He enjoyed nothing thoroughly; he felt he was not steadily in earnest.

Every day he came with a beating heart to his class, never certain that he could get through a single lesson.
One morning he was endeavoring to stammer through a few lines of some Greek play, and at last paused, unable to proceed.
"Well, sir," said his master quietly,--"as usual, I suppose--I shall give you only a few days' longer trial, and then, if you cannot do better, you must go down." "Who is that, Mr.Danby ?" said a voice behind Louis, that startled him, and turning his blanched face round, he saw Dr.Wilkinson standing near.
"Who is that, Mr.Danby ?" he repeated, in a deep stern voice.
"Louis Mortimer, sir," replied Mr.Danby.

"Either he is totally unfit for this class, or he is very idle; I can make nothing of him." Dr.Wilkinson fixed his eyes searchingly on Louis, and replied, in a tone of much displeasure: "If you have the same fault to find the next two days, send him into a lower class.

It is the most disgraceful idleness, Louis." Louis' heart swelled with sorrow and shame as the doctor walked away.
He stood with downcast eyes and quivering lids, hardly able to restrain his tears, until the class was dismissed, and he was desired to stay in and learn his unsaid lesson.
Reginald followed his brother into the study, where Louis took his books to learn more quietly than he could do in the school-room.
"My dear Louis," he said, "you must try; the doctor will be so displeased if you go into a lower class; and just think what a disgrace it will be." "I know," said Louis, wiping his eyes: "I can't tell how it is, every thing seems to go wrong with me--I am not at all happy, and I am sure I wish to please everybody." "A great deal too much, dear Louis," said Reginald.

"You are always teaching everybody else, and you know you have scarcely any time for yourself.