And why?
Because all of us never expect him to catch it; and if he did, we should probably call it a "fluke," and laugh at him all the more.

Yes, it's our fault in a certain measure that Billy is the awful "duffer" he is.
Sometimes, as in the game of football we have referred to, he does make up his mind to do his best; but even then the idea that "destiny" is against him, and that everybody is expecting him to make a fool of himself, as usual, is enough to make any fellow nervous and a duffer.
However, whatever excuses we may make for Billy, he was undoubtedly a duffer.

I have named one reason of his bad luck--want of thought--and another was hurry.

In fact, the two reasons become one, for it was chiefly because Billy would never give himself time to think that he made so many mistakes.

All his thinking came after the thing was done.
As soon as the chemicals had blown up, for instance, it entered his head he had mixed the wrong ingredients, and as soon as the ball was flying to the wrong goal it occurred to him he had kicked it in a wrong direction.
And this really brings me to the moral of my discourse.