Eric's was careless, hurried, and untidy; the other two were neat, spirited, and painstaking, and had, therefore, been marked much higher.
"Your exercises _used_ to be far better--I may say incomparably better," said Mr.Rose; "what is the cause of this falling off ?" Eric was silent.
Mr.Rose laid his hand gently on his head.

"I fear, my boy, you have not been improving lately.

You have got into many scrapes, and are letting boys beat you in form who are far your inferiors in ability.

That is a very bad _sign_, Eric; in itself it is a discouraging fact, but I fear it indicates worse evils.

You are wasting the golden hours, my boy, that can never return.