306 
A PLAN. 
Sidney coloured, and then laughed. “ I 
know it, Miss Taylor. I thought of that 
very thing in a moment; and that was the 
reason I did not speak. I dare say Jack 
will he sorry enough when he comes to 
think about it, for I do believe he has been 
trying very hard to do right, lately.” 
“ And it is not so easy to be good all in 
a minute, either,” observed Antoinette, who 
had been an attentive listener, though she 
had said nothing. “ It is hard to leave off 
doing wrong things, if one wants to leave 
off ever so much.” 
“It is as you say, my dear,” replied Miss 
Taylor, kindly; “ and we should not be dis¬ 
couraged or out of patience with ourselves 
or others, though we fail many times. And 
now I advise you to drop the subject for the 
present and go on with your plans for the 
evening.” 
The plan was to take the wagon and 
drive down to the village, to bring Kate up 
to tea, that she might hear the lecture upon 
dogs which was to be given them this even¬ 
ing. Mr. Winston had given them leave to 
use both the horses and to take a drive before 
they came home. Matilda would not go, 
