"I know that I have been very wrong," continued Tom; "and that if it had
not been for me the apricots would not have been stolen. I can't be more
sorry than I am. And now that you have heard all, Ned, will you forgive
me, and try not to think as badly of me as I deserve?"

Ned said he was glad to hear Tom had had no more share in the affair;
and then, holding out his hand to Tom, he assured him of his entire
forgiveness.

"Indeed, Tom," he added, "I forgave you in my heart long ago."

"I am sure you did," rejoined Tom warmly, "or you would not have been so
kind to me. O Ned, you cannot think how unhappy it makes me when I
recollect how often I have been teasing and ill-natured to you,
notwithstanding your good-nature to me!"

"Say no more about that," replied Ned; "you have not been teasing or
ill-natured lately. We shall, I hope, always be good friends for the
future."

When Tom was gone, Ned related this conversation to his grandmother.

"I think," she observed, when he concluded, "that all Tom's sin in this
matter came from breaking the tenth commandment. If he had not first
coveted the apricots, he would not have been tempted to steal them.
Through earnestly desiring what did not belong to him, he was led not
only to commit a great sin himself, but to be the means of leading a
fellow-creature into sin also. Fred Morris would not have thought of
robbing the apricot-tree had not Tom put it into his head. In the Bible
we are frequently charged not to lead our brother into sin; and heavy