When she returned, he had already lifted his heavy eyelids, and was looking wearily about the place.

But when he saw her, did ever so bright a sun shine as that smile of his! Eyes and mouth and whole face flashed upon Janet! She set down the milk, and went to the bedside.
Gibbie put up his arms, threw them round her neck, and clung to her as if she had been his mother.

And from that moment she was his mother: her heart was big enough to mother all the children of humanity.

She was like Charity herself, with her babes innumerable.
"What have they done to ye, my bairn ?" she said, in tones pitiful with the pity of the Shepherd of the sheep himself.
No reply came back--only another heavenly smile, a smile of absolute content.

For what were stripes and nakedness and hunger to Gibbie, now that he had a woman to love! Gibbie's necessity was to love; but here was more; here was Love offering herself to him! Except in black Sambo he had scarcely caught a good sight of her before.