Never before had the room been so full of it.
"One more day coming to an end," he said, and went on as if pursuing his train of thought: "We must get everything ready for our marriage." "Michel!" cried the young woman instinctively, as if she could not hold the name back.
"Michel will not be angry at us," the man replied.

"He knows you love him, Anna.

He will not be frightened by a formality, pure and simple-- by a marriage /in extremis,"/ he added emphatically, smiling as though to console himself.
They looked at each other.

He was dry, feverish.

His words came from deep down in his being.