‘You will never be a greater person in life, Venniker, than you are to-day.’ Gerald Eversley, who was not often seen on the football field, had watched the match with an interest in which his zeal for Harry’s success overshadowed all other feelings; it was no surprise to him that Harry should become the hero of the hour, he felt a sort of reflected honour in the honour paid to his friend; he did not venture to offer him congratulations in the presence of the shouting throng, but as soon as Harry had retired to his room Gerald went to it and said, ‘Oh! how are you? Are you all right? How splendidly you played! I _am_ so glad. All the school are talking about it.’ Harry Venniker shook hands with him, but said only, ‘Thanks, dear old fellow.’ Gerald thought he seemed weary. Next morning Gerald was expecting him at breakfast, but he did not come; he sent word by a lower boy that he had a cold and a slight headache. Gerald went to see him in his room, but reported that he ‘did not look very bad.’ It seemed probable that he had stayed out in the rain too long, receiving his numerous congratulations, after the match, and had caught a chill; at all events that was the opinion of the captain of the football eleven, who, as being the chief authority on football, was in the boys’ eyes equally an authority on health. The school doctor, who was called in to see him, spoke of his case as an ordinary cold, and said, if he were kept out of school for a day or two, he would be all right. Mr. Brandiston, though always punctual in writing to parents of boys who were ill, did not think it necessary to inform Lord Venniker of his son’s illness. In the evening, despite a slight rise of temperature, Harry was reported to be better; he inquired, with much interest, what house Mr. Brandiston’s had been drawn against in the second ‘ties’ of the house matches. But he passed an uneasy night, and when the doctor came in the morning he detected some symptoms of ‘lung trouble,’ and advised Mr. Brandiston to write to Lord Venniker, though not in such a way as to cause him anxiety. The doctor ordered Harry’s removal to the sick-room, which was at the top of the house, well separated from the boys’ rooms. Harry was much worse next day, feverish and restless. It was clear that he was suffering from inflammation of the right lung. Lord Venniker was telegraphed for; he arrived in the evening. Twenty-four hours later the other lung had been attacked. Sir William D----, the great London specialist, who was called in, pronounced the patient’s condition to be critical.