At one time he found himself in the path leading to the ledge where they had taken Van Loan that miserable night in April. He turned aside at once, and struck off in another direction. He did not care to revisit the scene of that night’s folly. The shadow of this incident was the only one that fell upon his spirits during all that long and beautiful morning walk. When he returned to the college grounds he started across the campus on his way to breakfast, refreshed, vigorous, hopeful, with the sunshine of a brighter day than he had known for months already flooding his heart. In front of the chapel a group of young men stood in earnest conversation; at the corner of South College a half-dozen more were talking to each other in subdued voices. The expressions on their faces indicated that something had gone wrong. Parmenter did not stop to inquire what it was. Somehow he did not dare to. He pushed on, with a sudden sinking of heart, until he came in front of Professor Lee’s residence. He stopped and glanced up at the house uneasily. People seemed to be moving about hurriedly in the upper rooms. The hall door opened as he stood there; and Mr. Delavan, the tutor, came out and down the steps. Parmenter approached him and asked hesitatingly: “Is Charley about the same as yesterday?” The tutor looked at him wonderingly. “Haven’t you heard,” he replied, “of his changed condition?” “No,” responded Parmenter, huskily, backing up against a tree for support. “How changed--worse?” “Yes, much worse. An intense fever, accompanied by delirium, set in last evening and rapidly exhausted him. He lies now in a state of coma, with symptoms of heart failure.” “Will--will he die?” Parmenter’s lips were white, his knees were trembling, his voice was scarcely audible. “They have little hope of saving his life. The end may come at any moment. Here, take my arm. The news has unnerved you. I am going your way; I will walk with you.” Parmenter went to his room, but he could not stay there. In ten minutes he was out on the campus asking for the latest news from Charley. He sat on the terrace wall in a place where he could watch the Lee house. As often as the door opened he caught his breath in the dread that some one would bring out news of Charley’s death. But Charley still lived. The spark of life in his body paled and glowed alternately, and as the day wore on, hope revived. Late in the afternoon Parmenter caught sight of Doctor Park, hurrying along in front of South College. He ran and overtook him. “What about Charley?” he asked breathlessly. “My dear man,” said the doctor, kindly, “we can’t tell. He is alive; we are making every effort to keep him alive. That is all I can say.”