However, his dulness and plodding were more successful than the brightness of many, since they managed to gain a scholarship at school, which helped him at Oxford.

He was called proud and obstinate, and he was both.

Pride and obstinacy were the characteristics of his family, but in him they fortunately tended to good: inasmuch as his pride generally led him to do well, and his obstinacy kept up his pride.
At present, it would be difficult to say whether he is a young man likely to shine in the path he has chosen, or to walk quietly along it unnoticed.

His friends do not anticipate anything remarkable, but they expect him to be slow and sure.

He did very well at college, but gained no greater honours than the respect and goodwill of those he was known to.