“They are so easy when you know how, Padre dear,” said Carmen, referring to her tasks.
“But there will be harder ones, chiquita.”
“Yes, Padre. But then I shall know more about the rules that you call principles.”
She took up each problem with confidence. Josè watched her eagerly. “You do not know what the answer will be, chiquita,” he ventured.
“No, Padre dear. But I don’t care. If I use the rule in the right way I shall get the correct answer, shall I not? Look!” she cried joyfully, as she held up her paper with the completed solution of a problem.
“But how do you know that it is correct?” he queried.
“Why––well, we can prove it––can’t we?” She looked up at him questioningly. Then she bent again over her task and worked assiduously for some moments in silence.
“There! I worked it back again to the starting point. And it is right.”
“And in proving it, little one, you have proved the principle and established its correctness. Is it not so, chiquita?”
“Yes, Padre, it shows that the rule is right.”