verbial."

Molly laughed. In her heart there was a secret, unacknowledged feeling
of relief that she was going to try to see Professor Green in spite of
Miss Fern. It was a relief, too, to find herself in the outdoors after
her long vigil of study. The rain beat on her face and the fresh wind
nipped her cheeks until they glowed with color.

"You are much too small and feeble to come out in all this weather,
Otoyo," she said, slipping her arm through her friend's. "You are so
tiny you might easily fall into a puddle and drown."

"Ah, thees is notheeng," cried Otoyo. "In Japan it rains--oceans! And
for so long. Days and days without refraining from." She was very apt to
use big words instead of smaller ones, her own language being
exceedingly formal and grandiose. "Notheeng is dry. Not even within the
edifices."

"Houses, Otoyo."

"But a house is an edifice, is it not so?"

"Oh, yes, but we wouldn't use such a showy word."

Otoyo was still puzzling out why the longer word was not the better when
they reached the infirmary. The regular nurse of the infirmary who
usually sat in the waiting room was not visible to-day. A freshman was
ill and she was probably busy, Otoyo explained.

"Who is looking after the Professor?" Molly asked.

Miss Fern, it appeared, assisted by the infirmary nurse, attended her
cousin during the day, and his sister nursed him at night. Having
imparted this information in a loud whisper, Otoyo started upstairs on
tiptoe, Molly following. Somehow, she felt quite courageous and not at
all afraid of Miss Fern, with the little Japanese to lead her on.

All the doors were closed in the corridor above and on the ward room
door hung a sign, "No Admittance."

"She must be quite ill," whispered Molly.

"She has a taking disease," answered Otoyo. "Like this." And she puffed
out both jaws to the roundness of the full moon.

Molly stifled a laugh.

"Mumps, do you mean?"

Otoyo nodded.

"It was so called to me by the honorable nurse," she added gravely.

The two girls lingered a moment in the hall. Molly was opposed to
rapping on the Professor's door, but Otoyo, amiably but unswervingly
persistent in attaining her ends, gently tapped on the door.

"Come in," called Professor Green's voice, weak almost beyond
recognition.

Otoyo peeped into the room.

"He is alone," she whispered, and with that she pushed Molly through the
door with arm of steel. "I will keep watch for ten minutes without.