in a motionless ecstasy upon one
leg. Having regarded for a moment the rescuer of Snowball with
astonishment, John Duff turned away with the reflection, how easy it
was and natural for those who had nothing, and therefore could lose
nothing, to make merry in others' adversity. It did not once occur
to him that it was the joy of having saved that caused Gibbie's
merriment thus to overflow.

"The cratur's a born idiot!" he said afterwards to Jean; "an' it's
jist a mervel what he's cawpable o'!--But, 'deed, there's little to
cheese atween Janet an' him! They're baith tarred wi' the same
stick." He paused a moment, then added, "They'll dee weel eneuch i'
the ither warl', I doobtna, whaur naebody has to haud aff o'
themsel's."

That day, however, Gibbie had proved that a man may well afford both
to have nothing, and to take no care of himself, seeing he had,
since he rose in the morning, rescued a friend, a foe, and a beast
of the earth. Verily, he might stand on one leg!

But when he told Janet that he had been home, and had found the
cottage uninjured and out of danger, she grew very sober in the
midst of her gladness. She could say nothing there amongst
strangers, but the dread arose in her bosom that, if indeed she had
not like Peter denied her Master before men, she had like Peter
yielded homage to the might of the elements in his ruling presence;
and she justly saw the same faithlessness in the two failures.

"Eh!" she said to herself, "gien only I had been prayin' i'stead o'
rinnin' awa', I wad hae been there whan he turnt the watter aside!
I wad hae seen the mirricle! O my Maister! what think ye o' me
noo?"

For all the excitement Mistress Croale had shown at first view of
Gibbie, she sat still in her dusky corner, made no movement towards
him, nor did anything to attract his attention, only kept her eyes
fixed upon him; and Janet in her mingled joy and pain forgot her
altogether. When at length it recurred to her that she was in the
room, she cast a somewhat anxious glance towards the place she had
occupied all day. It was empty; and Janet was perplexed to think
how she had gone unseen. She had crept out after Mr. Duff, and
probably Janet saw her, but as one of those who seeing see not, and
immediately forget.

Just as the farmer left the room, a great noise arose among the
cattle in that adjoining; he set down the bottle on a chair that
happened to be in the passage, and ran to protect the par