"But we have that long stretch of woods, you know."
"I forgot that." Theodora spoke lower, and involuntarily glanced over her shoulder. "How far is it?"
"Five miles. That won't take us long, and we're almost there now."
"Yes; but it's hilly and no track to speak of. Hurry, Hu! Let's ride faster and get through it before that cloud gets over the moon. I wish we had lanterns."
It is exciting work to race with a cloud. Vapors are unreliable things at best, and are prone to roll up the sky with fateful swiftness. As Hubert and Theodora came under the first of the trees, the cloud came above them, and the moon vanished. Theodora was as plucky as a girl could be; but there was something rather fearful to her in this dark and lonely road, where she and Hubert were the only moving objects, but where unknown beings might lurk in every shadow, ready to spring out and drag her down to the earth. The formless fear lent an unsteadiness to her progress, and she began to wobble.
"How dark it is!" she said, in an odd, constrained little voice. "It must be very late, Hu. Can you see your watch?"
"It's not light enough."
"No."
"I know we sha'n't get home at nine."