u have been thinking so many bad thoughts of late--I don't suppose
you have had any good thoughts at all about Anita's little babe?"

"The babe?" in a tone of astonishment.

"Yes. You know, it is not blind. You promised me that every day you
would just _know_ that."

The rebuke smote him sore. Aye, his crowning sin was revealed again in
all its ugly nakedness. Egoism! His thought was always of his own
troubles, his own longings, his own fears. Self-centeredness had left
no room for thoughts of Ana's blind babe. And why was he now straining
this beautiful girl to himself? Was it fear for her, or for himself?
Yet she gave but little heed to her own needs. Always her concern was
for others, others who stumbled and drooped because of the human
mind's false, unreal, undemonstrable beliefs and ignorance of the
allness of God.

"Ah, child," he exclaimed penitently, "such love! How could I dare to
hope ever to claim it! How can you say that you love me?"

"Why, Padre, I love the real 'you,' the 'you' that is going to be
brought out, and that will become more and more clear, until at last
it stands as the perfect reflection of God. Haven't I told you that,
time and time again?"

"Yes, child. You love the ideal. But--to live with me--to be my--"

"Well, Padre, if we were not still human we would not be thinking that
we were on earth. We have got to work out of this human way of
thinking and living. And it has seemed to me that you and I could work
out of it so much better together, you helping me, manifesting God's
protection and care, and I helping you, as you say I can and do. And
how can we live together and work together unless we marry? Ages make
no difference! And time is only a human concept."

He would not try to explain her reasoning, her contempt for
convention. It would be gratuitous. As for him, women had never
constituted a temptation. He knew that he loved this simple, ingenuous
girl with a tenderness of passion that was wholly free from the dross
of mesmerism. With that he remained content.

"Padre, if you think you must stay here for a little while, to work
out your problem, why, I shall just _know_ that evil can not separate
us. I don't like to even seem to go away without you. But--it will be
only seeming, after all, won't it? God's children can not really be
separated--never!"

She was still paying faithful tribute to her vision of the spiritual
universe. And how her words comforted him! How like a