sound or use of voice,
Speak to me!

If there be any good things to be done,

That may to thee do ease, and grace to me,

er

Speak to me!

If thou knowest some secret of thy country's fate,
Some secret of foretelling may avoid,

O, speak!"

And now 'tis gone! We wrong it with such show of force! And now, good friends, let us impart to young Hamlet what we have seen to-night. This spirit which will not speak with us, will speak to him.” Then the three separated, silent and awe-struck at what they had seen.

With slow step, and downcast eyes, Horatio went to the castle in search of Hamlet.

He found him in the large hall where the king, in the midst of a group of friends, stood making a very mixed up, extravagant speech, in which he begged them to make merry over the recent marriage and still to forget not to reverence the dead. A rather difficult thing to do, considering that the marriage so quickly following the good king's death was itself an outrage on all decency.

Hamlet looked on, his face sad indeed, and his soul filled with disappointment that the mother whom he had believed so noble should have so disgraced herself in this.

The queen, never now at ease in the presence of her noble son, turned to him, saying, "Good Hamlet, cast thy nighted color off, and let thine eye look like a friend on Denmark. Do not forever, with thy veiled