The rain fell faster, and the poor king had yet two miles to go. His ermine was getting quite damp.
"What am I to do?" he exclaimed. "I shall be wet through. Dear! dear! I shall be obliged to take a cab."
The king looked along the road, and saw one coming. "Hi! hi!" shouted his most gracious Majesty, and he waved his sceptre till it almost flew out of his hand.
"Going home to change," said the cabman, with a careless air.
"Don't you know I'm the king?" said poor Bibbs.
"Oh, yes, you're know'd well enough," sneered the cabman; "give my love to the old woman."
"There, there!" said the poor monarch, appealing plaintively to the empty street; "there, that comes of having a Liberal Government; as soon as I get a change I'll be a despot."
You see the true royal spirit in him was not quite crushed.
The rain fell faster, and King Bibbs took off his crown and was looking at the great wet spots on the red cotton velvet when a loud voice exclaimed:—"Does your most gracious Majesty want a cab?"
The king was about to enter the cab without a word, when a ragged boy officiously stood by the wheel.