She stood quite still with exultant eyes, listening for the thunderpeals as if they were answers to some question, waiting for the lightning like one lost in the dark, who sees a torch borne nearer.
He put down the windows in spite of her "Ah no! ah no!" just as the rain-cloud broke over the house.
"I keep thinking it's the big tulip-tree at home," she said, "making that sound like surf on the shore."
The rain dashed in floods against the window-panes, and ran down in sheets like sea-water off the port-holes of a ship.
"One good thing," said Ethan, "it's too violent to last long."
The house groaned and trembled under the bombardment of the storm.
"Listen!" she said again. "Oh, Yaffti is very angry this time. I told you he was tired of waiting so long in the bay."
She opened the library door.
"Where are you going?" he demanded.
She went back and kissed him.