Never mind," said Marco. "Never mind. We will go away the day we can
pay no more."

"I can go out and sell newspapers," said The Rat's sharp voice.

"I've done it before. Crutches help you to sell them. The platform
would sell 'em faster still. I'll go out on the platform."

"I can sell newspapers, too," said Marco.

Lazarus uttered an exclamation like a groan.

"Sir," he cried, "no, no! Am I not here to go out and look for work?
I can carry loads. I can run errands."

"We will all three begin to see what we can do," Marco said.

Then--exactly as had happened on the day of their return from their
journey--there arose in the road outside the sound of newsboys
shouting. This time the outcry seemed even more excited than before.
The boys were running and yelling and there seemed more of them than
usual. And above all other words was heard "Samavia! Samavia!" But
to-day The Rat did not rush to the door at the first cry. He stood
still--for several seconds they all three stood still--listening.
Afterwards each one remembered and told the others that he had stood
still because some strange, strong feeling held him WAITING as if to
hear some great thing.

It was Lazarus who went out of the room first and The Rat and Marco
followed him.

One of the upstairs lodgers had run down in haste and opened the door
to buy newspapers and ask questions. The newsboys were wild with
excitement and danced about as they shouted. The piece of news they
were yelling had evidently a popular quality.

The lodger bought two papers and was handing out coppers to a lad who
was talking loud and fast.

"Here's a go!" he was saying. "A Secret Party's risen up and taken
Samavia! 'Twixt night and mornin' they done it! That there Lost
Prince descendant 'as turned up, an' they've CROWNED him--'twixt night
and mornin' they done it! Clapt 'is crown on 'is 'ead, so's they'd
lose no time." And off he bolted, shouting, "'Cendant of Lost Prince!
'Cendant of Lost Prince made King of Samavia!"

It was then that Lazarus, forgetting even ceremony, bolted also. He
bolted back to the sitting-room, rushed in, and the door fell to behind
him.

Marco and The Rat found it shut when, having secured a newspaper, they
went down the passage. At the closed door, Marco stopped. He did not
turn the handle. From the inside of the room there came the sound of
big convulsive sobs and passionate Samavian words of prayer and
worshipping gratitu