"Well," said Marco, "I think I can find out when to come in."
"We'll try it one or two mornings, but I have no idea that you will
succeed. However, we can give up the plan if we find that you stay
out too long. You may have five minutes' recess every day, at eleven
o'clock. On the whole it shall be _ten_ minutes. And this shall
be the plan of your studies for the morning. At nine o'clock, I shall
give you instruction for half an hour. Then you may study arithmetic
for one hour; then write half an hour; then have a recess for ten
minutes: then read for the rest of the last hour. That will bring it
to twelve o'clock."
"But I can't study arithmetic, alone," said Marco.
"Yes," said Forester, "I shall show you how, in the first half-hour
when I am giving you my instructions. Now, are you willing really to
try to carry this system into effect, pleasantly and prosperously?"
"Yes," said Marco, "I'll try."
"We shall find some inconveniences and troubles at first, I have no
doubt," said Forester; "but if we are patient and persevering, we
shall soon make the system go smoothly."
Forester then said, that as Marco might forget what he had to do each
hour, he would make a sort of map of the hours, with the name of
the study which he was to pursue marked in each.
