had been her only tutor; and Rosendo's canny wisdom had kept out all
human interference. Her associates in Simiti were few. Her unusual and
mature thought had set up an intellectual barrier between herself and
the playmates she might have had. Fortunately, too, Jose had now to
deal with a child who all her life had thought vigorously--and, he was
forced to conclude, correctly. Habits of accurate observation and
quick and correct interpretation would not be difficult to form in
such a mind. Moreover, to this end he would aim to maintain her
interest at the point of intensity in every subject undertaken; yet
without forcing, and without sacrifice of the joys of childhood. He
would be, not teacher only, but fellow-student. He would strive to
learn with her to conceive the ideal without losing sight of the fact
that it was a human world in which they dwelt. When she wished to
play, he would play with her. But he would contrive and direct their
amusements so as to carry instruction, to elucidate and exemplify it,
to point morals, and steadily to contribute to her store of knowledge.
His plan was ideal, he knew. But he could not know then that
Nature--if we may thus call it--had anticipated him, and that the
child, long since started upon the quest for truth, would quickly
outstrip him in the matter of conceiving the ideal and living in this
world of relative fact with an eye single to the truth which shines so
dimly through it.

Jose knew, as he studied Carmen and planned her training, that
whatever instruction he offered her must be without taint of evil, so
far as he might prevent. And yet, the thought of any attempt to
withhold from her a knowledge of evil brought a sardonic smile to his
lips. She had as yet everything to learn of the world about her. Could
such learning be imparted to her free from error or hypothesis, and
apart from the fiat of the speculative human mind? It must be; for he
knew from experience that she would accept his teaching only as he
presented every apparent fact, every object, every event, as a
reflection in some degree of her immanent God, and subject to rigid
demonstration. Where historical events externalized only the evil
motives of the carnal mind, he must contrive to omit them entirely, or
else present them as unreality, the result of "bad thoughts" and
forgetfulness of God. In other words, only as he assumed to be the
channel through which God spoke to her could he hope for success. To
i