ew details and suggest possibilities.

"A boy who was a cripple and one who was only a street singer and a
sort of beggar could get almost anywhere," he said. "Soldiers would
listen to a singer if he sang good songs--and they might not be afraid
to talk before him. A strolling singer and a cripple would perhaps
hear a great many things it might be useful for the Secret Party to
know. They might even hear important things. Don't you think so?"

Before he had gone far with his story, the faraway look had fallen upon
Loristan's face--the look Marco had known so well all his life. He sat
turned a little sidewise from the boy, his elbow resting on the table
and his forehead on his hand. He looked down at the worn carpet at his
feet, and so he looked as he listened to the end. It was as if some
new thought were slowly growing in his mind as Marco went on talking
and enlarging on The Rat's plan. He did not even look up or change his
position as he answered, "Yes. I think so."

But, because of the deep and growing thought in his face, Marco's
courage increased. His first fear that this part of the planning might
seem so bold and reckless that it would only appear to belong to a
boyish game, gradually faded away for some strange reason. His father
had said that the first part of The Rat's imaginings had not seemed
quite like a game to him, and now--even now--he was not listening as if
he were listening to the details of mere exaggerated fancies. It was
as if the thing he was hearing was not wildly impossible. Marco's
knowledge of Continental countries and of methods of journeying helped
him to enter into much detail and give realism to his plans.

"Sometimes we could pretend we knew nothing but English," he said.
"Then, though The Rat could not understand, I could. I should always
understand in each country. I know the cities and the places we should
want to go to. I know how boys like us live, and so we should not do
anything which would make the police angry or make people notice us.
If any one asked questions, I would let them believe that I had met The
Rat by chance, and we had made up our minds to travel together because
people gave more money to a boy who sang if he was with a cripple.
There was a boy who used to play the guitar in the streets of Rome, and
he always had a lame girl with him, and every one knew it was for that
reason. When he played, people looked at the girl and were sorry for
her and ga