Under the reading lamp

The handwriting in the diary was cramped, with several lines squeezed into the bottom margin. Some passages were illegible where water had spread the ink. I entered a marker for each uncertain word rather than choosing what I thought it ought to say. The diary belonged to a person whose daily concerns were ordinary enough: appointments, bills and the weather. Recording a gap felt less satisfying than completing a sentence, but it was more honest.

From the passage, select two words or phrases that describe features that made the handwriting difficult to read.