"Oh, but that won't do!" he exclaimed. "What insanity in me not to think of umbrellas!"
"Umbrellas!" echoed Louisiana. "If we had each six umbrellas they could not save us. We may as well get into the carriage. We are only losing time."
They were just getting in when an idea struck Ferrol which caused him to utter an exclamation of ecstatic relief.
"Why," he cried, "there is that house we passed! Get in quickly. We can reach there in twenty minutes."
Louisiana had her foot upon the step. She stopped short and turned to face him. She changed from red to white and from white to red again, as if with actual terror.
"There!" she exclaimed. "There!"
"Yes," he answered. "We can reach there in time to save ourselves. Is there any objection to our going,—in the last extremity?"
For a second they looked into each other's eyes, and then she turned and sprang into the carriage. She laughed aloud.
"Oh, no," she said. "Go there! It will be a nice place to stay—and the people will amuse you. Go there."
They reached the house in a quarter of an hour instead of twenty minutes. They had driven fast and kept ahead of the storm, but when they drew up before the picket fence the clouds were black and the thunder was rolling behind them.